John Falcone

Tutor in Sacramental Theology and Ministry

“Maria Harris once wrote, ‘The church does not have an educational programme; the church is an educational programme.’ The great thing about working at St. Augustine’s is tackling that programme together – applying ancient traditions and modern re-conceptions to the cultures and contexts of our ministry lives.”

John has been involved in ministry and education for twenty-five years. His first degree was in Latin and Greek. His Masters in ministry is from Union Theological Seminary in New York City (Scripture, contextual theology, praxis methods of teaching and learning). His doctorate is from Boston College, Massachusetts (Theology and Education, 2015).

John has worked in AIDS ministry; psychosocial rehabilitation; and chaplaincy within schools and industry. He writes on the intersection of creativity, American Pragmatism, and practical theology. He co-wrote a Catholic high school textbook on Christology, and contributes regular lectionary reflections for the LGBT+ Catholic group, Dignity USA. He’s the artistic director at LectioEast – an East London group that uses embodied reflection and the liberationist artform ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’ to create prayer experiences and to support community organising. He also facilitates creative Christian and interreligious ritual projects.

At St Augustine’s, he’s taught Sacramental Theology; convend seminars on the work of Willie James Jennings; and has helped lead the College’s initiatives around ministry, relationship-building, and oppression.

John and his husband Matias live at St Saviour’s Priory in London’s East End. They are active in St Matthew’s Bethnal Green CofE parish. They love watching Star Trek (Matias is a late convert!); dog-sitting; and cooking Italian and East Asian food.

Publications

  • “Theatre of the Oppressed: Rehearsing the Kingdom,” Radius Performing: The Magazine of the Religious Drama Society of Great Britain, 2019.
  • “Body and Spirit Together: Theatre of the Oppressed, Pragmatist Semiotics, and Practical Theological Method.” ARTS: Society for the Arts in Religious and Theological Studies 30, no. 1 (2018): 57-71.
  • “Peirce, Pragmatism, and Religious Education: Participating More Deeply in God’s Imagination.” Religious Education 111, no. 4 (July/September 2016): 381-397.
  • “Training Lay People to ‘Practice’ Scripture Rhetorically: A Pedagogical Model with Biblical Precedent and Warrant from the Gospel of Matthew.” Journal of Adult Theological Education 13, no. 1 (2016): 4-17.
  • “The Quality of Mercy [World AIDS Day and the Jubilee Year].” With Vincent Manning. The Catholic Times (20 November 2015).
  • “Do Not Quench the Spirit: Rainbow Ministry and Queer Ritual Practice in Catholic Education and Life,” in Hinze and Hornbeck, eds., More than a Monologue: Sexual Diversity in the Catholic Church, Volume I. New York: Fordham, 2014. 114-123.