A Level Digest April 2022
A good book: The Sage Train by Nicky Hansell
I came across this book a few years ago when I attended Strictly RE (pre pandemic when it was face to face). It is an excellent introduction and overview of many of the philosophers’ students will encounter within the A level, especially those sections connected to ethics. The style is similar in some ways to Sophie’s World, but it provides a more thorough and engaging encounter with the various scholars it focuses upon. I particularly enjoyed the sections dedicated to Mill and Kant as they enriched my understanding of the worldview of these thinkers and key events which shaped their lives. Having read the book, I think:
- This is a very accessible read for A level students and teachers a like.
- It is also a good read for students who are planning to take the subject and want something to look at over the summer before they begin in September.
- If a student is struggling in a particular area and the philosopher is covered in the book, I would recommend they read this as it is a different way into the same material which they may find is more accessible.
Interesting research: Is God Male? by Michael Rea
Teaching in an all-girls school meant I particularly enjoyed reading this article as it provided further food for thought for ideas that can be drawn upon when having discussions surrounding why God is described in predominantly male terms. What I really like is how Michael offers two main reasons why God should not solely be referred to in this way; firstly, because it does not reflect that males and females where both created in his image; and secondly, because it does not show that God is a perfect being. I have used this not only at A level (for example in the Gender and Theology unit) but also for the GCSE and even KS3. For further information on the summary of the piece and for the research itself, follow this link to RE on line: Is God male? – RE:ONLINE (reonline.org.uk)
A website: Women in Parenthesis and Mapping the Quartet
These are two websites that are dedicated to the same theme and are overseen by the same people. They explore four amazing British female philosophers who studied together at university: Mary Midgley, Philippa Foot, Elisabeth Anscombe and Iris Murdoch. In addition to providing information on the ‘quartet’ as they are known, the website also provides audio PowerPoints showing how their work links to various topics covered in the A level. For example, one of these discusses Mary Midgley’s position on Descartes Substance Dualism. After you have explored the site, you may wish to read Metaphysical Animals which was recently read on radio 4.
Teachers & Young People | In Parenthesis (womeninparenthesis.co.uk)
A good watch: TRS Chester A level Webinars
The Theology and Religious Studies department at Chester University have, for the past two years, produced a series of webinars to support both teachers and students to understand further the topics covered on the A level and GCSE syllabus. Some examples of the areas they have discussed include: the ethics of allocating health care in the pandemic; did Jesus rise from the dead?; An introduction to meta-ethics; The problem of evil after the holocaust; and Self and not self in Hinduism and Buddhism. The sessions were originally delivered live but their recordings are all available online. The clips can be found here: TRS Chester A Level Webinars | Theology and Religious Studies | University of Chester
Rachael Jackson-Royal is head of department of RE and is the exams and higher education officer on the NATRE executive.