“Visually Sacred”
Podcast Series: Season II
Hosted by Arthur Aghajanian
FSA is delighted to continue partnering with Christian contemplative and essayist Arthur Aghajanian in featuring the second season of his ongoing podcast series “Visually Sacred.” Originally produced by Radix Magazine, FSA hosts this unique series of important voices that have been intellectually contributing to the conversation of religion and art over the last several decades.
In this streaming podcast series, Arthur Aghajanian explores how images influence our understanding of reality and the sacred through conversations with thought leaders on art, visual culture, and religion. Each episode delves into a different area of visual theology, opening to spiritual wisdom while deconstructing an image-saturated world.
In this second season, Arthur dives into thoughtful discussions that bring a theological framework to bear on the images and objects within specialized areas of visual culture. He invites a diverse array of guides, each an expert in their particular area of aesthetics. From movies and fashion to iconography and graphic design, he will explore a wealth of subject matter with the same goal: illuminate the ways in which visual expressions enrich and influence one’s spiritual life. Don’t miss the inspiring conversations featured in the grid below from each of the following scholars: Brent Rodriguez-Plate, Rachel Hostetter Smith, Ali Hussain, Petra Carlsson-Redell, and Saurav Mohapatra.
In case you missed Season I, please scroll down for the link.
Image: Fred Tomaselli, “Airborne Event,” 2003.
About Arthur Aghajanian:
Arthur Aghajanian is a Christian contemplative, essayist, and educator. His work explores visual culture through a spiritual lens.
Season II
Gregory Price Grieve, Head, and Professor of the Religious Studies Department at The University of North Carolina Greensboro, on how video games challenge and reinforce societal perceptions of religion. Grieve explains how religious studies can critically analyze and interpret these representations in popular gaming culture.
Brent Rodriguez-Plate, Executive Director of the Association for Public Religion and Intellectual Life at Hamilton College, on how material culture has shaped and continues to influence religious practices, rituals, and beliefs. Rodriguez-Plate offers valuable insights into the historical significance of religious artifacts, shedding light on their role in preserving and transmitting spiritual traditions.
Stefanie Knauss, Professor of Constructive Theology in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University, on religion, spirituality, and their interaction with media representation. Knauss highlights the way contemporary artists and filmmakers influence the mediascape and discusses strategies for promoting accurate depictions of spiritual life in media.
Philip Bess, Professor of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame, on the complex and fascinating connection between urban planning, spirituality, and the profound shifts brought by modernity. Bess discusses ways to reintegrate the sacred into contemporary city design in order to enhance well-being and spiritual fulfillment.
Gary Vikan, former director of the Walters Art Museum, on how to preserve the spiritual impact of Orthodox icons in a museum setting. Vikan also discusses the intersections of art, culture, and religion in the context of pilgrimage.
Rachel Hostetter Smith, Distinguished Professor of Art History at Taylor University, on the place and role of spirituality in contemporary art. Smith shares how diverse artists navigate spirituality, cultural differences, and environmental consciousness through their artwork.
Ali Hussain, founder of The Adhwaq Center for Spirituality, Culture and the Arts, on the intersection of Christian mysticism and Sufism in the realm of art and spirituality. Hussain discusses the mystical nature of the creative process, the influence of the great Sufi mystic Ibn Arabi, the search for the sacred in everyday life, and the role of representation in visual art and popular media.
Robert Covolo, cultural theologian, on the intriguing relationship between fashion and theology, exploring their historical intersections, the symbolic aspects of fashion, and the impact of clothing on spirituality. Covolo shares how these two seemingly disparate realms not only coexist but also inform and enrich each other.
Petra Carlsson-Redell, Professor of Systematic Theology and Head of the Center for Theology, Ecology, and Culture at Stockholm School of Theology, on the intersection of aesthetics, spirituality, and theology. Carlsson-Redell also discusses convergences between radical theology, mysticism, and political artistic activism.
Saurav Mohapatra, writer and filmmaker, on the intersection of religion and comic books. Mohapatra explains how themes like sacrifice, morality, and resilience in superhero narratives resonate with theological concepts from both Hinduism and Christianity.
Christina Maranci, Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard University, on the distinctive traits of Armenian religious architecture, its significance in Christian and architectural history, and the interplay between exterior and interior elements in creating sacred space. Maranci shares how Armenian churches reflect Orthodox theology, and provides insight into Armenian monuments and Medieval monastery complexes, as well as the challenges of preserving historic structures.