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

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

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February 23rd, 2026

Episode #60, John Dear on his new book “Universal Love,” Part 1 of 2

On this week’s episode of “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” John Dear reflects with us on his new book, Universal Love: Surrendering to the God of Peace. This is Part 1 of 2 episodes. 
 
In this first episode, John talks about how the book came about. When the pandemic began, he joined the local gym and the young person who taught the class, whom he calls Will, asked him to be his guru, so John started teaching him meditation. The young person called God, “Universal Love” and one day, Universal Love came to him in prayer and called him to be “an extension of Universal Love.”
 
Over the years of spiritual direction and conversation that followed, as they discussed all this, they also started doing writing practice at the local coffee shop on these themes, writings which one day turned into this book. In this episode, and the first part of the book, John reflects on the importance of daily meditation, letting go of control, living in intimate, trusting relationship with God, learning to surrender everything to God, and trying from now on, to do only God’s will, not our will. He concludes this episode with his story of meeting with Archbishop Tutu in Cape Town, South Africa, where Tutu confided with John his thoughts on free will as the basis of understanding God and our work for peace, justice and nonviolence.
 
“The secret to the life of peace is to renounce self-will and surrender our lives and will to the God of Universal Love and Peace,” John says.
 
In the 2nd episode, John will reflect on the connection between nonviolence and surrendering our will to God, and the political consequences of doing God’s will of peace in a world of war. Universal Love is now available everywhere, but you can get a 30% discount at Orbis Books by calling 1-800-258-3858 and giving the code “JDT.” Listen in, and be encouraged for the journey of surrender to the God of Universal love and peace. God bless everyone!

Next week…

The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast welcomes John Dear! For more information, visit here.

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

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February 16th, 2026

Episode #59, John Dear speaks with activist Ann Wright

On this week’s episode of “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” John Dear speaks peace activist Ann Wright. She is a retired US Army Colonel who worked in the military for 29 years, 13 on active duty and 16 in the Army Reserves, as well as a retired US state department official. In March 2003, when the US started massively bombing Iraq, she was one of three state department officials to publicly resign in protest of the US war on Iraq. Since then, she has become a full-time activist working to end war, often working with organizations such as Veterans for Peace, CODEPINK, International Peace Bureau, and World Beyond War.
 
She travels full time to places of conflict around the world, such as Iran, North Korea, Yemen, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Palestine, and Cuba, to see firsthand the effects of US warmaking. She also speaks out and writes about the need to resist war and pursue peace.  She has been a coordinator with the Gaza Freedom Flotilla for 16 years and was jailed in Israeli prisons twice for being on Gaza flotillas. Visit: www.voicesofconscience.com
 
They discuss her public resignation over the US war on Iraq, and her work for peace in Afghanistan and Palestine as well as the abolition of nuclear weapons.
 
“I just could not be a part of what I knew was going to be a horrific death for so many people in Iraq,” she tells John about her resignation. “Never underestimate the power of trying to get people together to do something that will galvanize the rest of our community and the country. It’s our own conscience we have to watch out for. We have to be able to say: ‘I’ve done what I could to try to stop the violence in our world.’ Be consistent and keep moving!” Listen in and be inspired! God bless everyone!—Fr. John

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

John Dear’s New Book, Available February 17th, 2026!

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.”
 
— Brian McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt and The Last Voyage

Recent Books

GospelOfPeace
Praise-Be-Peace-cover-pdf-663x1024
“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

John Dear Talks Nonviolence with Joan Baez: A Conversation

Read More

The Peacemaking Life of Pope Francis

A few years ago, three French peace activists met with Pope Francis and asked him for advice. “Start a revolution,” he said. “Shake things up! The world is deaf. You have to open its ears.” That’s what Pope Francis did — he started a nonviolent revolution and invited us all to join. 

I’m grateful for him for so many reasons, but mainly because he spoke out so boldly, so prophetically in word and deed for justice, the poor, disarmament, peace, creation, mercy and nonviolence. It is a tremendous gift that we had him for 12 years, that he did not resign or retire, but kept at it until the last day, Easter Sunday.

Read More

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.

Read More

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 

Visit
www.DanielBerrigan.org

“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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