On Monday 3 March we, the Year 12 and 13 RS A Level students, took a trip to Coventry Cathedral to attend a series of lectures by the Theologian and Author, Dr Peter Vardy. We listened to, and enjoyed, university lectures on the ‘Problem of Evil’, a stand-alone topic on the A Level paper, but its effects ripple through other components, including morality and science, to name a few.

We engaged in debate with other schools offering quality arguments towards the claim ‘it is not possible for an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God to exist with evil and suffering’. It was good fun to keep pace with Dr Vardy’s energetic and passionate style – he modelled his thinking with scholarship and examples to demonstrate his arguments, a useful skill we are developing in our writing. Similarly, we enjoyed his use of visual stimuli like film extracts and artwork, to help exhibit the variety of religious approaches to the problem of evil and suffering.

Our experience was great for providing insight to our future university study and enthused us all to return to the classroom and apply the knowledge and skills gained.

By Year 12 RS A Level students.