Luke Larner

Tutor in Mission and Pioneer Ministry

  • lukelarner@hotmail.co.uk

“I always enjoy spending time at St Augustine’s, a college with a dynamic and diverse student body who are eager to learn about mission and to apply their learning. St Augustine’s feels like a safe space to explore big questions around mission in a post-colonial and pluralist context, and what the practical implications of these questions might be. I always look forward to time spent there!”

A former bricklayer, Luke cut his teeth as lay pioneer minister in Luton serving communities affected by homelessness, violence and addiction. Luke is part-time priest-in-charge of the diverse parish of St Andrew in Luton and is studying for a doctorate in practical theology at the University of Roehampton, researching mission pneumatologies in the Church of England. Luke’s teaching passions include mission, liberation theologies, and practical skills for social justice engagement. He is currently helping to develop an international network of scholars and activists engaging with theologies of labour and class struggle in partnership with the Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. Influenced by the radical Anglo-Catholic tradition, Luke’s faith and ministry are shaped by a weaving of sacraments and social justice. A tertiary Franciscan, Luke loves to be outside cycling, kayaking, or walking with his family smiling at the birds and the trees.

Publications

Book

Luke’s first book, Confounding the Mighty: Stories of Church, Class and Solidarity was published in August 2023 by SCM Press, an edited collection exploring the experiences of working class people involved in Church, theological education and justice movements.

 

Other publications

  • October 2022, ‘Countering the Ethics of Peddling Hope’, Luke Larner and Rajiv Sidhu, article in Crucible Journal of Christian Ethics
  • June 2022, ‘Problems with Pioneering’, Ben Aldous, Luke Larner, Adrian Schleifenbaum, Rajiv Sidhu, peer-reviewed article in Ecclesial Futures journal
  • May 2022, ‘When I Needed a Shelter Were You There?’, Guest article on personal experiences of housing injustice for the Bedford Independent newspaper
  • May 2022, ‘Interruptive Listening’, book chapter in Parenting for a Better World, edited by Ellen Ott Marshall and Susanna Snyder, published by Chalice Press.
  • 2016, ‘Catching the Wind: missio Dei in Context’, article for Anvil Journal of Theology and Mission’