Biographical Text
Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Religion O'Hyun Park was born in 1940 in Taegu, South Korea, the son of Iteekwam Park and Myungok Kim. Park received his bachelor's degree in theology in 1964 from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. He also received diplomas in theology from Knox College (1965) and the Bible College (1966) in Dunedin, New Zealand. In 1972, he earned his Ph.D. in religion from Temple University. As a student, Park received a number of scholarships and fellowships including the East Asian Christian Scholarship Award for Study at Knox College (1964-1965), a Tuition Scholarship from Temple University (1968-1970), and a summer Doctoral Fellowship Award from Temple University (1970-1971). Park began his career with Appalachian State University in 1971 as an assistant professor. He became an associate professor in 1977 and attained the rank of full professor in 1981. He served as the chair of the Department of Philosophy/Religion from 1978-1980. During his tenure at ASU, he also served as a visiting professor at Kansai University in Hirakata, Japan from August of 1997 to May of 1997. Over the years, Park has taught a vast array of courses focusing on religious beliefs and theory including Religions of the World, Religions of Human Life, Religions of Asia, Christianity in Japan, Mysticism: East and West, and Zen Buddhism. Additionally, throughout his teaching career, he has authored several books and articles. Some of Park's published works include the following: • "Beyondism" in Teaching Buddhism in the West, From the Wheel to the Web, Routledge Curzon Press, 2002. • "How Do I Teach Buddhism?," Hsi Lai Journal of Humanistic Buddhism, Vol. 2, 2001. • A Paragon of Zen House, Peter Lang Publishing, Inc, 2000. • An Invitation to Dialogue between East and West, Peter Lang Publishing, Inc, 1997. • Essentials of Buddhism (Chanjia Guijian) (trans), CSA Press, Lakemont, Georgia, 1985. • "Oriental Way of Thinking," Korean Institute of Cultural Research, Vol. II, No. 1, 1978. • Religion and the Life of Man (ed.), CSA Press, Lakemont, Georgia, 1977. • Oriental Ideas in Recent Religious Thought, CSA Press, Lakemont, Georgia, 1974. Park's distinguished career has brought him recognition for his achievements in education. He is listed in the Directory of American Scholars, Sixth Edition, Who's Who in Religion, 1975 Edition, and Outstanding American Educator, 1978. Park has also served on the National endowment for Humanities Review Board on Oriental Culture since 1975. Sources: Appalachian State University files. -Patti Levine-Brown
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