Professor Inagaki graduated from the University of Tokyo and obtained his Ph.D. from the Catholic University of America. He has taught at Nanzan University, Kyushu University, Fukuoka Jo Gakuin University, Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University and several other universities. To date, he has translated publications by Thomas Aquinas, the prominent theologian of the Medieval Period, including the Summa Theologiae.

In his lecture, Professor Inagaki touched upon the relationship between wisdom and self. He remarked that the ultimate goal of life is to be happy and that happiness is something that all people wish for. He stressed that, in order to achieve happiness, people need to strive to find themselves. “The act of knowing cannot be understood only in a scientific way. As we transform knowledge into wisdom, we can transform this one-sided view of knowing.” He added that “In Latin, the word ‘wisdom’ includes the meaning of savor, thus polishing knowledge and savoring the truth is the actual meaning of wisdom.”

He also said that Buddhism and Christianity have a lot in common in terms of their endeavors to know and seek the true self. “On the surface, their teachings seem to contrast with each other, but they share the same truth at a deeper level,” he said.