HSC Studies of Religion Question Thread

[elysepopplewell]

Hey, i was wondering if you cold help me with my essay question for Buddhism:
“it has been often said very truly that religion is the thing that makes the ordinary person feel extraordinary, it is an equally important truth that religion is the thing that makes the extraordinary person feel ordinary”
Assess to what extent this quote the core teachings of Buddhism as a religious living system.

Hey AFRO, it seems like you've got the same essay question as a peer above. Here is my response:

Hey asd987! Personally, I'd love to get this as a HSC question! It is a bit unusual, because it doesn't specify if it wants you to discuss the practice, the person/ideology, or the ethics! It only specifies the core teachings. So, flick back to the preliminary syllabus for an idea about the principal teachings, and then think about how these are lived out in practice, person, and ethics. A religious living system is about being dynamic, useful to current adherents, coherent, and, well, living. The ethics, person, and practice, work together to create a religious living tradition. You need to take what you know about the three elements and fuse it with the core teachings, and build an argument based on the "religious living tradition."

As for incorporating the quote as a stimulus, have a read of this guide here! Let me know if you have any questions

[elysepopplewell]

Hiyaaa. So I just got my exam notification for SOR2, and thankfully, we were provided with the questions. I chose Judaism for the essay, and so it's going to be:

“...Therefore I command you, You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in the land.” Deuteronomy 15:11

With reference to the quotation, analyse how ONE significant practice (death and mourning) gives depth and meaning to the life of the individual AND the Jewish community.

However, I really quite suck at answering the question when it comes to SOR, simply because I'm terrible at structuring, and my teacher isn't helpful at all Would you mind please explaining to me how I would go about answering this? If you could also sort of outline how to do 1 body paragraph, I'd be set (and eternally grateful) , because I just need an example / guide sort of thing.

Thank you!

Hey there! Happy to help out

With the questions that focus on a significant practice, it can be tricky. See, with a significant person, you can divide your paragraphs into the different contributions, right? But here, it's more all over the place. I struggled to structure my Christianity Baptism essays! Sometimes I'd do it focused on the actual chronological events of the ceremony, a paragraph per event, and would talk about how each stage impacted the individual and the community. Sometimes I'd take the approach of symbols or rituals, and specifically talk about a particular prayer for a paragraph, then the symbolism of the white gown for the next, etc. Then I know some people who structure their responses with the ways the practice is significant for the person, then paragraphs on the way the same aspects are significant for both individual and community, and then some paragraphs specifically on the community.

What do you think works best for you? If you took the first approach your paragraph might look like this:

-Sentence about the particular event/ritual in the ceremony you're focusing on. Describing it.
-How is this important to the individual/community? Link to stimulus here perhaps?
-Link to the principal beliefs - how does this specific event/ritual express the principal beliefs for adherents?
-Scriptural reference - link to how the sacred texts and writings guide the individuals or the communities.
-ANALYTICAL statement on the way this holds significance for an individual/community. Perhaps link to stimulus?

Not every aspect of the practice will be specifically significant for an individual, or for a community, and often they are not mutually exclusive!

I know it's muddy water with this type of structure, you've got to assess based on how much you know about each section: is it enough to sustain a paragraph? Who is it more important for? Why does it hold significance?

In every SOR essay, you need to link to the stimulus, use references from sacred texts and writings, and link to the principal beliefs of the religion to ground it all!

[mjorfian]

Hey there! Happy to help out

With the questions that focus on a significant practice, it can be tricky. See, with a significant person, you can divide your paragraphs into the different contributions, right? But here, it's more all over the place. I struggled to structure my Christianity Baptism essays! Sometimes I'd do it focused on the actual chronological events of the ceremony, a paragraph per event, and would talk about how each stage impacted the individual and the community. Sometimes I'd take the approach of symbols or rituals, and specifically talk about a particular prayer for a paragraph, then the symbolism of the white gown for the next, etc. Then I know some people who structure their responses with the ways the practice is significant for the person, then paragraphs on the way the same aspects are significant for both individual and community, and then some paragraphs specifically on the community.

What do you think works best for you? If you took the first approach your paragraph might look like this:

-Sentence about the particular event/ritual in the ceremony you're focusing on. Describing it.
-How is this important to the individual/community? Link to stimulus here perhaps?
-Link to the principal beliefs - how does this specific event/ritual express the principal beliefs for adherents?
-Scriptural reference - link to how the sacred texts and writings guide the individuals or the communities.
-ANALYTICAL statement on the way this holds significance for an individual/community. Perhaps link to stimulus?

Not every aspect of the practice will be specifically significant for an individual, or for a community, and often they are not mutually exclusive!

I know it's muddy water with this type of structure, you've got to assess based on how much you know about each section: is it enough to sustain a paragraph? Who is it more important for? Why does it hold significance?

In every SOR essay, you need to link to the stimulus, use references from sacred texts and writings, and link to the principal beliefs of the religion to ground it all!

Thanks so much for this! I gave that first structure a go, and looked at your Baptism essay to see what you exactly meant. It was really quite helpful as I realised I don't have to go through every single stage of death and mourning to answer the question (as I'd previously thought) since it's asking for the 'depth and meaning' that it gives to the life of adherents, and it immediately became so much easier to think about. So I went through my notes, and it instantly clicked to go with the Kaddish prayer, care for the dead and the burial, which meant I could link the quote in 2 out of the 3 of the paragraphs! SO geeky, but honestly such an exciting moment for me to actually figure out how to approach it. Truly revolutionary

Just one more thing though. I'll have about 35 mins to write the essay and another 30 for the short answer, so should I push it and go for 4 detailed or 5 shorter bodies? What's ideal? And the amount of quotes I put in solely depend on the argument right? ie. could vary b/w 1-4 quotes?

[elysepopplewell]

Thanks so much for this! I gave that first structure a go, and looked at your Baptism essay to see what you exactly meant. It was really quite helpful as I realised I don't have to go through every single stage of death and mourning to answer the question (as I'd previously thought) since it's asking for the 'depth and meaning' that it gives to the life of adherents, and it immediately became so much easier to think about. So I went through my notes, and it instantly clicked to go with the Kaddish prayer, care for the dead and the burial, which meant I could link the quote in 2 out of the 3 of the paragraphs! SO geeky, but honestly such an exciting moment for me to actually figure out how to approach it. Truly revolutionary

Just one more thing though. I'll have about 35 mins to write the essay and another 30 for the short answer, so should I push it and go for 4 detailed or 5 shorter bodies? What's ideal? And the amount of quotes I put in solely depend on the argument right? ie. could vary b/w 1-4 quotes?

Haha yay! I'm so stoked it's worked out for you. It clicked!
It's always difficult to say - at what point does quality compromise quantity, and quantity compromise quality? I'd go for four detailed body paragraphs! And you're absolutely correct about the questions - put at least one in each paragraph, and it's not necessarily a case of "the more the merrier" because you obviously have to be judicious, but if you can do that, that's perfect! With SOR, you need to play it by ear because the questions can be so incredibly diversified. Through our short exchange, I definitely think you are on the right track

[12070]

Anyone have Hinduism notes on either Gandhi/Bioethics/Marriage ceremony. I was told Hinduism goes the best overall in the HSC but it's hard to imagine considering the lack of resources available.

[Thebarman]

How many ethical issues should you prepare for each religion when going into an exam? I'm currently remembering 2 bioethical issues per religious study, but I'm worried that I should instead be studying 3.

[jamonwindeyer]

Anyone have Hinduism notes on either Gandhi/Bioethics/Marriage ceremony. I was told Hinduism goes the best overall in the HSC but it's hard to imagine considering the lack of resources available.

Unfortunately I'm not sure of anywhere that has notes on Hinduism - It does indeed seem to be the tradition with the least stuff around!

How many ethical issues should you prepare for each religion when going into an exam? I'm currently remembering 2 bioethical issues per religious study, but I'm worried that I should instead be studying 3.

Hey! Think of it this way - If you got given an essay on ethics and only ethics, would you feel confident in responding to that essay?

[Snew]

Hi! Just wondering if someone would mind having a quick look at my 5 marker

Ceremonial life is of great importance to Aboriginal spirituality, as it is the ritual and artistic expression of the Dreaming. Ceremonial life provides continuity between the present and the Dreaming, explaining the creation of the natural world and is expressed through art, stories and rituals. Art communicates the Dreaming as it illustrates the actions of the ancestral spirit beings in the land. Stories from the Dreaming are the primary form of expression, as they describe how the ancestral spirits, often in the form of animals or people, moved through the land creating rivers, lakes, mountains and other natural phenomena. Dreaming stories explain the creation of the natural world and how the Dreaming shapes the daily life of people and animals. Stories are not simply told, and are in many cases performed. Dreaming stories are a major way of teaching Aboriginal children about right and wrong behaviour in society. Aboriginal spirituality is connected very closely to the land, and the Dreaming stories reflect this. Ceremonies also enact Dreaming stories sacred to specific area, and are important as they represent the reliving of the story in a powerfully sacred way. Ancestral beings are made present through the people, objects, words and movements of the ritual. An example of an action used in traditional ritual is the smoking ceremony, used to cleanse and heal. There are also periodic ceremonies unconnected with the life cycle, such as rites of passage including initiation, death and burial, that are important for continuity of knowledge of the Dreaming. Ceremonial life is thus of major importance for the Dreaming.

[AFRO]

Hey asd987! Personally, I'd love to get this as a HSC question! It is a bit unusual, because it doesn't specify if it wants you to discuss the practice, the person/ideology, or the ethics! It only specifies the core teachings. So, flick back to the preliminary syllabus for an idea about the principal teachings, and then think about how these are lived out in practice, person, and ethics. A religious living system is about being dynamic, useful to current adherents, coherent, and, well, living. The ethics, person, and practice, work together to create a religious living tradition. You need to take what you know about the three elements and fuse it with the core teachings, and build an argument based on the "religious living tradition."

As for incorporating the quote as a stimulus, have a read of this guide here! Let me know if you have any questions

Thankyou for replying,  for the essay question my teacher said that we need to talk about Asoka, The Buddha, Nirvana, 4 noble truths/ precepts/ 8 fold paths, samsara and link all these to the question, but i don't know how i should link all this to the quote given. Also for the topic sentence i started with "Buddhism is an atheistic religion on the basis of a spirit filled experience, giving the individual the opportunity to live a free and easy life." is this a good enough introduction starter or do i need to add or take something out.

Thank you once again!! 😊😊

[ssarahj]

Thankyou for replying,  for the essay question my teacher said that we need to talk about Asoka, The Buddha, Nirvana, 4 noble truths/ precepts/ 8 fold paths, samsara and link all these to the question, but i don't know how i should link all this to the quote given. Also for the topic sentence i started with "Buddhism is an atheistic religion on the basis of a spirit filled experience, giving the individual the opportunity to live a free and easy life." is this a good enough introduction starter or do i need to add or take something out.

Thank you once again!! 😊😊

Hey there! For an unspecific question like that you still will always talk about your significant person, practice and ethics. That's what you've covered in the HSC course so you're going to want to show that off. So things like the 4 Noble Truths and samsara should definitely be incorporated and mentioned in your essay (because 'core teachings' is in your question), but your person, practice and ethics are the stars.

Also just to clear up some terminology in your introductory sentence: Buddhism is an atheistic religion on the basis of a spirit filled experience, giving the individual the opportunity to live a free and easy life.

Buddhism is not an atheistic religion. Atheists actively assert that there is no god/s or supernatural, and are often highly critical of organised religion. But many Mahayana and Zen Buddhists worship the Buddha in a "god-like" way, and believe in supernatural forces and entities beyond themselves. You're correct in that Theravada Buddhists think of the Buddha as an extraordinary human being, but you just have to be careful about making big sweeping statements like this. Religion is complicated and dynamic, and you'll do well if you can acknowledge this complexity in your writing.

Also be careful with statements like "living a free and easy life". This doesn't take into account the many members of the sangha and also lay Buddhists that spend their whole lives dedicated to the dharma, meditation, giving offerings and sacrificing a lot of other "easy" things in order to reach Nirvana. It would be more accurate (and impressive) to talk about escaping the cycle of samsara, reaching Nirvana and about Buddhism being a living religious tradition that is ever changing with the times etc. 

[1937jk]

Soo I think I'm slightly confused between whether the 10 commandments and the Beatitudes are solely Catholic beliefs? or are they just Christian in general?
Anyone feel free to answer and help me out haha
Thank you!

[ajajaj]

Hey guys,
Sorry if you've received this question already, but what study techniques did you use in order to help you memorise information, especially things like statistics and content heavy syllabus dotpoints? I've tried flash cards but they do get tedious at times. Any study tips specifically for SOR that helped you??
Thanks!

[Thebarman]

Soo I think I'm slightly confused between whether the 10 commandments and the Beatitudes are solely Catholic beliefs? or are they just Christian in general?
Anyone feel free to answer and help me out haha
Thank you!

Hey! The 10 Commandments and the Beatitudes are core ethical teachings throughout Christianity in general, not just Catholicism.

Hey guys,
Sorry if you've received this question already, but what study techniques did you use in order to help you memorise information, especially things like statistics and content heavy syllabus dotpoints? I've tried flash cards but they do get tedious at times. Any study tips specifically for SOR that helped you??
Thanks!

I personally find flashcards and little mnemonics incredibly helpful. Mnemonics especially, as you can form short, simple sentences from the first letter of each word. This is incredibly helpful when attempting to remember lists. As for stats, I don't have any techniques that I find helpful so far.

[jamonwindeyer]

Soo I think I'm slightly confused between whether the 10 commandments and the Beatitudes are solely Catholic beliefs? or are they just Christian in general?
Anyone feel free to answer and help me out haha
Thank you!

Christian as a whole my friend!

Edit: Beat by Thebarman

Hey guys,
Sorry if you've received this question already, but what study techniques did you use in order to help you memorise information, especially things like statistics and content heavy syllabus dotpoints? I've tried flash cards but they do get tedious at times. Any study tips specifically for SOR that helped you??
Thanks!

For SOR, I did have palm cards for Trials because I was on the go a lot, but for the HSC when I was home a lot I mainly made summary sheets. Just easier and could do more information in the same amount of space - Palm cards for me were about portability

The summary sheets would have quotes, arguments, main ideas - All the good stuff I could need for a short answer or an essay. These are a way better version of what I did

Jake also has a cool method for memorising statistics and other little bits of content

[akovacevic]

Hey guys, i have my exam coming up and we have been given the question for our essay luckily. just wondering if someone can help me structure out my essay and what they think is best for me to write. The essay is about hajj and the question is

“And your Allah is one Allah. There is no god but he, most gracious, most merciful”

With reference to one or more of the above quotations, explain how ONE significant practice in islam assists adherents in their submission to Allah