“The Thomas Aquinas Mini Encyclopedia,” Co-authored by Professor Seung-chan Park of The Catholic University of Korea and Two Others, Wins the Grand Prize at the Korean Catholic Academic Awards

In commemoration of the 800th anniversary of the birth of St. Thomas Aquinas, the consummator of Scholasticism and the greatest theologian in the 2,000-year history of Christianity, “The Thomas Aquinas Mini Encyclopedia” has achieved the distinction of winning the Grand Prize at the 29th Korean Catholic Academic Awards.

Co-authored by Professor Seung-chan Park of the Department of Philosophy, The Catholic University of Korea; Fr. Jae-ryong Lee, Director of the Korean Institute of St. Thomas; and Professor Kyung-heon Lim of the Department of Ethics Education, Kyungpook National University, this book is a comprehensive academic dictionary that selects and systematizes the vast thought of St. Thomas Aquinas into more than 610 key entries. It was planned to resolve the difficulties faced by beginners with previous works whose formats were unfamiliar and concepts overly condensed.

The judging committee highly evaluated the book for its profound understanding of the Latin originals, its exquisite combination of scholarly rigor and public accessibility, and its independent reinterpretation of Western research outcomes in a Korean context. In particular, the extensive bibliography that comprehensively covers recent domestic research significantly enhances the book’s academic value.

The co-authors regard this book as a “vademecum,” an essential companion that should always be on the desk of humanities students, enabling anyone interested in the saint’s philosophy and theology to read his works “with a light heart”. The 29th award ceremony will be held on November 13 at the Royal Hotel in Myeong-dong, Seoul.