The Nealis Program in Asian Studies
The Asian Studies Program at Saint Joseph’s University is an interdisciplinary program designed to provide students with this vital understanding by engaging them in the study of Asia, broadly defined as the region from the Persian Gulf to the Philippines, including the present states of China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and the Central Asian Republics of the former Soviet Union.
When Heaven Meets Earth
Statues of the gods remain among the most ubiquitous material objects in the vibrant temple culture of modern-day Taiwan. Called spirit images (shenxiang 神像), these statues serve as loci of divine presence and power, visual gateways to the gods whom they represent. In Fall 2023, the Nealis Program in Asian Studies has invited to Saint Joseph’s University a prominent statue carver from the northwestern city of Lukang, Chen Zongwei 陳宗蔚, to stay on our Hawk Hill Campus for two weeks as artist-in-residence. He and two of his assistants will hold two concurrent art exhibitions.