New theology teacher Jim Hubbman enters the St. Louis U. High community attempting what many thinkers of the postmodern movement deemed impossible: balancing a passion for innovation while maintaining a devotion to philosophy.

Hubbman has long been accustomed to SLUH—for the past seven years he has been part of the Theology Department’s bullpen for summer school teachers, and before that, he student-taught some theology classes when he was transitioning from the corporate world to teaching.

According to Theology Department chair Jonathan Ott, it is Hubbman’s prior familiarity with the school which made him a prime candidate for an opening in the department.

“From all those experiences with him, what we came to know about Mr. Hubbman is that he views teaching theology as a vocation and he has a great ability to meet boys where they’re at,” he said.

In the past few years, Hubbman had taught theology at St. Mary’s but wished to return to SLUH’s community because of his bonds with faculty members and his appreciation for the trademark SLUH student who is willing to ask the toughest questions.

“How amazingly generous and open the student in the theology classroom who has real doubts or skepticism, or questions, serious questions can be,” he says.

A long time craftsman, Hubbman hopes to aid students in their quests for answers to these life-defining questions in a pretty unorthodox way: with the use of art.

“I will attempt to teach theology or discuss theology with my peers, my students, more and more in terms of aesthetic things,” said Hubbman. “What is beautiful about faith? What is beautiful about the physical world?”

Alongside teaching theology, Hubbman hopes to spend lots of time in SLUH’s new Innovation Lab.

Hubbman enjoyed growing up in his father’s workshop, “solving mechanical issues in interesting ways and using tools not just to fix stuff but to solve problems,” he says.

Although it doesn’t resemble an unfinished basement, Hubbman still hopes to share insights he gained from his father with students he encounters in the iLab.

The iLab and theology classrooms are both literally and metaphorically the most separated locations in the school. Hubbman, however, thinks he can form connections between the two.

“Solving things that have an intellectual, physical, and a spiritual or emotional element, those all kind of come together all those parts play in for me in theology,” said Hubbman.

Hubbman thinks that although the fundamental way of thinking may be different, that he can ultimately be working at the same questions in both departments.

“In the iLab we know things with the use of our hands and our head, while in theology, head and heart matter more than hands in any given moment. But it’s all a way of seeing the world in an integrate, things coming together,” said Hubbman.

Although he finds comfort primarily in the theology office, Hubbman hopes to make frequent visits to the art wing.

“I’d like to mess around with painting, printmaking, and some ceramics. I did a lot of printmaking and watercolor at home, probably less in an official capacity, and more in sort of a outside of the regular hours community with some of my fellow teachers and students.”

Hubbman’s colleagues, having worked with him before, are enthusiastic about him joining the staff full time.

“What I remember is the first day he took over, he was entertaining and funny and witty, and he’s someone who really works hard, and really cares, and has amazing spirituality,” said theology teacher Diego Navarro.