Sogang University launches special course on 'Synodality and Youth Ministry' ahead of WYD Seoul 2027

Sogang University's Graduate School of Theology is set to launch a special curriculum titled 'Synodality and Youth Ministry' for the second semester of the 2026 academic year. This initiative is timed to coincide with the upcoming World Youth Day (WYD) Seoul 2027 and MAGIS Korea 2027, major international events for Catholic youth.

The course aims to frame WYD and MAGIS not merely as international youth gatherings, but as integral parts of the Church's ongoing journey of walking, listening, and discerning with young people. It will delve into the meanings of youth, pilgrimage, participation, hospitality, discernment, and mission, drawing from diverse theological fields including biblical studies, dogmatics, ecclesiology, canon law, pastoral theology, and spiritual theology. The curriculum seeks a holistic reflection on these themes within the context of synodality and youth ministry.

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This course aims to illuminate WYD and MAGIS not merely as international youth events, but from the perspective of the Church's journey of walking, listening, and discerning with young people.

Faculty from Sogang University's Graduate School of Theology will collaborate with both domestic and international experts in a team-teaching approach. Key topics will include the ecclesiological foundations and intellectual origins of synodality, pilgrimage and synodality as viewed in the Old and New Testaments, the canonical significance of World Youth Day, the vision and challenges of WYD Seoul 2027, MAGIS and Ignatian spirituality, youth faith and discernment in the age of AI, and the future path for youth ministry and the Church post-WYD. This broad scope ensures a comprehensive examination of critical issues facing the Church and youth ministry today.

Notably, the course will feature international scholars such as Sister Nathalie Becquart, Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican, and Christina Kheng from Ateneo de Manila University. Their participation will provide a global perspective, examining WYD Seoul 2027 within the broader context of the universal Church's synodal journey and the future of youth ministry. The lectures will be held hybridly, combining in-person sessions with online Zoom participation, every Saturday from 9:00 AM to 11:45 AM during the 2026 fall semester. The program is open not only to Sogang University's theology students but also to the general public interested in the subject matter, who can enroll in the full course or individual lectures.

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International scholars such as Sister Nathalie Becquart... and Christina Kheng... will participate, reflecting on WYD Seoul 2027 from the perspective of the universal Church's synodal journey and the future of youth ministry.