Jacobs holds advanced degrees in Philosophy, Historical and Systematic Theology, Church History, and Fine Art. He has served as a professor and lecturer at such schools as Calvin College and Seminary, Trinity College and Graduate School, and the University of Kentucky.

 

He studied fine-art painting and drawing at the Maryland Institute College of Art, one of the top three art schools in the country. As a fine-art artist, he has sold numerous works to private collectors across the country. In the commercial arts, Jacobs has worked as a concept artist, character designer, and previsualization artist (i.e., creating storyboards and animatics) in both the video game industry and the film industry. Jacobs has taught numerous classes on aesthetics, art history, and film. He has written on the philosophy of aesthetics generally and specifically on the views of Sir Joshua Reynolds, first president of the Royal Academy of Arts.