What is the Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro, and why do scholars of Hinduism take an interest in it?

It is a large watertight brick tank, and many scholars read it as evidence of ritual bathing, a practice that remains central to Hindu worship.

Why is the so-called Pashupati seal important to the origins debate?

It shows a horned figure seated in what looks like a yogic posture among animals, which Sir John Marshall identified as a forerunner of Shiva, although the identification is widely disputed.

State the main reason why conclusions about Indus Valley religion remain provisional.

The Indus script has never been deciphered, so every interpretation rests on objects and images rather than on anything the people themselves wrote.

WJEC AS-Level Religious Studies 603-0277-X

Christianity: Religious Figures and Sacred TextsChristianity

Topic overview The birth narratives and the incarnation The resurrection: Bultmann, Wright and the afterlife The Bible as authority in daily life Evaluating the narratives, the resurrection and biblical guidance

Christianity: Key Religious ConceptsChristianity

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Christianity: Religious Life and Moral PrinciplesChristianity

Topic overview Faith, works and justification The community of believers and the role of churches Key moral principles of Christianity Evaluating justification, the Church and moral priorities

Christianity: Practices and Religious IdentityChristianity

Topic overview Diversity in baptism Diversity in the Eucharist Diversity in Christmas and Easter Evaluating baptism, Eucharist and festivals

Islam: Religious Figures and Sacred TextsIslam

Topic overview Muhammad in Makkah: jahiliyya and the Night of Power The Hijrah and Muhammad's leadership in Madinah The Qur'an as a source of wisdom and authority Evaluating Muhammad's leadership and the authority of the Qur'an

Islam: Key Religious ConceptsIslam

Topic overview Tawhid, shirk and the shahadah Nabi, rasul, nadir and risalah Malaikah and akhirah Evaluating the concepts of Allah, prophethood and judgement

Islam: Religious Life and Moral PrinciplesIslam

Topic overview Salah and the forms of Muslim prayer Zakah, sadaqah and the Hajj The five categories of action as a framework for living Evaluating prayer, giving and the categories of action

Islam: Practices and Religious IdentityIslam

Topic overview The role of the masjid Ashura and Shi'a identity Ramadan and Id-ul-Fitr Evaluating the masjid, Ashura and the value of fasting

Judaism: Religious Figures and Sacred TextsJudaism

Topic overview Abraham and the covenant of circumcision Moses and the covenant of law at Sinai The Torah as a source of wisdom and authority Debates about covenant and the authority of Torah

Judaism: Key Religious ConceptsJudaism

Topic overview The nature of God and the divine attributes Humanity, the sanctity of life and the Shema The Messiah, judgement and the afterlife Debates about God, the Shema and belief in judgement

Judaism: Religious Life and Moral PrinciplesJudaism

Topic overview Diversity of views about the 613 mitzvot Tefillah, the Amidah and tzedakah The Ten Sayings as a basis for religious and ethical life Debates about mitzvot, prayer and the Ten Sayings

Judaism: Practices and Religious IdentityJudaism

Topic overview The synagogue and its place in Jewish life Pesach, redemption and Jewish identity Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Debates about the synagogue, festivals and penitence

Buddhism: Religious Figures and Sacred TextsBuddhism

Topic overview The birth narratives and the Four Sights The Awakening of the Buddha under the Bodhi Tree The Patimokkha and the Four Parajikas Debating the Buddha's biography, Awakening and the monastic code

Buddhism: Key Religious ConceptsBuddhism

Topic overview The three lakshanas: dukkha, anicca and anatta Pratityasamutpada, karma and rebirth Arhat and bodhisattva Debating the marks of existence, rebirth and the goals of the path

Buddhism: Religious Life and Moral PrinciplesBuddhism

Topic overview The Four Noble Truths The Eightfold Path and the Middle Way The dasa sila and the lay and monastic sanghas Debating the truths, the path and the precepts

Buddhism: Practices and Religious IdentityBuddhism

Topic overview Going for refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and sangha Meditation: samatha, vipassana, metta bhavana and zazen Dana and punya Debating refuge, meditation and giving

Hinduism: Religious Figures and Sacred TextsHinduism

Topic overview The origins of Hinduism and vedic sources of authority Krishna and Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita Shruti, smriti and Hindu texts in daily life Evaluating origins, the Gita and the authority of texts

Hinduism: Key Religious ConceptsHinduism

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Hinduism: Religious Life and Moral PrinciplesHinduism

Topic overview Varnashramadharma: the four varnas and four ashramas The status of the Dalits Ahimsa, satyagraha and non-violence Evaluating duty, varna and ahimsa

Hinduism: Practices and Religious IdentityHinduism

Topic overview Puja in the home and the mandir Holi and the shaping of religious identity Durga Puja and the divine mother Evaluating puja, festivals and Durga

Sikhism: Religious Figures and Sacred TextsSikhism

Topic overview The life and teachings of Guru Nanak Guru Gobind Singh and the founding of the Khalsa The Guru Granth Sahib as living Guru Debates on the Gurus and the authority of scripture

Sikhism: Key Religious ConceptsSikhism

Topic overview The Sikh understanding of God The nature and journey of the soul Karma, rebirth and mukti Debates on God, the soul and liberation

Sikhism: Religious Life and Moral PrinciplesSikhism

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Sikhism: Practices and Religious IdentitySikhism

Topic overview The gurdwara and the expression of Sikh identity Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas Vaisakhi and the birth of the Khalsa Debates on the gurdwara and Sikh festivals

Ethical Thought: Divine Command, Virtue and Egoism

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Aquinas and Natural Law

Topic overview The four levels of law and the precepts Virtues, acts and goods in Natural Law Natural Law applied to abortion and voluntary euthanasia Evaluating Aquinas' Natural Law

Fletcher and Situation Ethics

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Utilitarianism

Topic overview Bentham's Act Utilitarianism and the hedonic calculus Mill's higher pleasures, the harm principle and rules Utilitarianism applied to animal experimentation and nuclear deterrence Evaluating Utilitarianism

Inductive Arguments for the Existence of God

Topic overview The cosmological argument The teleological argument Hume's challenges and scientific alternatives Debating the inductive arguments

Deductive Arguments for the Existence of God

Topic overview Anselm's ontological argument Descartes and Malcolm Gaunilo and Kant's objections Debating the ontological argument

The Problem of Evil and Suffering

Topic overview The types and the logical problem of evil Augustinian type theodicy Irenaean type theodicy Debating the problem of evil

The Nature of Religious Experience

Topic overview Types of religious experience Mystical experience: James and Otto Challenges to religious experience Debating religious experience

Hinduism: Religious Figures and Sacred Texts

4 subtopics
12 things to know
AS Unit 1
Hinduism, one religion of six studied in AS Unit 1

What Hinduism: Religious Figures and Sacred Texts covers

Hinduism: Religious Figures and Sacred Texts is examined in AS Unit 1, An Introduction to the Study of Religion — the Hinduism option, studied instead of the other five. It covers the origins of Hinduism and vedic sources of authority, Krishna and Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, shruti, smriti and Hindu texts in daily life and Evaluating origins, the Gita and the authority of texts.

Where it is assessed

AS Unit 1

An Introduction to the Study of Religion — one religion of six.

Check the WJEC specification ↗

The 4 subtopics

Each one has its own page. WJEC AS Religious Studies students sit this topic in the first year.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

Where are the Vedas chiefly used in Hindu life today?

Key term

Give the case that Hinduism begins with the vedic Aryans rather than with the Indus Valley.

Key term

Give the case that modern Hinduism is continuous with vedic and Indus traditions.

Key term

Give the case that modern Hinduism is largely discontinuous with those early traditions.

Key term

Which two cities are the best known sites of the Indus Valley civilisation?

Key term

Describe the situation in which the Bhagavad Gita is set.

Numbers

Give the approximate dates of the mature phase of the Indus Valley civilisation.

Key term

Distinguish dharma from varnadharma.

Key term

What does shruti mean, and which texts belong to it?

Key term

Name three features of Indus Valley cities that show careful planning.

Evaluation

What is Krishna's argument in Bhagavad Gita 3:4-5?

Key term

What does smriti mean, and which texts belong to it?

Take Hinduism: Religious Figures and Sacred Texts further

The same content, four other ways.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
Which two cities are the best known sites of the Indus Valley civilisation?
Model answer
Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, in the Indus basin of what is now Pakistan.
2
Give the approximate dates of the mature phase of the Indus Valley civilisation.
Model answer
Roughly 2600 to 1900 BCE.
3
Name three features of Indus Valley cities that show careful planning.
Model answer
Streets laid out on a grid, standardised baked bricks, and covered drainage running from the houses.
4
What is the Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro, and why do scholars of Hinduism take an interest in it?
Model answer
It is a large watertight brick tank, and many scholars read it as evidence of ritual bathing, a practice that remains central to Hindu worship.
5
Why is the so-called Pashupati seal important to the origins debate?
Model answer
It shows a horned figure seated in what looks like a yogic posture among animals, which Sir John Marshall identified as a forerunner of Shiva, although the identification is widely disputed.
6
State the main reason why conclusions about Indus Valley religion remain provisional.
Model answer
The Indus script has never been deciphered, so every interpretation rests on objects and images rather than on anything the people themselves wrote.

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Christianity: Religious Figures and Sacred Texts

Christianity: Key Religious Concepts

Christianity: Religious Life and Moral Principles

Christianity: Practices and Religious Identity

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Hinduism: Religious Figures and Sacred Texts revision questions

Is Hinduism: Religious Figures and Sacred Texts examined at AS in WJEC Religious Studies?: Yes. It sits in AS Unit 1, which you take in the first year, so it is on the AS paper as well as counting towards the full A level.
What does Hinduism: Religious Figures and Sacred Texts cover in WJEC AS-Level Religious Studies?: 4 subtopics: the origins of hinduism and vedic sources of authority, krishna and arjuna in the bhagavad gita, shruti, smriti and hindu texts in daily life and evaluating origins, the gita and the authority of texts. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
How is Hinduism: Religious Figures and Sacred Texts organised?: By the WJEC 603-0277-X specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.

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