Theme C: The Existence of God and Revelation

What Theme C: The Existence of God and Revelation covers

Theme C: The Existence of God and Revelation is examined in Paper 2, Thematic studies — one of the four themes chosen, marked out of 24. It covers the Design argument, the First Cause argument, the argument from miracles, evil and suffering as an argument against God, science, atheism and humanism, special revelation: visions and enlightenment and general revelation and ideas about the nature of God.

The 7 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• The Design argumentThese questions set out the Design argument and Paley's watch, apparent design and fine-tuning, the argument's strengths, the challenges from Hume, evolution and suffering in nature, and the humanist response.Open →
• The First Cause argumentStudents learn the First Cause argument and the thinker most linked to it, infinite regress, necessary and contingent being, its link to the Big Bang, its strengths and weaknesses, and Bertrand Russell's objection.Open →
• The argument from miraclesThe subtopic covers what a miracle is and the argument from miracles, examples from the Gospels and Lourdes, how cures are judged, Hume's objection and alternative explanations, and Christian and humanist responses.Open →
• Evil and suffering as an argument against GodThese questions explain moral and natural evil, the problem of evil and the inconsistent triad, theodicies including free will, Augustine and soul-making, Job and the suffering of Jesus, and why atheists see evil as evidence against God.Open →
• Science, atheism and humanismStudents learn atheism, agnosticism, humanism and theism, how the Big Bang and evolution are used against belief, religious replies, believing scientists, Richard Dawkins, the burden of proof, and humanist sources of meaning.Open →
• Special revelation: visions and enlightenmentThe subtopic covers special revelation through visions, with examples from scripture, Saul and Bernadette, the first revelation of the Qur'an, enlightenment and the Buddha, and why such claims are trusted or doubted.Open →
• General revelation and ideas about the nature of GodThese questions explain general revelation through nature and scripture and how it differs from special revelation, ideas of God as omnipotent, omniscient, personal or impersonal, transcendent and immanent, and humanist views.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Theme C: The Existence of God and Revelation further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Design argument vs First Cause argument

  Design argument: reasoning from order and purpose. First Cause argument: reasoning from causation.

• Omnipotent vs Omniscient

  Omnipotent: having unlimited power over everything. Omniscient: knowing everything that can be known.

• Immanent vs Transcendent

  Immanent: present within the world. Transcendent: beyond and outside the world.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is the Design argument?

   Model answer

   The Design argument claims that the order and complexity of the universe show that it was designed. A designer of that kind must be God.

2. 2

   Which other name is given to the Design argument?

   Model answer

   The Design argument is also called the teleological argument. Telos is the Greek word for purpose or end.

3. 3

   Who used the watch analogy in the Design argument?

   Model answer

   William Paley used the watch analogy in his book Natural Theology in 1802. Paley argued that a watch found on a heath implies a watchmaker.

4. 4

   Set out the steps of Paley's watchmaker argument.

   Model answer

   A watch has parts arranged for a purpose, so a designer must have made it. The universe shows the same arrangement of parts, so the universe must have a designer.

5. 5

   Give two examples of apparent design in nature.

   Model answer

   The human eye and the orbits of the planets are common examples. Each example shows parts working together for a purpose.

6. 6

   What is meant by the fine-tuning version of the Design argument?

   Model answer

   Fine-tuning points out that the laws of physics are set at values that allow life to exist. Chance alone looks an unlikely explanation on this view.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Theme C: The Existence of God and Revelation revision questions

What does Theme C: The Existence of God and Revelation cover in AQA GCSE Religious Studies A?

7 subtopics: the design argument, the first cause argument, the argument from miracles, evil and suffering as an argument against god, science, atheism and humanism, special revelation: visions and enlightenment and general revelation and ideas about the nature of god. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Theme C: The Existence of God and Revelation organised?

By the AQA 8062 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.