Youth Ministry, Youth Work, and the Role Religion Plays in the Lives of Today’s Youth

Dear Colleagues,

Youth ministry, or youth work, is a core activity of religious communities in many countries, and the practices involved are probably as diverse as the communities themselves. These practices may be shaped not only by the identity and self-image of the respective religious community but the social and cultural contexts in which they take place also have a significant influence on their goals and attitudes to them. This applies equally to Christian, Jewish, and Muslim contexts.

Christian youth work, often referred to as youth ministry, is being carried out mainly in local parishes or Christian youth organisations by volunteering young adults. It is characterised by a mixture of leisure activities (sports, scouting, music) in combination with religious activities (prayer, services, catechesis). They are open for all, although there differences between youth ministry in mainly Christian areas and those in a situation of diaspora.

In the case of Islam, youth work often takes place in mosques, community associations, or youth organizations, and is strongly marked by questions of identity and belonging. Here, the experiences of discrimination and the challenges of living one’s faith in plural societies add an additional dimension to youth ministry that is less pronounced in other traditions.

Up to now these traditions have had little access to knowledge about each other. How do their theoretical concepts and practices differ? How can they learn from one another?

Social changes that have consequences for the role of religion in society and in the lives of young people represent a central challenge. This is different in industrialised Western countries than it is in, for example, the Middle East or Latin America, and it affects religious communities in different ways: what applies to institutional Christianity in a particular country may not apply at all to free-church Christianity, Islam, or Judaism elsewhere.

In Muslim contexts, for instance, the absence of long-standing institutionalized structures comparable to church youth ministry means that initiatives are often carried by volunteers and local communities, which makes them both flexible and vulnerable to changing societal conditions.

If youth ministry is one of the core tasks of religious communities, then this is where developments that will affect the future of religion in society are most likely to become apparent. Youth ministry or youth work, and its theoretical reflection—whether in Christian, Muslim, or Jewish contexts—can thus become a seismograph for developments affecting all ages.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which seeks to broaden the view on religion and youth in an international, interreligious, and interdenominational manner. Articles should therefore reflect on the given regional or local context and on the religious context in which there are located. Collaborations between members of other religious backgrounds are welcome.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome, and research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Theoretical Fundamentals: The shape, goals, and attitudes of youth ministry yesterday and today related to the selfconcept of the specific religious community—possibly in comparison to other religious communities;
• Social challenges and their significance for youth ministry in your country/social context;
• The impact of religion on personal development today—opportunities, threats, challenges;
• Digitality and its impact on youth ministry and the religious attitudes of young people;
• Interreligious Encounters and Dialogue: The role of youth work in promoting understanding among young people from different religious or worldview backgrounds;
• Gender and Diversity: The significance of gender roles, sexual diversity, and inclusion for youth work and religious education;
• Migration and Transnationality: How migration experiences, diasporic contexts, and transnational networks shape youth work;
• Political Education and Participation: The contribution of religious youth work to fostering democracy, social participation, and engagement for social justice;
• Mental Health and Spirituality: The importance of religion and youth work for resilience, well-being, and coping with psychological challenges;
• Sustainability and Social Responsibility: Youth, religion, and engagement for environment, climate, and social transformation (linking to SDGs and ESD);
• Methodological and Empirical Approaches: Innovative research perspectives, e.g., ethnographic studies, mixed-methods designs, or participatory research with young people.

We hope that this Special Issue will stimulate new research across all fields of youth ministry, and that it will foster the dialogue between the institutions and leaders of various religious communities.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send this to the Guest Editors or to the Assistant Editor of Religions, Ms. Jaya Liu (jaya.liu@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Patrik C. Höring
Prof. Dr. Fahimah Ulfat
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• youth ministry
• youth work
• religious development
• faith
• youth
• Christian, Jewish, Muslim