2024 Speaking Tour
Host Fr. John Dear on his 2024 Speaking Tour for his Forthcoming Orbis Book: “’The Gospel of Peace: A Commentary on Matthew, Mark and Luke from the Perspective of Nonviolence.” For more info, click here
November 16, 2026 – This Week’s Episode
Episode #99, John Dear reflects on the Book of Jonah, the story of the Whale, the call to Repent, and the compassion and mercy of God
On today’s episode of “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” John Dear talks about the book of Jonah and its three acts—first, how God tells him to march through Nineveh and call the people to repent, how Jonah runs away, catches the next ship out, is thrown overboard, swallowed by a whale, turns to God in prayer and is finally released.Next, Jonah walks through the great capital city of his hated enemy, Ninevah, calls them to repent, and lo and behold!, the whole city repents in sackcloth and ashes, fasts and prays, and eventually learns to live in peace with God.
In the final comical act, Jonah responds to God’s compassion by throwing a temper tantrum! “I knew you were kind and gracious and merciful,” he complains to God. He goes off and sulks and begs for death. The gentle, merciful God tries to reason with him, asking, “Isn’t it right that I care for the 120,000 people of Nineveh, who don’t know their right hand from their left, not to mention the cattle?”
It’s one of the shortest and greatest books of the Bible, but it throws a great challenge at us. If God was upset with the violent people of Nineveh, what must the God of peace think about America, its permanent warfare, corporate greed, racism, executions, fascism and plans to destroy the planet with nuclear weapons, AI and fossil fuels?
“We don’t want to end up like Jonah, bitter, resentful and vindictive,” John concludes. “We want to repent of the social sin of war and spend the rest of our lives celebrating God’s kindness, forgiveness, compassion and universal love, and get on with the mission of peace that God gives us. In the end, we find that it’s more pleasant to be people of peace and nonviolence than sitting under our dead gourd tree, nursing our rage, feeling depressed and begging for death.” Listen in and be inspired!
Next week…
The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast welcomes Brian Terrell! For more information, visit here.
November 9, 2026 – This Week’s Episode
Episode #98, John Dear Speaks with John Ashworth on his journey toward nonviolence in Sudan
On today’s episode of “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” John Dear reflects with John Ashworth on his lifelong work for peace in Sudan. They discuss his new book, Journeying Towards Nonviolence: My life in Sudan. Originally from England, John has worked since 1982 with the church in Sudan and South Sudan, teaching and doing humanitarian work. For the last twenty years, he has been doing fulltime advocacy for peace and reconciliation. They met in Rome at the first Vatican conference on nonviolence in 2016. A former priest, John Ashworth recently retired with his wife Jane to rural Kenya. His books include Faith on the Margins; Stop Fighting, Start Talking; and The Voice of the Voiceless: The Role of the Church in the Sudanese Civil War 1983-2005.
More than 2.5 million people have been killed or died from conflict-related starvation and disease in Sudan and South Sudan in recent decades.
John Ashworth describes his years in the warzones of Sudan: “We were living on the front lines for many years with regular shellings and raids. We were kidnapped, taken hostage, sentenced to death and faced a firing squad. If I had a firearm, I would be dead. They were ready to kill, and I wasn’t. I survived because of dialogue; instead of challenging them, I was compliant, calm, peaceful, friendly, and built a relationship with them.
“What is going on in Sudan is connected with you whether you like or not. Training in nonviolence is now happening everywhere in South Sudan. We now have the language and theology of nonviolence. If nonviolence can work in Sudan, it can work anywhere. Defending Jesus with violence from being arrested, tortured and murdered seems justified, but Jesus doesn’t win by violence, only by nonviolence. We can live with nonviolence because the strength of the resurrection is greater than violence and death.” Listen in and be inspired!
Next week…
The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast welcomes John Dear! For more information, visit here.
John Dear’s new book now available!
“The Gospel of Peace:
Reading Matthew, Mark & Luke
from the Perspective of Nonviolence”
For info, click here
To order, call Orbis Books at 1-800-258-5838
To invite John Dear to speak in your city, write to: john@beatitudescenter.org
National Catholic Reporter Review of “The Gospel of Peace,” click here
To watch Fr. John’s interview with Dean Young of Grace Cathedral about the book, click here
To watch Fr. John’s sermon at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, on Jan. 21, 2024, (at the 30 minute mark) click here
The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast, a free weekly podcast with John Dear
click here
click here
John Dear’s New Book
Universal Love:
Surrendering to the God of Peace
By John Dear
For more information, click here
Available from www.orbisbooks.com or call 1-800-258-5838, or Amazon.com
“One of the people I respect most on this earth and whose winsome company I enjoy most is Fr. John Dear. In this short, valuable, and practical book, John shares his conversations with a young spiritual seeker named Will who came to him seeking spiritual guidance. As I read each chapter, I felt like I was meeting with John for coffee, sharing my struggles, and receiving his wisdom and encouragement.
This book is a treasure.”
This book is a treasure.”
— Brian McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt and The Last Voyage
Recent Books
“The Sacrament of Civil Disobedience”
Revised 2022 Edition, with new foreword by Shane Claiborne,
Available on amazon, in the U.K. To order, visit: https://labora.press/product/the-sacrament-of-civil-disobedience/
Recent Articles
My Long Lost Conversation with John Lewis
Last summer, after Congressman John Lewis died, I posted a photo on social media of me and John from a memorable afternoon we spent together in his congressional office. It was 26 years ago. We had talked for a while, and then filmed a formal conversation on nonviolence.
Needless to say, it was one of the greatest days of my exciting life.
Recent News
“Nonviolence,” a new 147 page special edition
of Richard Rohr’s journal Oneing, now available from www.cac.org
John Dear on “Democracy Now” talking about Thich Nhat Hanh and Archbishop Tutu
“Jesus was totally nonviolent and calls us to practice and teach Gospel nonviolence and welcome God’s reign of peace and nonviolence, which means from now on, we work for the abolition of war, poverty, racism, gun violence, the death penalty, nuclear weapons, environmental destruction, and all violence.” – Fr. John Dear
Visit Fr. John Dear’s Work at:
The Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus
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Contact Fr. John Dear via the email or mailing address at: www.beatitudescenter.org