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

Listen on Apple, Spotify, all major platforms,
and the National Catholic Reporter

March 10, 2025

#10, Fr. John Dear in conversation with Marie Dennis on Jesus, the Church and Nonviolence

“What if the Church fully embraced the radical nonviolence of Jesus? What if each one of us fully embraced Jesus’ nonviolence in every aspect of life? Can the Church become a church of nonviolence and help lead a nonviolent revolution?”

 
This week on “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” John Dear speaks with Marie Dennis about the nonviolence of Jesus, the outdated just war theory, and active nonviolence as the heart of the church. “We can no longer view war as a solution,” Marie says. “We want to see nonviolence move to the center of Catholic Church teaching and practice.”
 
“Jesus teaches us to be more imaginative in how we deal with moments of crisis,” she says. There is always a nonviolent alternative; we can always choose a more nonviolent, more creative way of dealing with conflict and life. “Nonviolence is the only way forward,” she says. 
 
Marie worked for the Maryknoll Missioners from 1989 to 2012, including 15 years as director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, and as co-president of Pax Christi International from 2007 to 2019. She is author or co-author of seven books, and editor of Choosing Peace: The Catholic Church Returns to Gospel Nonviolence. Currently she coordinates the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative at www.paxchristi.net.

Next week…

The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast welcomes Brian McLaren! For more information, visit here.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, all major platforms,
and the National Catholic Reporter

March 17, 2025

#11, Fr. John Dear in conversation with Brian McLaren on how Jesus resisted authoritarianism and how we can too

In a time of rising Christian nationalism, oligarchy, and fascism, here at home and around the world, what does it mean to follow the nonviolent Jesus? How do we respond to authoritarianism as people of Gospel nonviolence? Theologian Brian McLaren warns us: “We are going to have to keep our eyes and ears open for the right time to do the right thing.”
 
This week, John Dear talks with the best-selling author, brilliant theologian, and activist Brian McLaren to explore how Jesus challenged the violent, authoritarian rulers of his day and how we can respond with bold, creative nonviolent action today: “Jesus was an agent of dissent,” he says. “He is the absolute inverse of an authoritarian!” 
 
Brian McLaren is Dean of Faculty for the Center for Action and Contemplation, founded by Fr. Richard Rohr, and a podcaster with Learning How to See, a leading voice in progressive Christianity. He brings deep wisdom from his many books such Faith After Doubt, Do I Stay Christian?, and Life After Doom. If you’re questioning what to do, resisting the culture, and/or seeking a faith rooted in justice and peace, this episode will help encourage you to go forward as the first Christians did in a spirit of nonviolent resistance and universal love.
 

Next week…

The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast welcomes Shane Claiborne! 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

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

War is the Ultimate Failure

Today, in the name of the God of peace, we say to the United States: we are sick and tired of your endless wars, your military spending, your nuclear weapons, your global domination, your violence, your imperialism and fascism and corporate greed and permanent warfare. We remember the U.S. war on Iraq, and how we killed millions of sisters and brothers there for a great lie, to steal their oil and sell weapons and help the one percent get richer. We remember the U.S. war on Afghanistan, and how we killed and injured countless innocent civilians for a great lie so we could get their oil and sow chaos in the world and sell weapons. With thousands of people in over twenty demonstrations across the nation we say today, enough is enough! No more endless wars!

Daniel Ellsberg, Prophet of Truth and Disarmament

A few months before he died on Friday, June 16th, famed whistle blower and peace activist Daniel Ellsberg sent an email letter to hundreds of friends announcing that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given three months or so to live. After reflecting on his life’s work for peace, he announced that he was full of “joy and gratitude” and wished the same for all of us who work to end war.

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

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