Deals with the historical, social, political, philosophical and spiritual dimensions of Korean Confucianism, arguably the most influential intellectual tradition, ethical and religious practice, and political-ideological system in Korea Surveys the most influential Korean Confucian scholars discussing their philosophical significance in relation to one of the most fundamental Neo-Confucian discourses, namely the "li" (principle) and "qi" (material force) debates

Professor Ro received his BA from Yonsei University (Korea), an MTh from Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, VA, and his PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Ro has written The Korean Neo-Confucianism of Yi Yulgok, and co-authored The Four-Seven Debate: An Annotated Translation of the Most Famous Controversy in Korean Neo-Confucian Thought. He is working on a new translation of Dao De Jing.

He also published several book chapters in Neo-Confucianism including Ecological Implications of Yi Yulgok's Cosmology Confucianism and Ecology, and “Morality, Spirituality, and Spontaneity in Korean Neo-Confucianism”, Confucian Spirituality, Volume Two. He has published many articles in Korean studies, Confucian studies, and comparative religion. He is a recipient of the 2004 Yulgok Scholarly Award, the most prestigious academic award in Confucian studies in Korea.