WACE Religion Life ATAR study plan

Define and distinguish the terms religion, belief system, spirituality and worldview in your own words, with one worked example each

Map the major theories of religion's origin and function (sociological, psychological, phenomenological, theological) onto a comparison grid

Identify the structural components common to belief systems (myth, doctrine, ethics, ritual, sacred texts, social organisation) and label them in two traditions you know well

Outline the main normative ethical theories (deontology, consequentialism, virtue ethics, natural law, divine command) and state how each would approach one contested issue

Apply each normative ethical theory to two contemporary issues, writing a structured argument for each position

Explain the difference between descriptive and normative ethics and between moral relativism and moral absolutism, with examples

Analyse how a religious tradition's sources of authority shape its moral reasoning on one issue

Draft a reusable paragraph template for 'evaluate' questions that states criteria before judging

Construct a timeline of the founding and key development events for two traditions, with dates and sources

Explain the role of a founder or key figure and how their authority is transmitted after their death

Describe three core beliefs of each tradition and show how each belief links to a practice

Compare how two traditions handle schism or reform, identifying causes and consequences

Classify the genres and purposes of key texts within each tradition and explain how genre affects interpretation

Summarise the main methods of scriptural interpretation (literal, contextual, allegorical, historical-critical) and apply each to one short passage

Trace how a specific teaching is derived from a text and then applied in practice

Compare the relationship between text, tradition and authority in two traditions

Describe the structure and function of three rituals (one rite of passage, one calendrical, one devotional) and identify the symbols used in each

Explain at least three theories of religious experience and apply one to a described experience

Distinguish sign from symbol and analyse how symbolism communicates meaning within a ritual

Evaluate the claim that ritual is primarily about social cohesion rather than encounter with the sacred

Analyse the relationship between religion and social institutions (state, education, family, media) using two case examples

Explain secularisation, pluralism and fundamentalism as competing accounts of religion's social trajectory

Assess how religion both shapes and is shaped by culture, using one contemporary example

Argue a position on religion's role in public life with evidence from both sides

Build a decision-making model showing how a believer weighs scripture, tradition, reason and experience in a moral dilemma

Apply that model to two contemporary issues and contrast the outcome with a secular ethical approach

Identify and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of religious ethical frameworks on a contested issue

Practise writing evaluate-style conclusions that weigh criteria rather than list opinions

Synthesise all domains into an integrated revision sheet linking beliefs, texts, rituals, ethics and society

Complete two timed practice responses under exam conditions and mark them against the criteria

Audit weak areas from earlier weeks and re-teach the three weakest concepts

Rehearse a bank of key terms and definitions to fluent recall