Online Book Club - guest speakers announced!
Reading the Final Synod Document Together -
the School for Synodality’s Online Book Club
21st May - 25th June 2025
To enable us to reflect on the document in more depth, the School for Synodality has organised an online bookclub with a stellar cast of experts. Each week, the School for Synodality’s Director Dr Avril Baigent will unpack with guest speakers a different section of the Final Synod Document, reflecting on its theological and practical implications, with time for questions afterwards.
We are thrilled to announce more about our guest speakers, who will be drawing on their knowledge and expertise to better understand this document and its implications for our world today - see below for their biographies and links to synodality.
Live streamed between 21st May - 25th June 2025, we invite you to join us live so you can interact with the topic in the comments and during the Q&A session each week. Our book club is very easy to join, and you don’t need to be an expert in the Final Synod Document before joining - we have our experts for that! Come with an open mind and willingness to learn more.
To join us live, register for the link to watch online - dates for each topic are below. The sessions will also be available on YouTube and on our Podcast afterwards at your convenience.
The sessions are also suitable for small groups or individual reflection, so why not gather a group in your parish and get inspired together?
21st May 2025 - with guest speaker Jos Moons SJ
Part 1: The Heart of Synodality: Understanding the theological roots of what we are about
Dr Jos Moons SJ is a Jesuit priest from the Netherlands who has taught at the faculties of theology in Tilburg, Paris, and Louvain, and is currently lecturing at KU Leuven (Belgium) and Boston College (USA). He has published books on spiritual direction (Paulist Press), the pneumatology of Vatican II (Brill), and synodality (Paulist Press, Liturgical Press). His most recent book, The Future of Synodality: How We Move Forward from Here, co-authored with Kristin M. Colberg, explores the historical and theological roots of a synodal church and how to continue journeying the path of a new, inclusive listening church.
28th May 2025 - with guest Professor Anna Rowlands
Part 2: The Conversion of Relationships: Mission and ministry in a changing world
Professor Anna Rowlands is the holder of the St Hilda Chair in Catholic Social Thought and Practice at Durham University. She is a political theologian who works at the interface of political and social theory and Christian theology. She was one of the theological advisors for Pope Francis’s Fratelli Tutti document, and a member of the group that wrote Enlarge the Space of your Tent, the document for the continental stage of the Synod process. She was seconded for two years working with the General Secretariat of the Synod and was one of the experts at the Synod Assembly 2023-2024.
4th June 2025 - with guest Dr Estela Padilla
Part 3: The Conversion of Processes: Discernment, decision-making and accountability
Dr Estela Padilla is a Manila-based theologian and lay woman who serves as Executive Secretary of the Office of Theological Concerns at the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), the first woman and lay member to hold this position. She was one of the 70 lay delegates appointed to the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Dr Padilla is also a founding member of the Bukal ng Tipan organisation, which empowers local church communities through pastoral skills and leadership training towards a vision of a participatory church in the world.
11th June 2025 - with guest Prof Cathy Clifford
Part 4: The Conversion of Bonds: The geeky week exploring Vatican Dicasteries, Episcopal Conferences, relating to other churches and religions, the role of the Pope and more
Professor Cathy Clifford is Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, Canada. Her research interests and publications are focused primarily in the areas of ecclesiology, ecumenism, and the history of the Second Vatican Council, with a particular emphasis on the understanding of conversion and renewal of the churches, the development of doctrines, and the unity and diversity of Christian communions within the world Christian movement. She was a delegate to the Rome Synod Assembly and served as an elected member of the 2024 Synod on Synodality’s drafting commission for the final document.
18th June 2025 - with guests David McCallum SJ and Sandra Chaoul
Part 5: Forming a People for Missionary Discipleship: We need everyone in the boat
Fr. David McCallum S.J. Ed.D is a Jesuit priest from the USA East province. He serves as the founding Executive Director of the Program for Discerning Leadership, a formation experience that integrates Catholic spirituality, adult learning and development, and leadership best practices. Since 2021, Fr. McCallum has worked with the Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops on the Commission on Methodology, as a member of the international group that developed the synthesis of the National and Regional Bishop’s Conferences reports at Frascati, and as an expert facilitator at the Synods in October 2023 and 2024.
Sandra Chaoul is the lead facilitator on the English Program and serves as the Director of the Discerning Leadership International Accompaniment Network. She is an an experienced learning programs designer and facilitator, and an ICF Certified Leadership Coach. She holds a Masters in Financial Economics from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. Sandra served as an expert facilitator in the Synod on Synodality in Rome for both 2023 and 2024 sessions.
25th June 2025 - with guest Archbishop Jason Gordon
Part 6 Conclusion: A Feast for All Peoples: What next for our Church?
Archbishop Jason Gordon is a Trinidadian Roman Catholic prelate and the current Metropolitan Archbishop of Port of Spain since his appointment in 2017. He was the representative delegate of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) for the Synod on Synodality in October 2024. Archbishop Gordon has published a book in 2024 entitled ‘Reviving Our Caribbean Soul: A Contemplative Synodal Journey’ illustrates how the synod can give a region - often polarised along racial, ethnic, socio-economic and political lines - hope for healing and a renewed vision for communion, mission and participation.