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HSC Cross Religion Study 1: Religious RitesThe focus of this study is religious rites.
In the context of this study, ‘rite’ refers to a formal act in a religious observance.
For the purpose of this study, religious rites are divided into three categories:
Passage, Personal Devotion and Public Worship.
Students learn about:
the nature, role and significance of religious rites:
– religious rites as significant acts performed/undertaken by believers in celebrating, symbolising and making present the central beliefs of the religious tradition
– three categories of religious rites:
- rites of passage, eg initiation, funerals
- rites of personal devotion, eg prayer, fasting, penance
- rites of public worship, eg temple ceremonies, liturgies, communion services, feast days, seasons, religious cycles
religious rites and their effect on the everyday lives of believers:
For this section, students are to study TWO specific religious rites from TWO of the categories for TWO religious traditions.
Note: The rites chosen must be the same across each study.
Buddhism
– rites of passage, eg introduction to Sangha/ordination
– rites of personal devotion, eg meditation, nembutsu
– rites of public Worship, eg temple ceremonies, Wesak
Christianity
– rites of passage, eg baptism, marriage
– rites of personal devotion, eg retreats, rosary, daily devotions, Bible reading, meditation and prayer
– rites of public worship, eg Divine Office, Communion service, Lent, Christmas, Evensong
Hinduism
– rites of passage, eg naming and incorporation, upanayana and female puberty ritual, marriage and death
– rites of personal devotion, eg puja, bhakti, meditation, renunciation, arati
– rites of public worship, eg puja, darshan, pilgrimages, hymn singing, Ganeshe Chathurthi, Divali
Islam
– rites of passage, eg Adhan, Aqiqah, Adq Nikah, Janazah
– rites of personal devotion, eg prayer, pilgrimage
– rites of public worship, eg worship at the mosque and at Mecca, Ramadan, Eid-al Fitr, Eid-al-adha
Judaism
– rites of passage, eg Brit-milah, Pidyon HaBen, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, marriage and divorce, death and bereavement
– rites of personal devotion, eg Sabbath
– rites of public worship, eg synagogue.
Students learn to:
compare and contrast examples from the same religious rites within TWO religious traditions in relation to TWO of the following:
– the nature, role and function of officiating celebrants
– significance of sacred writings
– use of symbolism
– social structure
– human experiences.
---------
HSC Cross Religion Study 2: Religion and Ethics
The focus of this study is religion and ethics.
In the context of this study, ‘ethics’ is a justification for reasoning behind human moral behaviour, ‘moral’ is a description of actual human moral behaviour.
Students learn about:
the nature, role and significance of ethics:
– ethical systems within TWO religious traditions.
Sources for investigation are:
- Buddhism: the five precepts, the Noble Eightfold Path, the morality of the monk
- Christianity: the ten commandments and the ethical systems of the New Testament, the diversity in Christian ethics, eg biblical focus in Protestant ethics, the natural law and teaching authority in Catholic ethics, the Orthodox ethical system
- Hinduism: the ethical implications of samsara and karma, dharma, appropriateness to one’s ashrama
- Islam: the law (Sharia) found principally in the Qur’an, the Sunna, the obligations of the Five Pillars
- Judaism: the Torah as the rule of life, a way of life symbolising ethical principles, eg Pesach (freedom), Gemilut Chassadim, community institutions for the old, the sick, the poor
religious ethics and their effect on the everyday lives of believers:
– the way in which TWO traditions give ethical guidance to ONE of the following areas:
- violence, war and peace
- bioethics, eg cloning, genetic engineering, IVF, euthanasia
- the environment
- work ethics and business/professional ethics
- sexual ethics
- marriage and divorce.
Students learn to:
compare and contrast how TWO religious traditions use TWO of the following areas in forming their ethical teachings:
– sacred stories and texts
– beliefs
– individual and communal experiences
– authority within religious structures
– conscience and decision-making.
------------------
HSC Cross Religion Study 3: Sacred Writings and Stories
The focus of this study is sacred writings and stories.
Students learn about:
the nature, role and importance of sacred writings and stories in TWO religious traditions:
– Buddhism: extracts from Pali canon (tripitaka); Lotus of the Good Law; description of the Paradise of Sukhavati
– Christianity: extracts from Old Testament; New Testament
– Hinduism: extracts from the Vedas; Upanishads; Ramayana; Laws of Manu; Mahabharata
– Islam: extracts from Qur’an; Hadith; Sunna
– Judaism: extracts from Tenach; Mishnah and Talmud; Midrash
the origins of sacred writings and stories and the languages in which they were formed and transmitted
the use of sacred writings and stories in the everyday lives of the believers:
– the various ways in which sacred writings and stories fromTWO religious traditions give support and guidance in TWO of the following:
- ritual use
- ethical justification and source
- direction for the spiritual life
- gender roles and functions.
Students learn to:
compare and contrast the interpretation of TWO themes found within sacred writings and stories of TWO religious traditions:
– death
– evil
– fidelity
– love
– suffering.
--------
HSC Cross Religion Study 4: Ways of Holiness
The focus of this study is ways of holiness.
Students learn about:
the nature, role and importance of the ordinary ways of holiness and special ways of holiness practised by believers in TWO religious traditions
– examples of ordinary ways of holiness:
- Buddhism: prayer, meditation, worship at shrines
- Christianity: prayer, communal worship, reflection on Scripture
- Hinduism: devotion to gods, meditation, worship at shrines
- Islam: practice of daily prayer, worship at mosque, pilgrimage
- Judaism: daily blessings, Shabbat
– examples of special ways of holiness:
- Buddhism: the Sangha, higher levels of meditation
- Christianity: monasticism, the mystical tradition
- Hinduism: asceticism, mathas, gurus
- Islam: Sufism
- Judaism: discouragement of apartness and stress on holiness of community
different ways of holiness and their place in the everyday lives of believers:
– the ordinary ways of holiness and forms of prayer and devotion practised by believers
– the special ways of holiness experienced by some members of the religious tradition.
Students learn to:
compare and contrast how TWO religious traditions understand either the ordinary ways of holiness or special ways of holiness in relation to TWO of the following areas:
– models and guides
– special ways of apartness
– ultimate goal of holiness
– justification from sacred writings
– role of authoritative sources other than sacred writings.
--------------
HSC Cross Religion Study 5: Teachers and Interpreters
The focus of this study is teachers and interpreters.
In the context of this study, ‘teachers’ and ‘interpreters’ are pivotal individuals OR schools of thought, other than the founder, who are acknowledged as having shaped the religious tradition. The founder is NOT to be studied.
Students learn about:
the nature, role and importance of pivotal individuals or schools of thought:
– TWO pivotal individuals or schools of thought, ONE from each of TWO religious traditions chosen from the same period
EITHER from the period of early foundation, for example:
- Buddhism: Asoka
- Christianity: Paul
- Hinduism: Upanishads
- Islam: Khulafa Rashideen
- Judaism: Moses
OR a period of growth, division or crisis, for example:
- Buddhism: growth of Mahayana
- Christianity: Martin Luther
- Hinduism: Sankara
- Islam: Imam Ghazali
- Judaism: Maimonides
the effect that TWO pivotal individuals or schools of thought from the contemporary period, ONE from each of TWO religious traditions, have had on the everyday lives of believers, for example:
– Buddhism: Won
– Christianity: Pope John XXIII
– Hinduism: Mahatma Gandhi
– Islam: Sayed Qutb
– Judaism: Chassidim.
Students learn to:
compare and contrast the effects brought about by TWO pivotal individuals or schools of thought from the same period, ONE from each of the TWO religious traditions, with reference to TWO of the following areas:
– challenge to the tradition
– extent and significance of the change
– reaction and response by the religious tradition
– changes in society requiring adaptation of teachings
– continuing impact today.
-----------
HSC Cross Religion Study 6: Religion and Women
The focus of this study is religion and women.
In the context of this study, religion and women will be considered in THREE periods: the founding period, the intervening period and the contemporary period.
Students learn about:
the role and importance of women
TWO women, ONE from each of TWO religious traditions:
– EITHER in the early years of the tradition, in the life of the founder or in religious stories, the manner in which this woman responded to the founder or made choices that affected the lived expression of the tradition, for example:
- Christianity: Mary or another New Testament woman
- Hinduism: Sita of the Ramayana
- Islam: A’isha
- Judaism: Deborah, Ruth, Esther
– OR a woman who helped form the history of the tradition or who contributed to the historical development and cultural understanding of the religious tradition; a woman who, by her life, teaching and attitude, challenged or preserved the tradition and in some cases made a significant impact on its development, for example:
- the Buddhist document attributed to women: the Therigatha
- Christianity: Hildegard of Bingen
- Hinduism: Mira bai
- Islam: Raia’al Adawiyyah
- Judaism: Beruiah
the effect contemporary women have had on the everyday lives of believers
– the contribution of individual women, ONE from each of TWO religious traditions, each considering ONE of the following areas:
- social welfare
- education
- ethical decision-making
- ecumenism
- inter-faith dialogue.
Students learn to:
compare and contrast the views held by TWO significant women, ONE from each of TWO religious traditions from the same period, about TWO of the following issues:
– models of divinity
– gender roles
– expressions of spirituality
– language
– status within the tradition.
In the context of this study, ‘rite’ refers to a formal act in a religious observance.
For the purpose of this study, religious rites are divided into three categories:
Passage, Personal Devotion and Public Worship.
Students learn about:
the nature, role and significance of religious rites:
– religious rites as significant acts performed/undertaken by believers in celebrating, symbolising and making present the central beliefs of the religious tradition
– three categories of religious rites:
- rites of passage, eg initiation, funerals
- rites of personal devotion, eg prayer, fasting, penance
- rites of public worship, eg temple ceremonies, liturgies, communion services, feast days, seasons, religious cycles
religious rites and their effect on the everyday lives of believers:
For this section, students are to study TWO specific religious rites from TWO of the categories for TWO religious traditions.
Note: The rites chosen must be the same across each study.
Buddhism
– rites of passage, eg introduction to Sangha/ordination
– rites of personal devotion, eg meditation, nembutsu
– rites of public Worship, eg temple ceremonies, Wesak
Christianity
– rites of passage, eg baptism, marriage
– rites of personal devotion, eg retreats, rosary, daily devotions, Bible reading, meditation and prayer
– rites of public worship, eg Divine Office, Communion service, Lent, Christmas, Evensong
Hinduism
– rites of passage, eg naming and incorporation, upanayana and female puberty ritual, marriage and death
– rites of personal devotion, eg puja, bhakti, meditation, renunciation, arati
– rites of public worship, eg puja, darshan, pilgrimages, hymn singing, Ganeshe Chathurthi, Divali
Islam
– rites of passage, eg Adhan, Aqiqah, Adq Nikah, Janazah
– rites of personal devotion, eg prayer, pilgrimage
– rites of public worship, eg worship at the mosque and at Mecca, Ramadan, Eid-al Fitr, Eid-al-adha
Judaism
– rites of passage, eg Brit-milah, Pidyon HaBen, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, marriage and divorce, death and bereavement
– rites of personal devotion, eg Sabbath
– rites of public worship, eg synagogue.
Students learn to:
compare and contrast examples from the same religious rites within TWO religious traditions in relation to TWO of the following:
– the nature, role and function of officiating celebrants
– significance of sacred writings
– use of symbolism
– social structure
– human experiences.
---------
HSC Cross Religion Study 2: Religion and Ethics
The focus of this study is religion and ethics.
In the context of this study, ‘ethics’ is a justification for reasoning behind human moral behaviour, ‘moral’ is a description of actual human moral behaviour.
Students learn about:
the nature, role and significance of ethics:
– ethical systems within TWO religious traditions.
Sources for investigation are:
- Buddhism: the five precepts, the Noble Eightfold Path, the morality of the monk
- Christianity: the ten commandments and the ethical systems of the New Testament, the diversity in Christian ethics, eg biblical focus in Protestant ethics, the natural law and teaching authority in Catholic ethics, the Orthodox ethical system
- Hinduism: the ethical implications of samsara and karma, dharma, appropriateness to one’s ashrama
- Islam: the law (Sharia) found principally in the Qur’an, the Sunna, the obligations of the Five Pillars
- Judaism: the Torah as the rule of life, a way of life symbolising ethical principles, eg Pesach (freedom), Gemilut Chassadim, community institutions for the old, the sick, the poor
religious ethics and their effect on the everyday lives of believers:
– the way in which TWO traditions give ethical guidance to ONE of the following areas:
- violence, war and peace
- bioethics, eg cloning, genetic engineering, IVF, euthanasia
- the environment
- work ethics and business/professional ethics
- sexual ethics
- marriage and divorce.
Students learn to:
compare and contrast how TWO religious traditions use TWO of the following areas in forming their ethical teachings:
– sacred stories and texts
– beliefs
– individual and communal experiences
– authority within religious structures
– conscience and decision-making.
------------------
HSC Cross Religion Study 3: Sacred Writings and Stories
The focus of this study is sacred writings and stories.
Students learn about:
the nature, role and importance of sacred writings and stories in TWO religious traditions:
– Buddhism: extracts from Pali canon (tripitaka); Lotus of the Good Law; description of the Paradise of Sukhavati
– Christianity: extracts from Old Testament; New Testament
– Hinduism: extracts from the Vedas; Upanishads; Ramayana; Laws of Manu; Mahabharata
– Islam: extracts from Qur’an; Hadith; Sunna
– Judaism: extracts from Tenach; Mishnah and Talmud; Midrash
the origins of sacred writings and stories and the languages in which they were formed and transmitted
the use of sacred writings and stories in the everyday lives of the believers:
– the various ways in which sacred writings and stories fromTWO religious traditions give support and guidance in TWO of the following:
- ritual use
- ethical justification and source
- direction for the spiritual life
- gender roles and functions.
Students learn to:
compare and contrast the interpretation of TWO themes found within sacred writings and stories of TWO religious traditions:
– death
– evil
– fidelity
– love
– suffering.
--------
HSC Cross Religion Study 4: Ways of Holiness
The focus of this study is ways of holiness.
Students learn about:
the nature, role and importance of the ordinary ways of holiness and special ways of holiness practised by believers in TWO religious traditions
– examples of ordinary ways of holiness:
- Buddhism: prayer, meditation, worship at shrines
- Christianity: prayer, communal worship, reflection on Scripture
- Hinduism: devotion to gods, meditation, worship at shrines
- Islam: practice of daily prayer, worship at mosque, pilgrimage
- Judaism: daily blessings, Shabbat
– examples of special ways of holiness:
- Buddhism: the Sangha, higher levels of meditation
- Christianity: monasticism, the mystical tradition
- Hinduism: asceticism, mathas, gurus
- Islam: Sufism
- Judaism: discouragement of apartness and stress on holiness of community
different ways of holiness and their place in the everyday lives of believers:
– the ordinary ways of holiness and forms of prayer and devotion practised by believers
– the special ways of holiness experienced by some members of the religious tradition.
Students learn to:
compare and contrast how TWO religious traditions understand either the ordinary ways of holiness or special ways of holiness in relation to TWO of the following areas:
– models and guides
– special ways of apartness
– ultimate goal of holiness
– justification from sacred writings
– role of authoritative sources other than sacred writings.
--------------
HSC Cross Religion Study 5: Teachers and Interpreters
The focus of this study is teachers and interpreters.
In the context of this study, ‘teachers’ and ‘interpreters’ are pivotal individuals OR schools of thought, other than the founder, who are acknowledged as having shaped the religious tradition. The founder is NOT to be studied.
Students learn about:
the nature, role and importance of pivotal individuals or schools of thought:
– TWO pivotal individuals or schools of thought, ONE from each of TWO religious traditions chosen from the same period
EITHER from the period of early foundation, for example:
- Buddhism: Asoka
- Christianity: Paul
- Hinduism: Upanishads
- Islam: Khulafa Rashideen
- Judaism: Moses
OR a period of growth, division or crisis, for example:
- Buddhism: growth of Mahayana
- Christianity: Martin Luther
- Hinduism: Sankara
- Islam: Imam Ghazali
- Judaism: Maimonides
the effect that TWO pivotal individuals or schools of thought from the contemporary period, ONE from each of TWO religious traditions, have had on the everyday lives of believers, for example:
– Buddhism: Won
– Christianity: Pope John XXIII
– Hinduism: Mahatma Gandhi
– Islam: Sayed Qutb
– Judaism: Chassidim.
Students learn to:
compare and contrast the effects brought about by TWO pivotal individuals or schools of thought from the same period, ONE from each of the TWO religious traditions, with reference to TWO of the following areas:
– challenge to the tradition
– extent and significance of the change
– reaction and response by the religious tradition
– changes in society requiring adaptation of teachings
– continuing impact today.
-----------
HSC Cross Religion Study 6: Religion and Women
The focus of this study is religion and women.
In the context of this study, religion and women will be considered in THREE periods: the founding period, the intervening period and the contemporary period.
Students learn about:
the role and importance of women
TWO women, ONE from each of TWO religious traditions:
– EITHER in the early years of the tradition, in the life of the founder or in religious stories, the manner in which this woman responded to the founder or made choices that affected the lived expression of the tradition, for example:
- Christianity: Mary or another New Testament woman
- Hinduism: Sita of the Ramayana
- Islam: A’isha
- Judaism: Deborah, Ruth, Esther
– OR a woman who helped form the history of the tradition or who contributed to the historical development and cultural understanding of the religious tradition; a woman who, by her life, teaching and attitude, challenged or preserved the tradition and in some cases made a significant impact on its development, for example:
- the Buddhist document attributed to women: the Therigatha
- Christianity: Hildegard of Bingen
- Hinduism: Mira bai
- Islam: Raia’al Adawiyyah
- Judaism: Beruiah
the effect contemporary women have had on the everyday lives of believers
– the contribution of individual women, ONE from each of TWO religious traditions, each considering ONE of the following areas:
- social welfare
- education
- ethical decision-making
- ecumenism
- inter-faith dialogue.
Students learn to:
compare and contrast the views held by TWO significant women, ONE from each of TWO religious traditions from the same period, about TWO of the following issues:
– models of divinity
– gender roles
– expressions of spirituality
– language
– status within the tradition.