The Nonviolent Jesus

Fr. John Dear
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Was Jesus nonviolent? 🎙️ This Monday weekly podcast features thought-provoking, inspiring conversations with some of the greatest visionary leaders in peace and nonviolence in modern history like Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now, Gandhi), Bryan Stevenson (Just Mercy) , Cornel West (Race Matters), Sister Helen Prejean (Dead Man Walking) , Sr. Joan Chittister, John Fugelsang (Separation of Church and Hate), Rev. Richard Rohr (The Universal Christ), Shane Claiborne (Red Letter Christians), and many, many more! Join Fr. John Dear—priest, author, activist, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee—on The Nonviolent Jesus, a weekly 30-minute podcast that dares to reclaim the radical, active nonviolence of Jesus. Rooted in the wisdom of Gandhi and Dr. King, Fr. John Dear has been arrested and jailed over 80 times in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience against war and nuclear weapons in the tradition of Gandhi and Dr. King. This journey isn’t just about changing the world—it’s about being creative, nonviolent activists and transforming ourselves. We’ll explore how we can: 💠 Embody nonviolence—toward ourselves, others, and our communities 💠 Heal from the culture of violence—from war and racism, authoritarianism and genocide, to poverty and environmental destruction 💠 Live with courage, compassion, and universal love Together, we’ll uncover how Jesus' Way of Nonviolence can reshape our lives and awaken a more just, peaceful world. 👉Subscribe now to The Nonviolent Jesus - change yourself, change the world. www.beatitudescenter.org

  1. 62 Amy Brooks Paradise, minister and Greenfaith organizer: " We are made for times like this, this is exactly what people in faith are for!"

    6D AGO

    62 Amy Brooks Paradise, minister and Greenfaith organizer: " We are made for times like this, this is exactly what people in faith are for!"

    On today’s new episode of “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” I speak with Rev. Amy Brooks Paradise of Greenfaith.org, a global, multifaith, grassroots network working to protect creation and resist environmental destruction around the world. She previously served as the Education Director for the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network in Charlotte, NC and also as the Pastor for the UU Fellowship of Lake Norman in NC. She lives outside Charlotte with her partner and daughter. “We work with people around the world who are most impacted by climate change,” Amy says. “We encourage people to get involved in local climate issues and make different choices that protect creation.” Check out their website to see some of their grassroots campaigns. “We all see that natural disasters are bigger, more catastrophic and happening more often and everywhere,” she continues. “Scientifically, it is proven our climate is getting warmer, and our use of fossil fuels is the main contributor to global warming. Why is it okay to continue to use fossil fuels?" "The fossil fuel companies created a massive disinformation campaign that became politicized and promoted by politicians. We're now living in a world that is breaking down because the global economy depends on fossil fuel. I'm excited to see so many countries embracing renewable energy, and people of faith involved in these struggles.” She encourages each one of us to get involved: "Find your people, find your community, choose your issue, get training, start showing up in public and doing the work. We are made for times like this, this is exactly what people in faith are for!" Put your faith into action and join Greenfaith today! beatitudescenter.org johndear.org greenfaith.org https://fatherjohndear.substack.com/

    39 min
  2. 61 Part 2 of 2: John Dear on "Universal Love, Surrendering to the God of Peace": "You want me to get rid of my guns?"

    MAR 2

    61 Part 2 of 2: John Dear on "Universal Love, Surrendering to the God of Peace": "You want me to get rid of my guns?"

    On today’s new episode of “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” I offer part 2 of my reflection on my new book, Universal Love: Surrendering to the God of Peace. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, it will be helpful to listen to last week's podcast first. There I tell how the book came about, and why I wrote it. I conclude the first episode with the story of my visit with Archbishop Tutu in Cape Town, South Africa, where he confided with me his thoughts on free will as the basis of understanding God and our work for peace, justice and nonviolence, In this 2nd episode, I’ll 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, I also recount many of my experiences with some of the greatest peace activists and peacemakers in the world and how surrender is vital to becoming an extension of Universal Love. In this concluding part, I explore the connection between surrendering our will to the God of universal love and living nonviolence in our daily lives. Then, I try to unpack the shocking political implications of universal love, peace and nonviolence--if we surrender our lives and our wills to God. I’ve long wondered what the teachings of the spiritual classics about of abandonment to God mean in this time of permanent war, extreme poverty, white supremacy, fascism, and the real threat of nuclear war and catastrophic climate change. In light of the nonviolent Jesus, I think if we surrender ourselves to God and do God’s will, we’ll have to step out of ourselves into the world and take nonviolent direct action through selfless service, nonviolent resistance to injustice, and public work for the coming of God’s reign of peace. No matter how much we love God and want to follow Jesus, we’re all still trying to control God to some extent in order to do our own will, and that’s the problem. In my new book, I invite us to let go of control, let God run our lives, surrender to God’s will of universal love, and enjoy the ride with all its glorious social, economic and political implications, come what may. If we are truly surrendered to God, then God will use us to help disarm the world. That’s the journey. You can get Universal Love at 30% discount at OrbisBooks.com or by calling 1-800-258-3858, and giving the discount code “JDT.” Please share this message far and wide. I hope you enjoy this special 2 part podcast and get my new book. www.beatitudescenter.org www.johndear.org For more excerpts from the books and other writings, go to https://substack.com/@fatherjohndear May we all surrender to the God of Universal love and peace. 🌻, Fr. John

    49 min
  3. 60 Part 1 of 2: John Dear on his newest book "Universal Love, Surrendering to the God of Peace": "We have more power as ordinary people than we realize".

    FEB 23

    60 Part 1 of 2: John Dear on his newest book "Universal Love, Surrendering to the God of Peace": "We have more power as ordinary people than we realize".

    This week I reflect on my new book, Universal Love: Surrendering to the God of Peace. This is Part 1 of 2 episodes. In this first episode, I tell how the book came about. When the pandemic began, I joined the local gym and the young person who taught the class, whom I call Will, asked me to be his guru, so I started teaching him meditation. He called God, “Universal Love” and one day, Universal Love came to him in prayer and called him to be “an extension of Universal Love.” Sections in the first part of the book include "The Difference Meditation Makes", "To Hell With Spiritual Pride", and "Experimenting with Nonviolence". Over the years of spiritual direction and conversation that followed with Will, as we became friends and discussed all this, we 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, I reflect on the importance of daily meditation, letting go of control, living in intimate, trusting relationship to God, learning to surrender everything to God, and trying from now on, to do only God’s will, not our will. I conclude this episode with the story of my visit with Archbishop Tutu in Cape Town, South Africa, where he confided with me his thoughts on free will as the basis of understanding God and our work for peace, justice and nonviolence, a teaching I am only now beginning to understand. Next week I dedicate the podcast to the second half of the book, and will be sharing excerpts and more on Substack as well. Available now from www.orbisbooks.com or call 1-800-258-5838, or ask for it at your local bookstore! More information at beatitudescenter.org Onward in peace with the nonviolent Jesus, 🌻, John

    43 min
  4. 59 With retired US Army Colonel and peace activist Ann Wright: "Make sure you write your Congress before breakfast every day!"

    FEB 16

    59 With retired US Army Colonel and peace activist Ann Wright: "Make sure you write your Congress before breakfast every day!"

    This week my guest is my friend 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, World Beyond War, NO to NATO, Hawaii Peace and Justice, and many other groups. She travels full time to places of conflict around the world, such as Iran, North Korea, Yemen, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Palestine, Cuba--to see 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 We discuss her public resignation over the US war on Iraq, and her work for peace in Afghanistan and Palestine and the abolition of nuclear weapons. “I just could not be a part of what I knew was going to be a horrific death of so many people in Iraq,” she tells me 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!” Join us with this incredibly brave, resolute and inspiring peace activist! beatitudescenter.org 🌻, John

    42 min
  5. 58 With activist, theologian and scripture scholar Ched Myers on "Sabbath Economics" and "Resisting Plutocracy": "Concentrated wealth underlies every form of violence."

    FEB 9

    58 With activist, theologian and scripture scholar Ched Myers on "Sabbath Economics" and "Resisting Plutocracy": "Concentrated wealth underlies every form of violence."

    This week I speak with Ched Myers, one of the world’s greatest scripture scholars, about his new book on the Gospel of Luke, called Healing Affluenza and Resisting Plutocracy: Luke’s Jesus and Sabbath Economics. Many of us consider Ched’s great commentary on Mark, Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark’s Story of Jesus (Orbis Books, 1988), the greatest book on scripture ever written. An activist and a theologian, Ched and his partner Elaine Enns are ecumenical Mennonites based in southern California where they lead Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries (visit www.bcmonline.org). He begins our conversation by sharing his journey to radical Christianity through the Catholic Worker movement and our mentor Daniel Berrigan, and then we turn to Luke. In his new book, Ched explores Luke from the perspective of “Sabbath economics,” the biblical practice of resisting economic disparity and the idolatry of wealth, greed, and war. We discuss Jesus’ first sermon in the Nazareth synagogue where he proclaims the Jubilee Year (Lk. 4), the parable of Lazarus the rich man and the poor beggar who dies and goes to heaven (Lk. 16), and Luke’s resurrection story on the road to Emmaus (Lk. 24) “The biggest single, core, root issue of violence is economic disparity--the cruel gulf between the have-too-muches- and the have-not-enoughs. Concentrated wealth underlies every form of violence and is ruining our planet. If we Christians are going to follow the Way, we need to dive into the scripture about Sabbath economics.” Be inspired to be part of the "Sabbath Economy" ! beatitudescenter.org

    41 min
  6. With Emily Yellin on her new posthumous memoir of Civil Rights leader Jim Lawson: "Nonviolent: My Life of Resistance, Agitation and Love"

    FEB 2

    With Emily Yellin on her new posthumous memoir of Civil Rights leader Jim Lawson: "Nonviolent: My Life of Resistance, Agitation and Love"

    This week I speak with writer Emily Yellin, co-author of the new, posthumous memoir by the late Civil Rights leader Rev. James Lawson called Nonviolent: My Life of Resistance, Agitation and Love, which comes out on Feb. 17th from Random House. Emily is a longtime writer for The New York Times. Jim Lawson was my friend for 34 years. I first met him in jail during a protest in 1990 and he later hired me to be director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Dr. King called Jim Lawson “the greatest theoretician and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” Jim was taught nonviolence by his mother, went to prison for refusing to be drafted into the Korean war, spent years in India learning nonviolence from Gandhi’s friends, then returned to the US, joined Dr. King, and became the main strategist for the Civil Right movement, from the lunch counter sit-ins to the Freedom Rides to Birmingham, Selma, and the Memphis garbage workers’ strike. (Jim did two zoom sessions with the Beatitudes Center before his death which you can watch on the free Beatitudes Center YouTube channel. You can read the transcript of the first one, “Nonviolence Is Power,” at www.beatitudescenter.org/blog/page/2/) “One of the things that stunned me about Rev Lawson,” Emily tells me, “was his consistency with nonviolence that came from a deep conviction to love. Jim Lawson was the best example of how to live a life that leads with love and does no harm. One of his core teachings was, ‘We can't imitate the evil ways of our oppressors.’ "Nonviolence is the way to build a more loving and just world," is what Jim Lawson has taught us. Listen in and be inspired! God bless you!—Fr. John beatitudescenter.org

    48 min
  7. #56 With Mike Farrell from M*A*S*H, actor, producer, writer, and political and social activist: "I don't understand how anybody who believes in Christ could support the death penalty".

    JAN 26

    #56 With Mike Farrell from M*A*S*H, actor, producer, writer, and political and social activist: "I don't understand how anybody who believes in Christ could support the death penalty".

    This week I speak with Mike Farrell, best known as "Captain B.J. Hunnicutt", one of the stars of the hit TV show "M*A*S*H" in the 1970's, and later "Providence". He is also a writer, director and producer of TV films and has also appeared in several movies, and many, many other television roles. For three years he served as first vice president of the Screen Actors Guild, and as a member of the Guild’s national board of directors. During our conversation, I am constantly impressed by his openheartedness and humanity. I met Mike in 1990, protesting US military aid to El Salvador. Mike is President of Death Penalty Focus, Co-Chair Emeritus of Human Rights Watch in California, and serves as spokesperson for Concern America, a refugee relief and development organization. He has traveled the globe for the last 40 years with international peace and human rights delegations. In his work to stop the US wars in Iraq, he co-founded Artists United to Win Without War. A life-long opponent of the death penalty, he has led Death Penalty Focus for 37 years, since 1988, and speaks, debates, writes and campaigns across the country in opposition to state killing. He helped lead the 2021 campaign to abolish the death penalty in California, which can only happen by a statewide vote, and came within 2% of succeeding. Their 2016 proposition just barely lost too. He is the author of a great memoir which I recommend called, “Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist.” We talk about his beginnings at the Manhattan Project, a halfway house, and his work at Operation Bootstrap in LA. He tells us about his TV debates with Anita Bryant about gay rights, and his work in El Salvador when the bishops were assassinated and the camps he visited at the Thai-Cambodian border during the reign of Khmer Rouge. He also recounts many of his life changing experiences from when he first visited Death Row in Tennessee in 1975 to his involvement with Death Penalty Focus. Mike is still hopeful about abolishing the death penalty, and how the youth in this country are becoming more aware and becoming activists. When asked about his personal faith, he shares the three things that all human beings want and need: listen to this incredibly personal and openhearted conversation and learn from this amazing actor, activist and human being! More episodes, zooms and information: beatitudescenter.org Death Penalty Focus: https://deathpenalty.org More information on the nonviolent Jesus can also be found on https://fatherjohndear.substack.com/

    44 min
  8. #55 MLK DAY With Rev. Andrew Young, activist, author, politician, diplomat, and Dr Martin Luther King's right-hand man: "I was asked to come to Alabama in case MLK didn't show up, but we both showed up".

    JAN 19

    #55 MLK DAY With Rev. Andrew Young, activist, author, politician, diplomat, and Dr Martin Luther King's right-hand man: "I was asked to come to Alabama in case MLK didn't show up, but we both showed up".

    This week I speak with legendary Civil Rights activist, author, pastor, politician, and diplomat Rev. Andrew Young to mark Dr. King's holiday. Born in 1932, Andrew Young was Dr. King’s right-hand man, his number one lieutenant, who was later elected to Congress, named Ambassador to the United Nations by President Carter, and then elected Mayor of Atlanta for 2 terms, when he brought the Olympics to Atlanta. It is hard to describe all that he has done; Rachel Maddow recently made a two-hour documentary about his life work for justice and civil rights. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, Carolyn, and is the father of 3 daughters and one son, a grandfather of 9 and a great grandfather of two. We spoke mainly about Dr. King and his experiences organizing the Civil Rights Movement. “What I learned from Martin King is what he learned from his parents and grandparents: it's all about the history of a people. We are constantly reminded of visions for a way out of no way. In moments of despair, I still sing songs.” Rev. Young was also King's advisor in Birmingham, St. Augustine, Selma and Atlanta during the Civil Rights Campaigns in the 60's. The movement gained congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. Young was with Dr. King in Memphis, Tennessee, when King was assassinated in 1968. “Here it is two thousand years later,” he said, “and what Jesus taught is still relevant and powerfully important for us as we deal with the day to day crises in our lives.” As he reminisced about the Birmingham Campaign, he recalled the day Fred Shuttlesworth came to him and Dr. King, told them his house had just been bombed, and asked King to come to Birmingham. “We need to make nonviolence more aggressive,” Dr. King said, “so we need to build a nonviolent movement.” Contrary to today, he said, “It wasn’t a time of despair or depression.” He shares with us where he first learned about nonviolence, and what he learned from Dr. King himself. He shares many of his personal experiences with him, recounting the harrowing trip when Dr. King was arrested and taken to Reidsville Prison: "He wanted to be a pastor, he had already been jailed, stabbed, his home had been bombed, Reidsville was an attempt to scare the hell out of him." His books include: An Easy Burden: The Civil Rights Movement and the Transformation of America. (January 1998);A Way Out of No Way. (June 1996);Andrew Young at the United Nations. (January 1978);Andrew Young, Remembrance & Homage. (January 1978);The History of the Civil Rights Movement. (9 volumes) (September 1990);Trespassing Ghost: A Critical Study of Andrew Young. (January 1978);Walk in My Shoes: Conversations between a Civil Rights Legend and his Godson on the Journey Ahead with Kabir Sehgal. (May 2010)Listen in to this elder as he shares his Dr. King stories and be inspired to go forward on the way of nonviolence, resistance, and creative peacemaking. For more podcasts, zooms and books on nonviolence, go to beatitudescenter.org For more writings, notes, announcements and book excerpts, subscribe to my Substack https://fatherjohndear.substack.com/

    50 min
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About

Was Jesus nonviolent? 🎙️ This Monday weekly podcast features thought-provoking, inspiring conversations with some of the greatest visionary leaders in peace and nonviolence in modern history like Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now, Gandhi), Bryan Stevenson (Just Mercy) , Cornel West (Race Matters), Sister Helen Prejean (Dead Man Walking) , Sr. Joan Chittister, John Fugelsang (Separation of Church and Hate), Rev. Richard Rohr (The Universal Christ), Shane Claiborne (Red Letter Christians), and many, many more! Join Fr. John Dear—priest, author, activist, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee—on The Nonviolent Jesus, a weekly 30-minute podcast that dares to reclaim the radical, active nonviolence of Jesus. Rooted in the wisdom of Gandhi and Dr. King, Fr. John Dear has been arrested and jailed over 80 times in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience against war and nuclear weapons in the tradition of Gandhi and Dr. King. This journey isn’t just about changing the world—it’s about being creative, nonviolent activists and transforming ourselves. We’ll explore how we can: 💠 Embody nonviolence—toward ourselves, others, and our communities 💠 Heal from the culture of violence—from war and racism, authoritarianism and genocide, to poverty and environmental destruction 💠 Live with courage, compassion, and universal love Together, we’ll uncover how Jesus' Way of Nonviolence can reshape our lives and awaken a more just, peaceful world. 👉Subscribe now to The Nonviolent Jesus - change yourself, change the world. www.beatitudescenter.org

Information

  • Creator
    Fr. John Dear
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Fr. John Dear 2024
  • Show Website
    The Nonviolent Jesus

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