IB World Religions SL builds on the MYP’s emphasis on inquiry, multiple perspectives, source analysis and intercultural understanding. However, previous study of religion is not required, and the course introduces its religious terminology and content from the beginning.
MYP programmes vary between schools, so students may have encountered religion through Individuals and Societies, Language and Literature, or interdisciplinary units rather than through a separate subject. The DP course develops these broad experiences into a systematic, academic study of living religions.
| MYP foundation | Development in World Religions SL |
|---|---|
| Asking inquiry questions | Students investigate the three fundamental questions: What is the human condition? Where are we going? How do we get there? |
| Recognizing different perspectives | Students distinguish insider and outsider viewpoints and examine diversity within religions, such as Sunni and Shi'ah Islam or Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. |
| Analysing sources | Students interpret sacred texts, commentaries, interviews, rituals and other primary and secondary sources. |
| Intercultural understanding | Students examine how denomination, culture, geography and migration influence religious belief and practice. |
| Independent investigation | The investigative study requires preliminary research, a focused research question, evidence collection and critical reflection. |
The main progression is from broad inquiry to more precise religious analysis. Students must use adherents’ terminology accurately, attribute beliefs rather than present them as universal facts, and connect doctrine to lived behaviour. For example, instead of merely stating that Sikhs value equality, a strong response explains how this belief is expressed through langar, where food is freely shared without distinctions of birth or social status.
For assessment, MYP analytical skills support Paper 1 explanation, Paper 2 evaluation and the internal assessment. Examiners reward accurate terminology, specific evidence and recognition of internal diversity. A common misconception is that prior MYP religious studies knowledge is necessary; it is not, because IB World Religions SL assumes no prior learning.