His academic career was interrupted by World War I, in which he served with the 12th Royal Irish Rifles.
After the war, he published Monophysitism Past and Present (1921), which deals with the nature of Jesus and his relationship to the world.
The following year, he published his Donnellan Lectures on Henri Bergson where he examined issues in psychology and evolution as well as religion.
Luce stressed the role of the French monk Malebranche on influencing the thought of the young Berkeley.
Berkeley's personal reputation among historians and the public was also an area which Luce felt needed correcting and updating.
His elder son Professor John Victor Luce (1920–2011) was also an academic at Trinity and also served as vice-provost.
His original academic work and numerous administrative and clerical appointments earned him a solid local and international reputation.