We live in a visual age. Screens catechize us daily, shaping how we see the world, ourselves, and even God. But what if the Church has always possessed a visual language of its own: one not designed to distract, but to reveal? It’s an interesting question – timely, too.
In this Radix Live conversation, Eve Tibbs reflects on her gloriously illustrated book Seeing the Gospel: An Interpretive Guide to Orthodox Icons (2025)and invites us to rediscover Orthodox icons as more than religious art. Often described as “windows into heaven,” icons are theological proclamations in color and form – visual interpretations of Holy Scripture that draw viewers into the Kingdom of God.
Hosted by Matthew Steem, this event will feature dialogue between Eve Tibbs and Christian contemplative and essayist Arthur Aghajanian. Aghajanian writes and speaks at the intersection of visual culture and theology, examining how images guide imagination and influence our perception of reality. Together they will consider how icons shape Christian imagination, how beauty forms belief, and what it means to “see the Gospel” in a culture saturated with competing images.
Following the conversation, there will be time for audience Q&A.
Eve Tibbs (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is affiliate professor of theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. She has more than twenty years of experience teaching Western systematic theology and Eastern Orthodox theology in academic and ecclesial settings. Tibbs is a member of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, is the ministry lead for Christian education for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, and attends Saint Paul's Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine, California. She is the author of A Basic Guide to Eastern Orthodox Theology: Introducing Beliefs and Practices.
Arthur Aghajanian is a Christian contemplative and essayist. His work explores visual culture through a spiritual lens. His essays have appeared in a variety of publications, including Image Journal, Comment, The Christian Century, Plough, Commonweal, The Mockingbird, Christianity Today, and many others. His podcast, “Visually Sacred: Conversations on the Power of Images” examines how images influence our understanding of reality and the sacred. Visit him at https://www.imageandfaith.com/.