Clarification details
Updated June 2016. This clarification has been updated to provide further clarity to address new issues that have arisen from moderation.
The specific branch of a religious tradition needs to be specified
For many religious traditions, there are broad terms, and then branches of the tradition that do not necessarily share the same beliefs. For example, Christianity is a broad term that covers many aspects of that religious tradition, but the different denominations within Christianity do not necessarily share the same beliefs as one another. It is important to clearly identify which branch of the religious tradition is being assessed, either for or by the student, during the assessment activity.
Contemporary ethical issue
The focus of this standard is the analysis of the response of a religious tradition to a contemporary ethical issue by considering in detail both the contemporary ethical issue and the response of the religious tradition by breaking them down into components or essential features, drawing conclusions, discussing ethical principles that influence and critically evaluating the response of a religious tradition to a contemporary ethical issue.
The contemporary ethical issue needs to be one that demonstrates the response of the religious tradition using its ethical principles (codes of behaviour) that are sourced from within its sacred text.
For example:
- In Catholicism, the source of ethical principles is the Bible such as Matthew 25:31-45; The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. From this, an ethical principle could be to care for others who are less fortunate in some way (preferential option for the poor).
- In Islam, the source of ethical principles, is the Qur’an such as Surah 2:274. From this Surah, an ethical principle is explained about the importance of wealth in the cause of Allah.
Explanatory Note 10 provides some examples of contemporary ethical issues that religious traditions respond too.
Wider Implications
Students need to focus on at least two implications, and their selection could be determined by the components or essential features and ethical principles of influence being analysed. All implications can be from within one or a combination of the suggested areas.