Educator Spotlight | David Bristow

What do you love most about the subject area you teach?
Teaching theology is a gift because it is an academic discipline that studies all aspects of human culture and practice. Many young people have the false impression that theology is nothing more than an abstract set of religious beliefs. The truth is theology is a rigorous reflection on our life direction, hope, gift, and occasionally being a “thorn in the side” of mainstream perception. I absolutely love seeing students engage the field critically by showing how the Catholic worldview impacts everything from social media usage to adoration in the chapel before sporting events.  

How long have you been in the teaching profession?
Officially, eight years in secondary education (high school). Twenty years, including full-time ministry and religious education. And I’ve loved every minute of it.

If you were not a teacher, what profession would you have chosen?
That’s impossible to answer. My vocational calling (as I see it) has always been to the educational field as a lowly theologian. That said, students and faculty are aware of my habit of wearing all black. A former student once told me, “You look like you’d be an undertaker in another life or part of John Wick’s entourage.”  So maybe that’s the answer.    

What makes Gibbons a unique/different place?
Gibbons possesses the innate ability to oscillate between academic prowess, relaxed play, and fervent prayer. There is a healthy and holy balance between these areas, each corresponding with the mind, body, and soul. I have yet to see a school do it better.  

What is your favorite Gibbons tradition?
The tradition of caring for students. I want them all to flourish in life, family, and faith. All other said “traditions” of the school are secondary to this reality.