Visually Sacred: Conversations on the Power of Images

David taught for fourteen years at Oxford and for seventeen at Durham before becoming Professor of Theology, Aesthetics & Culture at the University of St. Andrews in 2007. In recent years he has focused on interactions between theology and the arts and indeed culture more generally. This resulted in a series of five books for Oxford University Press: "Tradition and Imagination," &quo...

Christina is the author of four books and over 100 articles and essays on medieval Armenian art and architecture, including most recently, "The Art of Armenia." Her 2015 monograph, "Vigilant Powers: Three Churches of Early Medieval Armenia" won the Karen Gould Prize for Art History from the Medieval Academy of America as well as the Sona Aronian Prize for best Armenian Studies...

Saurav is a writer and filmmaker primarily known for his work on the crime-noir graphic novel Mumbai Confidential and his collaboration with Deepak Chopra for the comic book series Deepak Chopra Presents India Authentic. He is also the author of the essay “Echoes Of Eternity” for the Graven Images anthology that examined Hindu reincarnation motifs in American Superhero comics, especially in the wo...

Petra is professor of systematic theology and head of the Center for Theology, Ecology, and Culture at Stockholm School of Theology. She does research in the borderland of theology, art, performance, and environmental activism. She is co-founder of a surrealist and theology collective called The International Congress for Infrathin Studies. She is the author of "Mysticism as Revolt", &qu...

Robert is a cultural theologian residing in Los Angeles. He currently serves as an Affiliate Assistant Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, and as a Tutor at the Honors College, Azusa Pacific University. He directs the Center for Pastoral Residents, Christ Church Sierra Madre, and works as the Director of Vocational Discipleship at the Center for Faith + Work Los Angel...

Ali Hussain is a musician and poet. He has a Ph. D. in Islamic Studies from the University of Michigan, Department of Middle East Studies. His research focuses on the image of Jesus in the writings of Muslim polymath Muhyiddin Ibn Al-Arabi and later Muslim scholars. His other research interests include Islam and Sufism in America, art and creativity in Islam and the creative engagement that Sufi m...

Rachel is Gilkison Distinguished Professor of Art History at Taylor University. She has been a Visiting Scholar at the American Academy in Rome on two occasions, a participant in NEH Summer Seminars on Medieval Art in Paris and York, has been a seminar leader for artists and scholars in the US and abroad, and has taught in South Africa, China, Italy, and British Columbia. Rachel is a founding dire...

Gary was director of the Walters Art Museum from 1994 to 2013; from 1985 to 1994 he was the museum’s chief curator. Before moving to Baltimore, Gary was senior associate at Harvard’s Center for Byzantine Studies at Dumbarton Oaks. A native of Minnesota, he received his BA from Carleton College and his PhD from Princeton University. He serves on the Advisory Council on Culture and the Arts of the S...

Philip is Professor of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame, where he specializes in urban design and theory, with a particular interest in Catholic and classical humanist intellectual and artistic traditions in the context of modern American life and the contemporary culture of architecture and urban design. Philip’s research has been supported by grants from The National Endowment for th...

Stefanie is Professor of Constructive Theology in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University. Her teaching and research focus on religion, media and gender, the role of body in religious traditions, issues of gender and sexuality in theology, and the theological engagement with visual arts, film and other visual media. Stefanie has served on ecumenical juries at film...

Brent has presented their research at museums, cultural centers, and universities across Asia, Europe, and North America. Recent books include Religion and Film: Cinema and the Re-Creation of the World, A History of Religion in 5 ½ Objects, and the co-edited Routledge Handbook of Material Religion. They are the Executive Director of  the Association for Public Religion and Intellectual Life, other...

Gregory is Head, and Professor of the Religious Studies Department at The University of North Carolina Greensboro. As the Director of UNCG’s Network for the Cultural Study of Videogaming and a founding member of the International Academy for the Study of Gaming and Religion, Gregory is at the forefront of advancing scholarly understanding in this emerging field. In this episode, Gregory and I disc...

In this season, we'll be diving into thoughtful discussions that bring our theological framework to bear on the images and objects within specialized areas of visual culture. We've invited a diverse array of guides, each an expert in their particular area of aesthetics. From movies and fashion to iconography and graphic design, we'll be exploring a wealth of subject matter, but our goa...

In the closing episode of Season 1 of Visually Sacred, host Arthur Aghajanian reflects on the journey and looks forward to Season 2. To make sure you stay on top of everything we're doing during our break, be sure to subscribe to Arthur's newsletter at imageandfaith.com . It's the best way to receive updates, exclusive insights, and helpful content directly from Arthur. It's also w...

William is Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, where from 1990 to 2000 he served as Dean of the School of Theology. His teaching and research interests focus on the relation of the Christian Faith to culture, especially to the visual arts and on missions and global theology. In addition to many articles and reviews he has published several books including "Rouaul...

Taylor is visiting associate professor of art history at Wheaton College and project director for “Thinking about Thinking: Conceptual Art and the Contemplative Tradition.” This research project seeks to make new connections between the conceptualist art-making strategy and the benefits of spiritual contemplation. Taylor is the author of "Memento Mori in Contemporary Art: Theologies of Lament...

Robin is Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. Her research and publication focuses on the relationship between early Christian art and literature and examines the ways that visual images and architectural spaces should be regarded as modes of theological expression. Her published essays and books contend that, in addition to interpreting sacred texts, visual images enhance liturg...

David is Professor of Religious Studies and Director of Graduate Studies in the doctoral program in Religion at Duke University with an additional appointment in the Department of Art, Art History, and Visual Studies at Duke. He is a recipient of many grants and fellowships, including support from the National Endowment of the Humanities, the Getty Foundation, the Henry Luce Foundation, the Lilly...

Robert is Senior Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary where he has taught students how to engage both biblically and theologically with movies, popular culture, and contemporary fiction. He is a recipient of the Weyerhaeuser Award as “teacher of the year” at Fuller, as well as a former provost both at Fuller and at North Park University. Robert has been a member of the...

Kutter is the William K. Brehm Chair of Worship, Theology, and the Arts, as well as associate dean of the Center for Advanced Theological Studies, and associate professor of theology and culture. He is actively engaged in writing and speaking on the interaction between theology and culture—particularly film, television, and online media—in both academic and popular forums. Kutter co-chairs the Rel...

Jennifer is Associate Professor of Theology and Humanities at Point University in West Point, Georgia where she teaches courses in systematic theology, philosophy, and the arts. She is the author of  Placemaking and the Arts: Cultivating the Christian Life  and has had work published in numerous other academic and popular venues. Jennifer lectures widely on the topic of theology and the arts, and...

Father Garabed Kochakian has authored several books for the Diocesan Department of Christian Education about Ecumenism in the Armenian Church and published books on Art and Iconography in the Armenian Church. As a specialist in Armenian Sacred Art and Theology, Father Garabed presently delivers lectures on Armenian Art, Illuminated manuscripts, and Armenian Ecclesiastical Architecture to various g...

Peter teaches courses in theology, spirituality, and the arts at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, where he is professor of systematic theology and founding director of the Institute of Sacred Arts. His books include Sweeter than Honey: Orthodox Thinking on Dogma and Truth, Beginnings: Ancient Christian Readings on the Biblical Creation Narratives, Arvo Pärt: Out of Silence, and How to...

Natalie is a constructive theologian interested in how Christian doctrine can speak to the complexities of modern life. Drawing on literary and visual works, she interprets theological ideas together with a range of themes, including images, iconoclasm, beauty, gender, and feminism. She trained at Harvard, the University of Chicago, and Duke before arriving at Baylor University, where she is curre...

Matthew is associate professor of art history at Wheaton College. He holds an M.A. & Ph. D. in art history from Princeton University, and a Master in Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. Matthew is a five-time appointee to the Curatorial Advisory Board of the United States Senate, and was awarded a Commonwealth fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the...