Born and raised in Japan, Dr. Mark Luttio has spent his life traveling the globe studying and teaching Theology. Now, Dr. Luttio continues his educational journey at Jesuit High School Sacramento.

Theology Department Chair Mr. Patrick Brabec believes that Dr. Luttio’s long and impressive teaching background makes him an excellent addition.

“He has an outstanding education in theology; he’s got a masters degree in divinity, a doctorate in theology, and has been a Lutheran minister, a Catholic deacon and a college professor of religious studies,” Mr. Brabec said. “He brings much teaching and experience in education.”

Dr. Luttio looks forward to using his experience to help Jesuit students understand the merit of dialogue with other religious traditions and philosophies.

“I would like people to perceive me as someone who is able to cross the divide and risk engagement and dialogue because through that process we come out better for it,” Dr. Luttio said.

Dr. Luttio believes building bridges is vitally important to teaching theology and that doing so  will inspire students to start a legacy of change.

“We tend to misunderstand and then misappropriate what it is that we’re after when we look at the study of world religion,” Dr. Luttio said. “[We have to] build bridges between groups that are for various reasons disperate [...] wherein people are not able to see the common core that we share together as a global human family.”

According to Mr. Brabec, Dr. Luttio is a teacher who facilitates open dialogues among cultures. This approach is one that Mr. Brabec believes is important for a teacher to have.

“The approach you have to have is not just talking at people; it’s really respecting people’s own views, beliefs and experiences,” Mr. Brabec said. “As a department chair, that’s probably the most important thing that I’m looking for in a teacher.

Dr. Luttio acknowledges the importance of high school teachers and the impact they can have on someone’s life. He remembers his high school humanities teacher back in Japan who serves as his inspiration in his pursuit of teaching.

“I had a teacher in high school who inspired me to think beyond the usual scope and nature of the course,” Dr. Luttio said. “He woke something up inside me: to love the art and the passion that he had in passing on the jewels of wisdom, so it wasn’t just about the material but it was really his ability to help us all think with an open mind.” 

Much like his humanities teacher did for him years ago, Dr. Luttio works to inspire his students to pursue wisdom by having them not only encounter the theory but also the lived experience of other faith traditions.  

“I’ve always approached teaching as an experiential and theoretical pursuit, so I really try to get my students to not just think about the material that we’re examining – whatever it may be – but actually be able to live it, breathe it, experience it,” Dr. Luttio said. “The best classrooms aren’t always rooms. [As we do] in my world religions class, [we] go to a house of worship and experience it and see what it’s really like firsthand.”