What does the A-Level RS: Christianity section require?

Christianity is the world’s largest religion with over two billion adherents spanning continents and a multiplicity of doctrines. A-Level Religious Studies Christianity addresses the faith, its development, and key thinkers in detail. It examines the controversies and evolving beliefs, and the reasons behind the key debates. It’s the large quantity of key terminology and complex, abstract ideas that makes the module harder for many students to access. However, accessing these ideas is exactly what’s required come exam time. It’s essential that candidates are prepared and have practiced the full gamut of questions that could appear in the final exam paper.

For the Christianity component, the questions often juxtapose different Christian traditions’ beliefs, such as Lutheran and Catholic ideas about transubstantiation or clergy vestments. Therefore, it is important that A-Level students have a strong understanding of the different denominations of Christianity, their key ideas and debates, and reasonings. In fact, much of the contextual historical understanding that’s required for deftly dealing with the subject matter is actually extra-curricular in nature. Extra reading and digging into the history is required for the candidate to be able to explore the ideas in sufficient depth for the exam. Ensuring students upgrade their responses with contextual comparative analysis and strong, reasoned conclusions is what sets apart the students accessing the top grades.

For instance, let’s briefly analyse two A-Level Religious Studies responses to the following question:

“All Christian church services should include the Eucharist.

Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. (10 marks)”

Weaker A-Level Religious Studies: Christianity response

The following is an example of a relatively common A-Level Religious Studies response:

Some Protestant Christians though would not agree that all church services should include the Eucharist because they may choose not to do it. Many Protestants believe the bread and wine are metaphorically representative of Jesus’ blood and flesh and therefore taking them into the body is not so important as for Catholics. Thus, some Protestants may agree they don’t need to practise the Eucharist so much. They say Jesus’ directions to the disciples to do the Eucharist were unclear and differ between Gospel accounts. Also, while Jesus did start the tradition, he did it on Passover, which only happens yearly. Therefore, some may argue that the Eucharist is not necessary for every service, or that it should happen once a year. Overall, Protestants do not agree with the view that all Christian church services should include the Eucharist.

Why is this response weak for A-Level Religious Studies?

Areas this response could improve:

There is a lack of key terminology related to the question, such as transubstantiation.
The response lacks some clarity on the process and relative importance of the Eucharist.
The response lacks any specific examples of Protestants or evidence for its claims.

Improved A-Level Religious Studies: Christianity response

Instead, let’s turn to a stronger A-Level Religious Studies response:

In contrast, some Protestant Christians such as Quakers, Methodists, Anglicans and Baptists, choose not to do the Eucharist, or to do it less frequently. Many Protestants believe that rather than literal transubstantiation, the process by which the bread and wine transubstantiate to the body and blood of Jesus Christ at the point of ingestion, the bread and wine are metaphorically representative of Jesus’ blood and flesh and it is the ritual memory that is important in the process of cleansing the body of sin. Thus, some Protestants may agree they do not need to practise the tradition as frequently. They cite the ambiguity in Jesus’ directions to the disciples, during the last supper, to carry on the tradition of the Eucharist saying (Luke 22:19-20), “Do this in remembrance of me.”. Indeed, while Jesus started the tradition of the Eucharist, he did so on Passover, a festival that only occurs once a year. Therefore, some may argue that it is not necessary for every church service, or maybe that it should happen only once a year. Overall, while Catholics may participate in the Eucharist at every church service, many Protestants do not agree with that view.

Why is this A-Level Religious Studies: Christianity response better?

Why this A-Level Religious Studies answer is stronger:

There is a sustained, appropriate, and clear use of key terminology.
The answer discusses the implications of the Eucharist to Christian believers.
The response cites multiple denominations of Protestantism and gives a bible reference as evidence for its claims.

A-Level Religious Studies: Christianity is an eye-opening course that examines the largest faiths in the world today. Displaying key terminology and basing your responses on events and ideas in the biblical narrative is essential in reaching those top marks. Demonstrating knowledge of the historical and religious context of Christianity is also non-negotiable to access the top grade boundaries.

Therefore, it is unsurprising that candidates who consolidate their knowledge and understanding with an experienced BartyED A-Level Religious Studies tutor do better. Our tutors work with them so they can confidently meet all assessment objectives.

Feel free to contact us today for more information about our bespoke A-Level tutoring programmes at (852) 2882 1017 or enquiries@bartyed.com.