John G. Sullivan
Distinguished University Professor, 2002
John G. Sullivan, Ph.D., a native of Newport, Rhode Island, holds two earned doctorates: one in ecclesiastical law (J.C.D.,1966) from the Lateran University in Rome, Italy, and one in philosophy (Ph.D.,1982) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1970, he joined the faculty at Elon University (then Elon College). Since then, he has contributed to the life of the institution in numerous ways. At Elon, he is a winner of the Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching and, since 1985, has been Maude Sharpe Powell Professor, the first recipient of that endowed chair. In fall 2002, he was named Elon’s first Distinguished University Professor.
In addition to his work at Elon, Dr. Sullivan is a long-time participant in the ongoing inquiries sponsored by the Tai Sophia Institute for the Healing Arts in Laurel, Md. He co-founded, in 1987, the Institute’s SOPHIA project (School of Philosophy and Healing in Action), a program for adult learners that applies the philosophy underlying Chinese medicine to everyday life. It is largely out of this work that Dr. Sullivan’s first book, To Come to Life More Fully: An East West Journey, came to be published in 1991. Most recently, he is principal designer and teaches in an innovative Master of Arts in Applied Healing Arts program that began at Tai Sophia in January 2002.
John Sullivan’s abiding interest is in the place where philosophy, psychology and spirituality — East and West — intersect and mutually enhance one another.