Catholic Formation in the Higher Education Curriculum: An Integrative Framework and Documentary Analysis of The Catholic University of Korea

Catholic universities bring intellectual inquiry, service, and reflective practice into a shared formative mission. Explaining how these activities inform one another remains a curricular challenge. This article develops Knowing–Serving–Contemplating–Integrating (KSCI) through a selective interpretation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae and a critical synthesis of educational scholarship. A documentary analysis of the Catholic University of Korea combines public curriculum sources with an institutional report covering eight semesters of Sharing Love and engages a published qualitative study of monastic experience. The analysis identifies recommended sequencing, embedded experiences, sustained service provision, and reported opportunities for reflection and personal meaning. These findings establish an educational basis for investigating reciprocal learning across activities. KSCI contributes criteria for examining whether concepts, encounters, and reflective judgement inform and revise one another. The discussion translates those criteria into connected assessment, respect for conscience, and community participation in judging service. The article offers an evidence-informed conceptual contribution and an evaluable research agenda.