Cambridge International A Level Religious Studies 9484
World religions, philosophy of religion, applied topics and the named scholars — every framework and argument for Cambridge A Level Religious Studies 9484 in 2026.
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Aligned with the latest 2026 syllabus and board specifications. This sheet is prepared to match your exam board’s official specifications for the 2026 exam series.
Cambridge A Level Religious Studies (9484) requires precise scholar engagement, philosophical argument and balanced essay technique. This reference sheet brings together the major religions, philosophical arguments, applied topics and named thinkers — everything you need for confident essay writing in 2026.
Paper 1 — Two world religions in depth
Paper 2 — Philosophy of religion & applied topics
Paper 3 — In-depth essay paper on chosen religion
Named scholars and essay-writing technique
Each religion is studied across four areas: textual studies, beliefs & practices, leaders/figures, history & development.
Choose-one study area: e.g. Gospels, Pauline letters, doctrine of God, Christology.
Texts
Synoptic Gospels, John, Pauline letters; historical-critical methods (Bultmann demythologisation) Beliefs
Trinity, Incarnation, Atonement, salvation, eschatology Figures
Jesus, Paul, early Church fathers; modern theologians (Bonhoeffer, Schleiermacher) History
Early Church, councils, Reformation, modern movements Texts
Qur'an, Hadith, Sunnah; Tafsir tradition Beliefs
Tawhid, six articles of faith, five pillars Figures
Prophet Muhammad, the four Rashidun caliphs, scholars (al-Ghazali, Ibn Sina) History
Hijra, expansion, Sunni–Shi'a split, modern reform movements Texts
Tanakh (Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim), Talmud Beliefs
Covenant, Maimonides' 13 principles, Messianic age Figures
Abraham, Moses, prophets, Maimonides, Buber, Heschel History
Exodus, exile, Diaspora, Holocaust, modern movements (Reform, Conservative, Orthodox) Texts
Pali Canon (Tipitaka), Mahayana sutras Beliefs
Three Marks of Existence, Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, Dependent Origination, anatta Figures
Siddhartha Gautama, Nagarjuna, the Dalai Lamas History
Schools — Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana; spread of Buddhism Texts
Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata Beliefs
Brahman, atman, dharma, karma, samsara, moksha; six darshanas Figures
Krishna, Ram, Shankara, Ramanuja, Gandhi History
Vedic period, classical Hinduism, Bhakti movement, modern reformers Classical and modern arguments — know strengths, weaknesses and key scholars.
From contingency/causation in the universe.
Aquinas — Five Ways
Motion, efficient cause, contingency, gradation, teleology — first three cosmological Kalam (al-Ghazali)
Whatever begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist; therefore the universe has a cause Hume's critique
Fallacy of composition; causation outside universe is unknowable Paley
Watchmaker analogy — design implies designer Aquinas — 5th Way
Goal-directed behaviour in nature requires intelligence Critiques
Hume — bad analogy, evil suggests imperfect designer · Darwin — natural selection explains apparent design Modern
Tennant's anthropic principle; fine-tuning argument A priori — God's existence from definition.
Anselm — Proslogion
God = 'that than which nothing greater can be conceived'; existence in reality > existence in mind alone; therefore God exists Descartes
God's perfection necessarily includes existence Plantinga — modal
If God exists in any possible world, God exists in all possible worlds Critiques
Gaunilo's perfect island · Kant — existence is not a predicate William James
Four marks: ineffability, noetic, transient, passive — pragmatic cumulative argument Otto
Numinous — mysterium tremendum et fascinans Schleiermacher
Religion as 'feeling of absolute dependence' Critiques
Naturalistic explanations (Freud, neuroscience); how to verify private experience? Theodicies and the meaningfulness of religious statements.
Logical (Mackie)
Inconsistent triad: God is omnipotent, omnibenevolent, evil exists — cannot all be true Evidential (Hume)
Quantity and distribution of evil makes God improbable Augustinian
Evil is privatio boni; original sin via free will of Adam — soul-deciding theodicy Irenaean / Hick
Soul-making — evil is necessary for moral and spiritual growth; epistemic distance Free Will Defence (Plantinga)
Genuine freedom requires the possibility of moral evil Process Theology
God is not omnipotent in classical sense; persuades rather than coerces Verification (Ayer)
Statements meaningful only if analytic or empirically verifiable — religious claims meaningless Falsification (Flew)
Religious claims die 'death of a thousand qualifications' Hare's bliks
Unfalsifiable but meaningful worldviews Wittgenstein
Language games — religious language meaningful within its own form of life Tillich
Symbols participate in what they signify; God = ground of being Choose ONE thematic area: ethics, gender, environment, science.
Natural Law (Aquinas)
Five primary precepts derived from synderesis: preserve life, reproduce, educate, live in society, worship God Situation Ethics (Fletcher)
Only intrinsically good thing is agape love; context decides the right action Utilitarianism (Mill, Singer)
Greatest happiness principle; preference utilitarianism — applied ethics (Singer on poverty, animal rights) Patriarchal readings of scripture vs feminist theology (Daly, Ruether) · women's roles in worship and leadership across traditions White's critique of Christianity & ecological crisis · stewardship vs dominion · Buddhist & Hindu interconnectedness · Laudato Si' Pope Francis Conflict (Dawkins) vs independence (Gould NOMA) vs dialogue/integration (Polkinghorne) · creationism, intelligent design, theistic evolution Extended essays on the chosen religion(s) — synoptic, evaluative, scholar-rich.
Critical assessment of doctrines, practices, historical developments, modern challenges to your chosen religion Synoptic links across textual, doctrinal and practical strands Wide range of named scholars (insider + outsider perspectives) Engagement with primary texts in original where appropriate Sustained evaluation — not just description of beliefs Awareness of intra-traditional diversity (e.g. Sunni/Shi'a; Theravada/Mahayana) Memorise the headline argument or contribution of each.
Anselm — ontological argument · Aquinas — Five Ways, Natural Law · Hume — critiques of design and miracles · Kant — moral argument, existence not a predicate · Mill — utilitarianism William James — four marks of mystical experience · Otto — numinous · Plantinga — reformed epistemology · Wittgenstein — language games · Tillich — symbol & ground of being Bultmann — demythologisation · Bonhoeffer — religionless Christianity · Schleiermacher — feeling of absolute dependence · Fletcher — situation ethics · Singer — applied utilitarianism Mackie — inconsistent triad · Flew — falsification · Ayer — verification · Russell — teapot · Dawkins — conflict thesis Cambridge rewards balanced, scholar-rich argument with personal judgement.
Intro
Define key terms, show awareness of question complexity, signpost thesis Body
3–4 supporting paragraphs (with named scholars + textual reference) followed by 2–3 counter-points Conclusion
Reasoned judgement that addresses the question explicitly Quote or paraphrase precisely — name the scholar and the work where possible Engage critically — agree, qualify or refute; don't just describe AO1 Knowledge & understanding (50%) — accurate doctrines, scholars, texts AO2 Analysis & evaluation (50%) — sustained argument, balanced critique, personal judgement Boost your Cambridge exam confidence with these proven study strategies from our tutoring experts.
Every essay should reference at least one primary text — Bible, Qur'an, Bhagavad Gita, Pali Canon. Memorise 2–3 short quotes per topic.
Make a card per scholar with their argument, key terms, and one critical response. Aim for 4–6 named scholars per topic.
Top-band Religious Studies essays present the strongest version of the opposing view before responding — avoid straw-manning.
Paper 3 rewards links across textual, doctrinal and practical strands. Practise mapping connections rather than treating topics in isolation.
Quick answers about this free PDF and how to use it for exam revision and active recall.
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This page groups key Religious Studies formulas in one place for revision. Master Cambridge A Level Religious Studies (9484) with this 2026 reference sheet. Covers world religions, philosophy of religion, applied topics, and named scholars including Anselm, Aquinas, Hume, Kant, Wittgenstein … Always cross-check with your official syllabus and past papers for your exam session.
No. In the exam you must follow only what your exam board allows in the hall—usually the official formula booklet or data sheet where provided. This page is a revision and teaching aid, not a replacement for board-issued materials.
It is written for students preparing for assessments at Post-Secondary in Religious Studies, including classroom revision, homework support, and independent study. Teachers and tutors can also share it as a quick reference.
Work through past paper questions, quote the correct formula before substituting values, and check units and notation every time. Pair this sheet with timed practice and mark schemes so you see how examiners expect working to be set out.
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This reference sheet aligns with Cambridge Assessment International Education International A Level Religious Studies (9484) syllabus content for 2026 examinations.
Always engage with named scholars and primary texts — generic references to 'religious people believe' lose top-band marks.