An Interview with Dr. Eve Tibbs

 

 

 

Eve (Paraskevè) Tibbs holds a Ph.D. in Theology with a minor in Church History and an M.A. in Theology with an emphasis in Biblical Studies, both from Fuller Theological Seminary.  She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.   Dr. Tibbs has taught Systematic Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California since 2005 and has been a Visiting Professor at the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute at Berkeley, CA.  She is currently serving as Chair of the Eastern Orthodox Studies Group of the American Academy of Religion, and served on its steering committee prior to that, since 2001.  Dr. Tibbs has been a delegate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to the National Council of Churches of Christ, USA since 2002, and is an active member of the Faith and Order Commission of the Southern California Ecumenical Council.  She has also represented the Orthodox theological perspective on a number of academic and ecumenical panels.  She serves the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco as the Religious Education Coordinator and as a member of the Metropolis Council.  Dr. Tibbs was tonsured as a Reader/Chantor in 2003 by Metropolitan Anthony of San Francisco, of blessed memory, and is an active member of St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine, CA.  She and her husband, Stephen are the parents of three adult daughters (Jennifer, Mary and Andrea Fouts, married to Derick Fouts).

Interviewer: Starting a college is quite an undertaking. What is your motivation?

Dr. Tibbs: Starting a college is indeed a massive undertaking.  I share Dr. Papatheofanis’s belief that the time has come for an Orthodox Christian College in America.  Even more than timing, however, I am very excited about a college that can offer students an opportunity to pursue their studies within a holistic framework of faith and scholarship together.  “For Christ is our Life” is not only our motto, but the guiding impulse of the school.  The question which Pontius Pilate asked Jesus Christ: “What is truth?” was never answered then.  But we are able to answer the question with Jesus’ own statement from St. John’s Gospel:  “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (14.6)  So my own motivation to make St. Katherine College a reality stems from this very passage.  The human pursuit of truth, and the desire to live a purposeful life are both fulfilled in the foundational “Way” which is Jesus Christ.   For Christ is our life.

 

Interviewer: You are very active in your Parish and in the Metropolis. Are you “cradle” orthodox?

Dr. Tibbs: My four grandparents were all born in southern Greece and came to this country just after the turn of the twentieth century.  My parents were not regular church-goers, but my maternal grandmother, Paraskevè, after whom I am named, was a devout Orthodox Christian.  She passed away when I was only seven years old, but  she remains as one of the most-significant Christian role models of my life, mainly because of her humility and selfless witness to Christ.   So yes, I’m “cradle” Orthodox, but I think it’s important to keep in mind that we are each accountable for our own faith, not the faith of our ancestors.  I’ve heard it said that God has no grandchildren, and I believe this is quite true.  Orthodox theology teaches that we become full members of the Church at baptism, regardless of our age at the time.  We must also, however, become active disciples of Christ, learning and serving as a response to the divine gifts we have been given at our baptisms and throughout life.

 

 

Interviewer: Fuller Theological seminary is a Protestant seminary.  Is Protestant and Orthodox theology similar?

Dr. Tibbs: Fuller Theological Seminary is the largest multi-denominational graduate seminary in the world.  Several Roman Catholics, as well as a few Orthodox, including several current Orthodox clergy, have received advanced degrees from Fuller.  Even though the Orthodox worldview is neither Protestant nor Papal, the Orthodox would agree with conservative evangelicals and Roman Catholics about many things.   Nevertheless, the Orthodox have historically pursued theology in different ways than in western forms of Christianity.  For the Orthodox, theology is not a set of formal texts or decrees, nor a magisterium, but is simply the truth of God experienced by and abiding within the members of the body of Christ.    

 

Interviewer: How have the students and faculty at Fuller responded to your Orthodox Faith?

Dr. Tibbs: Being an Orthodox professor at an evangelical seminary has created many wonderful opportunities for constructive discussions.  For one thing, the theological views of Orthodox Christianity are actually having an impact on the western Christian world, both in world-wide ecumenical discussions as well as in the academy.  Many Protestant scholars recognize that many of their theological views have come through a trajectory that began in the polemic against Medieval Roman Catholicism.  Some Protestant scholars are now seeking an expanded or non-reactionary Christian theological vision, and Orthodox theology is helping with this.  One example of this is a major question of the Reformation that asks whether salvation is by “works” (Roman Catholic) or by “faith” (Protestant).  The Orthodox answer would be “yes” or “both” and this perspective rings true for many evangelicals who recognize that faith must be active, and not merely intellectual.

 

Interviewer: Do Orthodox Christians have a personal relationship with Christ?

Dr. Tibbs: Yes they do!  But so much of Orthodox theology and worship is expressed in communal terms that it may be possible for an Orthodox Christian to think less about the importance of personal faith.  Indeed, besides the scriptural terms that speak of the community the faithful (like “Body of Christ” or “People of God”) Scripture also tells us that God knows each of us by name, and has even counted the hairs on our head before we were born.  This is only one small example of a personal God Who has created us according to His image out of love and desires us to respond to His love in an equally-personal way.

 

 

Interviewer: What do you consider essential components in a well rounded education?

Dr. Tibbs: I think a well-rounded education, by definition, encompasses the mental, the physical and the spiritual.  There are very few colleges today doing a good job at a truly well-rounded education, however.  For one thing, “spiritual” can have many meanings in today’s world, and many of these bearing no resemblance to Christian spirituality.  This is why I believe it is important to ground one’s spiritual development in the historical Christian Faith of the Apostles, not a pluralistic spiritual syncretism that one finds so often in contemporary western society.

I also consider “active learning” to be an essential component of a truly excellent education.  Active learning means the learner has a first-hand engagement with the subject in a process of investigation.  But active learning cannot take place if the learner lacks an internal curiosity, plus the drive to inquire about something.  Curiosity, like wisdom is in short supply today, but curiosity is absolutely needed if active learning is to be achieved.  This means that faculty must not only be vigorously engaged in their respective fields, but must also be able to inspire and motivate students to become inquirers themselves.

 

Interviewer: What is the vision for Saint Katherine College?

Dr. Tibbs: Our vision for Saint Katherine College is summed up in the phrase: “Inquiry seeking wisdom.”  We hope that our students will not only increase in knowledge during their time at Saint Katherine College, but in wisdom.   (But we will also be providing opportunities for sports and recreation as well!)

We want our students to be in direct and regular contact with our faculty.   We will accomplish this by maintaining small class sizes, but also by promoting a culture of openness, respect and collegiality.  The core academic content will cover a broad spectrum of knowledge and learning experiences.  We will also offer our students many integrated opportunities to put their theoretical learning into practice in many forms, including outreach to the local community.   We expect learning to be individualized, but also, ultimately to be “other-focused” with the end result being the use of time, talents and resources in the service of the society at large.

Interviewer: How could a Protestant student benefit from a Saint Katherine College Education?

Dr. Tibbs: Any student who wants to learn in a participatory academic culture, with small class sizes and high-caliber professors will benefit from Saint Katherine College, regardless of his or her faith.  Nevertheless, there is much that could be absorbed from the Orthodox tradition that will be evident on campus.  One example would be the strong emphasis on caring for the planet.  Orthodoxy is actually “pre-Green” in a sense, because it has always taught that creation is a good gift from God for which humans are to be responsible stewards.   The respect and service to all creation (both human and non-human) will also be an important emphasis of Saint Katherine College, especially because it is an important Orthodox emphasis!

Regardless of their faith tradition, Saint Katherine College will help all of its students to learn to think critically, to examine the world around them, to reflect upon their own gifts and talents, to act responsibly and to be well-prepared to pursue future studies, work and ministry as God leads.