​Area of Study 3
Significant life experience, religious beliefs and faith

Click on the image to watch the feature film using your clickview account. 

It explores a significant and true life experience for a group of monks. The film is precisely on topic for us. It is an example of the interplay between religious beliefs and significant life experiences. It is an excellent example of how the interaction of social circumstance can challenge faith. It is subtitled, slow in sections, but simply profound. It makes a great introduction to this section of the course
In this area of study students focus on the interplay between religious beliefs and significant life experiences of members. Students consider the relationship between different types of significant life experience and religious beliefs generally. They then undertake a detailed study of one particular significant life experience of a member of a religious tradition or denomination. One or more than one religious tradition or denomination is studied, with an individual selected from each. The significant life experience may be a single event at a particular time or occur over an extended period, and has to be one that informed, reinforced or changed the person’s understanding and expression of the meaning of their religious beliefs. Students investigate what happens to an individual’s adherence to and understanding of the relevant religious beliefs and related expressions as a result of a significant life experience.

The person and experience studied must have been published in publically accessible documentary, biographical or autobiographical non-fictional material, which provides detailed commentary on the interaction of the related beliefs to their significant life experience

Outcome 3

On completion of this unit the student should be able to discuss and analyse the interplay between religious beliefs and their expression through related aspects and significant life experience.

Key  Knowledge

• the relationship between a range of significant life experiences and religious beliefs for religion in general
• a significant life experience of a member from one or more than one than one religious tradition or denomination
• the member’s level of adherence to, understanding of and faith in, relevant religious beliefs and their engagement with the related expressions prior to the experience, during the experience, and after the experience
• the influence of the member’s religious beliefs and related expressions on their interpretation of the significant life experience.

Key Skills

• describe the relationship between a range of significant life experiences and religious beliefs
• describe a significant life experience of a member of a religious tradition or denomination
• explain and compare a member’s level of adherence to, understanding of and faith in, relevant religious beliefs
and their engagement with the related expressions prior to a significant life experience, during the experience and after the experience
• analyse the influence of the member’s religious beliefs and related expressions on their interpretation of the significant life experience
• interpret, synthesise and apply primary and secondary source material.