Speaking at Yonsei University’s 140th anniversary conference, Rev. Dr Jooseop Keum, general secretary of the Council for World Mission (CWM), who was conferred a Distinguished Professorship of World Christianity by Yonsei University, iterated on how the relationship between CWM and the university is one that showcases a collective commitment to education in God’s mission and to the flourishing of life for all creation.
Since its founding in 1885, the Christian tertiary institution, located in Seoul, is widely regarded as one of the top three universities in South Korea, alongside Seoul National University and Korea University.
Keum’s passioned address at the conference titled “Pioneering the Future of Christian Higher Education – Fostering a New Dialogue: Life-Medical Science, Artificial intelligence and Technology, Humanities, and Christian Mission,” touched on the plethora of social, environmental, political, and economic challenges that are plaguing the world today from technological conglomerates directing and influencing global economics and politics, to the encroaching dangers of climate crises, as well as the rise of artificial intelligence that threatens to dehumanise and disenfranchise.
A world teetering on catastrophe
“The world is deeply wounded. It is catastrophic!” cried Keum who highlighted that Christian higher education has its work cut out for it as it continues to empower faith-based academia to reckon with the current world order that continues to inflict untold suffering on the defenceless and vulnerable.
Decrying empire’s death-dealing practices as “necropolitics,” Keum spoke strongly on the increase in global armed conflicts due to world empires being unable to resolve their conflicts through negotiations and treaties. He also warned pointedly on the trend of these wars inching closer towards the East, threatening the advent of a third world war.
Active, collaborative force
In a gloomy age when humanity is increasingly being commodified and stripped of personality and dignity, Keum nevertheless offered hope to the gathered audience that the “true humanity can only be discovered through a relationship with the Creator and creation in community, rather than through individual abilities, technology, or perceived ‘usefulness’ alone.”
Reminding the gathered “Yonseians” of the power of Christian faith, hope, and love which possess the ability to transform communities, Keum exhorted the audience to also rise to life and experience the transforming power of God by being active participants in his mission.
“To be disciples in today’s world is to not only proclaim and live out a love that does not conform to the ‘status quo’ but actively reshapes it, breathing life into a world longing for transformation,” said Keum who also encouraged the audience to embody the Yonsei values of adaptability and resilience, while bearing a strong commitment to community service and global impact.
As he closed his speech, Keum urged Christian educators and students to reimagine mission beyond individual institutional confines and cultivate a spirit of ubuntu symbiosis – a deep interconnectedness that fosters shared liberation – as they bring about a biblical transformation that cannot be achieved in isolation but requires partnership, mutuality, and a fervent commitment to life, justice, and peace.
