The Nonviolent Jesus

Episode #21. "The nonviolent Jesus hasn't been preached enough in our churches:" This week I speak with Bishop John Stowe,Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky and head of Pax Christi, on how we can transform a world shaken by violence, terrorism, deepening inequalities, and global insecurity.“We have to sustain each other in hope!”.“It's so essential to root out the violent tendencies within ourselves, or to think violently about others. Violence doesn't provide the lasting solution that Jesus does. But the nonviolent Jesus hasn't been preached enough in our churches…It's a lack of faith to think it's impossible to live in a nonviolent way.”Bishop John joined the Conventual Friars Minor, as a Franciscan in 1984, was ordained in 1995, served in El Paso, Texas; then served as its vicar general and chancellor, then vicar provincial of his Franciscan province. In 2015, Pope Francis named him the Bishop of Lexington, Kentucky.“What we believe about Jesus has consequences in our personal lives and in our politics. We need to know who Jesus was. It's exciting to see how Jesus took on the establishment of his day. How do we build up a spirituality of nonviolence when it's missing in our catechism?”Bishop Stowe shares why he thinks addiction to guns and violence is so prevalent in Kentucky, and how young people are connecting to make a change in the world. "We can’t just paper over our differences, our division. We have to confront it all. It has to be healed. Inner work has to begin with the Word of God and prayer for the grace to be able to live in the way of nonviolence--to absorb violence instead of contributing to violence. We have to find ways to move beyond war and get along together and be at peace with nature.”Listen as we talk about the nonviolent Jesus and peacemaking, be inspired and encouraged to go forward in hope!CONNECT AND CHANGE THE WORLDwww.beatitudescenter.orgwww.paxchristiusa.orgwww.paxchristi.net(Note: This episode was recorded days before the passing of Pope Francis on April 21).

#20 John Dear speaks with political scientist, author, teacher, advocate and organizer Maria Stephan on how ordinary people can bring about extraordinary change: “The resistance is alive and well across the United States today."This week, I speak with Maria Stephan, a political scientist, teacher, advocate, and organizer, who has dedicated her life to the proposition that ordinary people, when organized and inspired, can bring about extraordinary change.She is the co-author with Erica Chenoweth of Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict, one of the most important books in decades, which documents how nonviolent resistance campaigns over the last century have been twice as effective as armed struggles, and been major drivers of democratization and civil peace.“The resistance is alive and well across the United States today, with over 1300 protests with 3.5 million participants at the recent ‘Hands Off’ Day of Action… Faith communities are a glue that give people hope, and promote unity throughout these protests.”“On the one hand, we have more regimes taking away rights and abusing power, but on the other, there's an explosion of nonviolent campaigns and mass mobilizations of ordinary people around the world,” Maria Stephan tells me.Maria works with www.Horizonsproject.us focusing on the role of nonviolent action and peacebuilding in advancing human rights, democracy, and sustainable peace in the US and globally. Before joining Horizons, Maria founded and directed the Program on Nonviolent Action at the U.S. Institute of Peace, overseeing global programming, applied research, and policy engagement.She was the lead foreign affairs officer in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, and also worked at the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. She has taught at Georgetown University and American University.“Nonviolent resistance is a skill based activity; you can learn how to do better and how to build broad-based coalitions… We need to think big, both globally and locally. We need a more interconnected ‘movement of movements.’ We need to change the popular consciousness so that movements and campaigns are seen as a cool form of activity.”KEEP THE MOVEMENT MOVINGwww.horizonsproject.uswww.beatitudescenter.orgCheck out her recent article, "We Are Stronger Than We Think," at https://wagingnonviolence.org/2025/02/we-are-stronger-than-we-think/

#19 Fr. John Dear Talks with Legendary Environmental Activist Bill McKibbenThis week, Fr. John Dear speaks with best-selling author and environmental activist and organizer Bill McKibben about catastrophic climate change and how to respond by joining movements, taking to the streets, and building political will. It will be jam packed with inspiration for anyone who supports environmental activism. “I started life as a writer, I still am a writer. But to win the fight, we're gonna have to take on money and power, that's why we have to organize, and build a movement to change hearts and minds and change power. We keep our humor, our love for each other and our eyes fixed on the future, and on we go!” He played a leading role in launching the opposition to big oil pipeline projects like Keystone XL, and the fossil fuel divestment campaign, which has become the biggest anti-corporate campaign in history, with endowments worth more than $40 trillion stepping back from oil, gas and coal.He’s one of the world’s leading environmental activists and founder of 350.org, a global grassroots climate campaign which has organized protests on every continent, including Antarctica, for climate action. Bill’s 1989 book The End of Nature is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change and was published in 24 languages. He’s gone on to write 20 books, and his work appears regularly in periodicals from the New Yorker to Rolling Stone. He serves as the Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Environmental Studies at Middlebury College, as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and he has won the Gandhi Peace Prize as well as honorary degrees from 20 colleges and universities. He was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, the alternative Nobel, in the Swedish Parliament. Hear more about his newest book Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization will be available in August 2025. Recently, Bill also founded www.ThirdAct.org, a global grassroots movement of people over the age of 60, which has taken off. During this podcast also he announces the upcoming global day of action for solar power, “Sun Day,” September 21st. "The sun is willing to provide us with all the power we could ever use, but that great gift is a threat to powerful interests." Go to sunday.earth for more about resources, events, organizations and creative partners. BE PART OF THE MOVEMENT.Check out:www.sunday.earthwww.thirdact.orgwww.350.orgwww.BillMcKibben.com

🔥This week, John Dear speaks with Kazu Haga, a brilliant young author and teacher of Kingian nonviolence about his new book, Fierce Vulnerability: Healing from Trauma, Emerging through Collapse. Kazu Haga shares with us the six principles of Kingian nonviolence, how to build the Beloved Community and that "we are in a polycrisis and we are not crazy for thinking the world is burning all around us." He is the founder of the East Point Peace Academy, a core member of the Ahimsa Collective and the Fierce Vulnerability Network and author of Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm. He is a practitioner, trainer and teacher of nonviolence, restorative justice, organizing and mindfulness and works with incarcerated people ("incarcerated people are some of my greatest teachers"), youth, and activists from around the country. He has over 20 years of experience in nonviolence and social change work, and has been an active trainer since 2000. He resides in Oakland, CA, with friends at Canticle Farm, an inner city community of nonviolence that has a public garden right there in the neighborhood.In his new book, Kazu suggests that the "real issue behind humanity’s violence and insanity is trauma", and that our goal really is healing on a personal, social, and global level. He calls to get beyond “us vs. them” and “right vs. wrong” thinking, to pursue our interdependence and interrelatedness, as Dr. King and Thich Nhat Hanh taught. 👉Learn more about Kazu Haga: kazuhaga.comcanticlefarmoakland.org👉🏽More information on Fr. John Dear and The Nonviolent Jesus:beatitudescenter.org

#17, “Start a revolution! Shake things up! The world is deaf. You have to open its ears.” Fr. John Dear on Pope Francis—The Most Radical Pope in History. Fr. John shares his own outreach to Pope Francis and the Vatican on nonviolence; reflects on the great themes of Pope Francis; and in particular, reviews Francis’ extraordinary efforts at peacemaking and how he started to turn the church back to its roots in Gospel nonviolence. In this episode he reflects on the life and death, of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. He calls Francis “the most radical, most progressive, most nonviolent, most prophetic, most peace-activist-oriented pope in history, and therefore, the greatest pope in history, hands down.” “I give thanks because Francis spoke out so boldly, so prophetically in word and deed for justice, the poor, disarmament, peace, creation, mercy, nonviolence, and the nonviolent Jesus; that we had him for 12 years; that did not resign and retire, but kept at it till the last day, Easter Sunday, and that we got to live during his time. I think he’s one of our greatest saints, and I hope he will be named a Doctor of the Church.”“Let us pray for a more widespread culture of nonviolence,” Francis said, “that will progress when countries and citizens alike resort less and less to the use of arms.” Fr. John calls us to honor Pope Francis by rising to the occasion, speaking out, and resisting war, injustice, poverty, racism, corporate greed, fascism, genocide in Gaza, nuclear weapons and environmental destruction, that we might be Gospel peacemakers like Francis.Listen as Fr. John recounts the times Pope Francis went into the world at risk of his own safety to actively promote peacemaking and reconciliation in the world, many of which never made the media headlines. A truly unique POV on the most radical Pope ever in history and certainly in our lifetime. #TheNonviolentJesusBeatitudesCenter.org

#16 "We are experiencing the thrashing of empire and death throes of capitalism", says Dorothy Day's granddaughter Martha Hennessy in this week's conversation with Fr. John Dear. Dorothy Day was an activist, author, anarchist, and co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement. Martha Hennessy, also a longtime peace activist, lives on her family farm in Vermont and volunteers part time for the last fifteen years at Maryhouse Catholic Worker in New York City. She speaks regularly on the issues of war, poverty, the works of mercy, and nuclear weapons, and has traveled to Russia, Iraq, Iran, Palestine/Israel, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Korea to witness for peace. She reminds us that "solutions will never come from the state... we need to "find one's niche...to create a new world from the shell of the old world, to create a society where it's easy to be good." John asks Martha about Dorothy’s shocking, brilliant statement after Pearl Harbor saying “Our manifesto is the Sermon on the Mount.” Even if everyone else runs off to war, they will obey the teachings of Jesus and not support war. Dorothy Day said "No" to every. single. war. Martha says that "the U.S. church desperately needs her (Dorothy Day) as a saint: (as a) laywoman, a mother, a grandmother...and Pope Francis recognizes her as a saint. She was a mystic, she was touched by God. She was an extraordinary grandmother."Martha tells about her recent arrest on Ash Wednesday outside the U.S. Mission to the United Nations calling upon the U.S. to sign the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; her work at Maryhouse; her imprisonment for the King’s Bay Plowshares disarmament action; and her grandmother’s impending canonization.beatitudescenter.comcatholicworker.org

#15: "Contrary to what a lot of people see or think, there is more protest and resistance to Trump than you see or read in the mainstream media" with Eric Stoner, co-founder and editor of WagingNonviolence.orgOn Feb 28 up to 4oM people participated in the economic blackout boycott, making it one of the most successful acts of non-compliance in U.S. history. John Dear speaks with Eric Stoner, founding editor of WagingNonviolence.org, an independent, non-profit media platform that covers social movements and grassroots activism around the world on all issues of justice, disarmament and creation. Since 2009, it has published original reporting on nonviolent action from contributors in more than 90 countries. Eric and friends started this clearinghouse of nonviolent movements in the 2000s from scratch, and today it regularly gets over 1.3 million readers looking for news about people power movements that you will never hear on the mainstream media. John asks Eric about the signs of movement and hope in recent months against the growing authoritarianism and oligarchy, as well as stories of movements from around the world, and Eric says surprisingly that covering the world from the perspective of nonviolence actually gives him hope because so many people are struggling hard for positive social change.Eric also shares the 10 points based on Daniel Hunter's article published on November 6, Eric Stoner: "Boycotting is the most important tool in protesting, hands down". wagingnonviolence.orgchoosedemocracy.orgbeatitudescenter.org

🎙Bryan Stevenson: "If I am successful at all, it is because I got close to a condemned man and heard his song."This week on “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” John Dear speaks with the legendary lawyer, founder and executive director of Equal Justice Initiative, professor of law at New York University law school, and author of the best-selling book, JUST MERCY, which was made into a great movie of the same name starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx. Bryan graduated from Harvard and moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where he started a non-profit to serve those on death row, the poor, the wrongly condemned, and those trapped in the furthest reaches of our criminal injustice system. He tells us that "going to death row completely changed me" and at the heart of his story is Walter McMillian, an innocent man sentenced to die for a notorious murder he did not commit. After a profound struggle, Walter was released. Bryan has won relief for dozens of condemned prisoners, argued five times before the supreme court, and won many awards, including the MacArthur Foundation Genius grant. A few years ago, he raised millions of dollars and built 2 museums in Montgomery: the National Museum of Peace and Justice, the nation’s first comprehensive memorial dedicated to the legacy of Black Americans who were enslaved and terrorized by lynching; and “the Legacy museum: from Enslavement to Mass Incarceration,” which displays the history of slavery, racial lynchings, and segregation. Archbishop Tutu called Bryan “America’s young Nelson Mandela,” and deservedly so.John asks Bryan for his take on the current national crisis under Trump, the rise of fascism, racism, and ongoing systemic injustice, as well as his understanding of nonviolence, what he has learned from so many unjust incarcerated people, and where he finds hope. “The politics of fear and anger are reigning. We need to become hopeful, courageous, faithful truth-tellers,” Bryan Stevenson says. "Truth is the antidote to the abuse of power: the truth will set us free." Join us!beatitudescenter.orgeji.orghttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt4916630/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Mercy_(book)

Episode #13 – "Jesus is a nonviolent general leading a peace revolution:" How to Build a Nonviolent Movement Today with Fr. John DearJesus wasn’t just a teacher—he was a movement builder, a grassroots organizer, and a radical leader of nonviolent resistance. This week on The Non-Violent Jesus, John Dear unpacks Luke 10, where Jesus sends out 72 disciples in pairs—not to conquer, but to disarm, disrupt, and dismantle empire through radical peace.What if following Jesus meant joining a real, organized, strategic movement of nonviolence?What does it mean to be “lambs among wolves” in a world of rising fascism, white supremacy, and war? How do we mobilize like Jesus, Gandhi, and MLK to create real change today?"Jesus isn't just a community organizer," Dear says. "He's a nonviolent general leading a peace revolution. But instead of war, he wages peace." Like Gandhi’s Salt March and MLK’s Selma-to-Montgomery march, Jesus calls us to get moving, start organizing, and take action.Are you ready to step into the movement? Listen now and learn how to carry on Jesus’ campaign of daring, active nonviolence.For more, check out John Dear’s book, The Gospel of Peace.Learn more at www.johndear.org beatitudescenter.org #JesusTheOrganizer #NonviolenceNow #GrassrootsResistance #TheNonViolentJesus #FaithInAction #ResistEmpires

Episode #12 – "Our love doesn't stop at our own borders" with author, activist and founder of Red Letter Christians, Shane ClaiborneThis week, Fr. John Dear has a dynamic conversation with Shane Claiborne in about public organizing, bold resistance, and living out the Gospel where it matters most—on the streets, in communities, and on the frontlines of change; how we need to respond to the worsening violence, racism, war making, greed, lies, death and destruction that are overtaking our nation and the world. Shane reminds us: "The closer we are to the pain, the more urgent we respond to it."John Dear calls Shane one of the greatest Christian peacemakers of our time. Shane has worked on the streets of Calcutta with Mother Teresa, spent time in Rwanda and Iraq, and journeyed with John to Kabul, Afghanistan during the war.How do we follow the nonviolent Jesus in a world consumed by war, greed, and injustice? Shane Claiborne is an author, activist, and founder of Red Letter Christians—and he doesn’t just talk about it. He lives it. Shane has put radical love into action. He invites us to "proclaim a vision of a better world because our protest is a form of liturgy" and "we can bring joy in the midst of public lament". If you’re ready to challenge injustice, reclaim Christianity from empire, and take action for peace, this episode is for you.Listen now and join the movement for a nonviolent revolution!Learn more at www.redletterchristians.org and beatitudescenter.org#JesusForJustice #RedLetterChristians #Nonviolence #TheNonViolentJesus #Resist #FaithInAction

Episode #11 – "Decide how you want to show up: this is your one and only life!" with best-selling author, theologian and activist Brian McLaren In a time of rising Christian nationalism, oligarchy, and fascism, here at home under the Trump administration, the Republican party and FOX news, as well as around the world, what does it mean to follow the nonviolent Jesus? Brian 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, Fr. John Dear sits down with a provocative Brian McLaren - best-selling author, theologian, and activist - to explore how Jesus challenged the violent rulers of his day and how we can respond with bold, creative nonviolent action today: "Jesus was an agent of dissent" and "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 books Faith After Doubt, Do I Stay Christian?, and Life After Doom. If you're questioning, resisting, or seeking a faith rooted in justice and peace, this episode is for you.Listen now and join the movement for a fearless, nonviolent faith!More at www.brianmclaren.net and beatitudescenter.org#Nonviolence #ResistAuthoritarianism #FaithAfterDoubt #GospelRevolution #TheNonViolentJesus

🙏 Episode #10 – "Nonviolence is the only way forward" with Marie Dennis ❓What if the Church fully embraced the radical nonviolence of Jesus? Can the Church lead a nonviolent revolution? This week on The Nonviolent Jesus, Fr. John Dear sits down with longtime peace activist and Catholic Nonviolence Initiative leader Marie Dennis to talk about shaking up the Vatican, challenging the outdated just war theory, and reclaiming the heart of the Gospel—active, world-changing nonviolence. She states: "We can no longer view war as a solution...now we want to see nonviolence move to the center of the Catholic Church teaching."Marie has spent her life pushing the Church toward justice, especially in recent years working behind the scenes at the Vatican and on the frontlines of global peacemaking. She calls nonviolence not just an ethic, but a way of life—a force capable of transforming entire societies. She tells us "Jesus teaches us to be more imaginative in how we deal with moments of crisis". If you care about justice, social change, and living out the revolutionary message of Jesus, this is an episode you can’t miss! Marie Dennis reminds us that "Jesus on the cross is the ultimate witness to nonviolence!" and challenges us to a new way of thinking, a new way of living, and to carry on his witness of total nonviolence in our world of violence."🎧 Listen in and join the movement for a Church that leads with peace, not war.👉🏽 Learn more at www.paxchristi.net and beatitudescenter.org#Nonviolence #Christianity #SocialJustice #GospelRevolution #PaxChristi #TheNonViolentJesus

#9: ✨"How to be a human being" ✨: Sr. Joan Chittister with Fr. John Dear on “Jesus and the Beatitudes” (Part 3 of 3)❓What does it really mean to be a peacemaker? To fight for justice? To get into “good trouble” for the sake of love? "How do we form a happy, holy world"? In this powerful final conversation, Fr. John Dear and the unstoppable Sr. Joan Chittister explore the last Beatitudes—where Jesus calls us:💠 Blessed are the peacemakers – How do we become fearless, nonviolent warriors for peace in a world addicted to war? 💠 Blessed are those persecuted for justice – What does it mean to stand for truth, even when it costs us everything, as Joan says to "get in trouble for justice or peace" ? Sr. Joan challenges us to go beyond words and build a real movement—a “Beatitudes Movement” that brings people together in small communities of action, resistance, and deep faith. What if we reimagined the Church as a “new Church of the Beatitudes”—a community of justice-seekers, healers, and changemakers?The Beatitudes aren’t just lessons—they tell us "how to be a human being". Joan shares that "to me, the Beatitudes are a hunk of pasta mix and my next loaf of bread". Are you hungry yet?Tune in, be inspired, and take action. Joan encourages us to "find and build your own happiness group".Sr. Joan Chittister is an internationally known lecturer and teacher, a columnist for The National Catholic Reporter, and the author of 60 books including The Time Is Now; Becoming Fully Human; Radical Spirit; Aspects of the Heart; The Gift of Years; and The Rule of Benedict. She has served as Benedictine prioress and Benedictine federation president, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, and co-chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women. 👉 Learn more about Sr. Joan Chittister: www.joanchittister.org 👉 Sign up for our newsletter and join the movement for nonviolence: www.beatitudescenter.org#BeatitudesMovement #Peacemakers #GoodTrouble #NonviolentResistance #JesusTheRebel #SpiritualActivism #JusticeForAll

Episode #8: "It's so easy!" Fr. John Dear with Sr. Joan Chittister on “Jesus and the Beatitudes” (Part 2 of 3)📆 Drops Monday, Feb. 24, 2025❓What if living the Beatitudes wasn’t just about faith—but about transforming the world?In this second powerful conversation, Fr. John Dear and the fearless Sr. Joan Chittister dive into the next three Beatitudes, showing how they call us to radical compassion, unshakable justice, and undivided hearts: "Americans have a hard time with humility, and what goes around, comes around". 💠 Blessed are the merciful – How do we practice radical forgiveness in a world filled with violence and division? 💠 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice – What does it mean to crave justice so deeply that it drives every part of our lives? 💠 Blessed are the single-hearted – How do we stay focused on love and truth when the world pulls us in every direction?Sr. Joan doesn’t just talk about faith—she lives it. "They will see God...it is so easy! God is manifest in everything of everything!" She’s a Benedictine sister, a fierce advocate for peace, human dignity, and justice, and the author of 60+ books. In this episode, she reminds us that the Beatitudes aren’t just spiritual ideals—they’re the key to finding God, serving others, and living a life of deep joy.Want to build a world rooted in mercy, justice, and love? This episode will inspire you to take action.🎧Listen now. 🔥 Get fired up. 🌍 Change the world.Sr. Joan Chittister is an internationally known lecturer and teacher, a columnist for The National Catholic Reporter, and the author of 60 books including The Time Is Now; Becoming Fully Human; Radical Spirit; Aspects of the Heart; The Gift of Years; and The Rule of Benedict. She has served as Benedictine prioress and Benedictine federation president, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, and co-chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women. Learn more about Sr. Joan Chittister: www.joanchittister.org Sign up for our newsletter and join the movement for nonviolence: www.beatitudescenter.org#Beatitudes #FaithInAction #HungerForJustice #MercyMatters #JesusTheRevolutionary #Peacemaking #SpiritualActivism

🎙 Episode #7: Fr. John Dear & Sr. Joan Chittister on “Jesus and the Beatitudes” (Part 1 of 3)📆 Drops Feb. 17, 2025What if the Beatitudes weren’t just comforting words, but a blueprint for a way of life? What if Jesus wasn’t just offering hope, but a call to action in a world of injustice, violence, and oppression?In this powerful first episode of a three-part series, Fr. John Dear sits down with the legendary Sr. Joan Chittister to unpack the Beatitudes—not as prayers, but as bold, countercultural ways of living that challenge systems of power. "The 8 Beatitudes of life are actually the 8 attitudes for life!" Sr. Joan says. Together, they dive deep into:💠 Blessed are the poor in spirit– What does it mean to let go of ego and privilege in a world obsessed with power?💠 Blessed are those who mourn– How do we turn grief into action in the face of war, climate collapse, and social injustice?💠 Blessed are the meek, humble, and gentle– Why is humility a revolutionary force for peace?Sr. Joan doesn’t hold back—"The Beatitudes are not prayers of supplication: they are the reality of everything we could get out of life right now". She speaks truth to power as a fierce advocate for justice, peace, and human dignity. A Benedictine sister, activist, and author of 60+ books, she’s spent her life challenging the Church, political systems, and all of us to live out our faith with courage.🔥 This is a conversation you don’t want to miss.🎧 Listen now. Get inspired. Change the world.Sr. Joan Chittister is an internationally known lecturer and teacher, a columnist for The National Catholic Reporter, and the author of 60 books including The Time Is Now; Becoming Fully Human; Radical Spirit; Aspects of the Heart; The Gift of Years; and The Rule of Benedict. She has served as Benedictine prioress and Benedictine federation president, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, and co-chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women.👉 Learn more about Sr. Joan Chittister:joanchittister.org👉 Join the movement for nonviolence:beatitudescenter.org#Beatitudes #RadicalFaith #NonviolentResistance #JesusTheRevolutionary #Peacemaking

The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast🎙️ Episode #6: Fr. John Dear on “The Nonviolence of Jesus: 10 Essentials”📅 Drops Feb. 10, 2025What if Jesus wasn’t just a teacher of love, but a radical, nonviolent activist challenging empire, oppression, and injustice? What if his message wasn’t about passive faith but fearless resistance rooted in love?In this episode, Fr. John Dear breaks down 10 essential lessons on the nonviolence of Jesus—a message more urgent than ever in our world of war, division, and systemic injustice. From the Sermon on the Mount to his bold civil disobedience in the Temple, from "Put down the sword!" in Gethsemane to the radical new covenant at the Last Supper (“My blood shed for you, do this!” — a total rejection of violence), we’ll explore how Jesus wasn’t just preaching peace—he embodied it in action.This is more than theology—it’s a call to action. If you’re serious about peacemaking, activism, and following Jesus in a way that actually challenges power and transforms the world, this episode is for you.Fr. John Dear is a renegade priest, activist, and author of 40+ books, including The Beatitudes of Peace and The Gospel of Peace. He’s been arrested for standing up against war and nuclear weapons, and he’s here to invite you into a new way of living the Gospel—one of courage, justice, and relentless nonviolence.🔥 Are you ready to follow Jesus in a way that shakes the world? Tune in now.👉 More from John Dear: www.johndear.org 👉 Join the movement: www.beatitudescenter.org#Nonviolence #JesusTheActivist #RadicalChristianity #Peacemaking #SocialJustice #GospelAction

🔥 Spiritual seekers, this is an episode you won’t want to miss! 🔥This week on The Nonviolent Jesus, we welcome Fr. Richard Rohr, one of the most influential spiritual voices of our time. A beloved Franciscan priest, best-selling author, and prophetic teacher, Fr. Richard has guided millions—including Oprah, Bono, and even Pope Francis—toward a deeper, more transformative faith.As the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, his teachings on mysticism, contemplation, and social justice have shaped the way we see faith in the modern world. His books, including The Universal Christ, Falling Upward, and The Divine Dance, have become essential reading for spiritual seekers worldwide. His daily reflections reach over half a million subscribers hungry for wisdom in a divided world.Now, Fr. Richard returns with his most urgent book yet: "The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage." In a time of chaos and division, what can the prophets teach us about courage, hope, and speaking truth to power?Join Fr. John as he sits down with Fr. Richard for a powerful conversation on faith, justice, and the prophetic voices we need now more than ever.🎧 Listen in, be inspired, and discover why Richard Rohr remains one of the most beloved spiritual teachers of our time.

Our guest this week is Sister Helen Prejean, a spiritual powerhouse and one of the world's leading voices against the death penalty. Sister Helen’s journey into activism began in the shadows of death row, and her relentless pursuit of justice has captured hearts around the globe. Sister Helen is a Sister of St. Joseph of Medaille, and is one of the most well-known Catholic leaders in the modern era. You may know her as the author of the best-selling book Dead Man Walking, which not only became an Oscar-winning movie starring Susan Sarandon (as Sr Prejean) and Sean Penn but also inspired a powerful opera recently performed at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Her courageous and compassionate work has been shared through other critically acclaimed books, including the best-sellers The Death of Innocents and River of Fire: A Spiritual Memoir.Through her incredible life and ministry, Sister Helen has accompanied eight men to their executions, bearing witness to the dignity of every human being—even in the darkest moments. Today, she joins us from her home in New Orleans to share her wisdom, her faith, and her enduring hope for a world without the death penalty.So, sit back, take a deep breath, and prepare to be inspired by one of the world’s most compassionate and courageous voices for justice.

This week’s guest is Dr. Bernard Lafayette, one of the great heroes and leaders of the Civil Rights Movement who was also Dr. Martin Luther King’s assistant. He is an activist and organizer who was part of the Nashville student movement with Rev. Jim Lawson, John Lewis and Diane Nash; one of the Freedom Riders; played a leading role in the Selma voting rights movement; and then served as Dr. King’s assistant until his death. He worked closely with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. An ordained Baptist minister, Bernard Lafayette later founded the Center for Peace and Nonviolence studies at the Univ. of Rhode Island which has offered thousands of workshops and talks on Kingian nonviolence and continues to offer a wonderful summer institute each year. Listen as John and Dr. Bernard Lafayette discuss Dr. King’s 100th birthday and the basics of Kingian nonviolence, and Dr. Bernard recalls his experiences and impressions during his ground breaking work with Dr. King and his own personal hopes for us today.

This week’s guest is actor and activist Martin Sheen, one of our most celebrated, award-winning actors from movies such as “Apocalypse Now,” “Gandhi,” “Selma,” “The American President,” “Gettysburg,” “The Way,” “Badlands,” and many more, and the star of the TV series, “The West Wing,” where he played President Bartlett. Martin is perhaps the most committed activist celebrity, who has been speaking out against war, injustice, homelessness, and nuclear weapons and advocating for justice, disarmament, and peace for over 4 decades. Fr. John will ask Martin about his activism, his understanding of Gospel nonviolence, and how his movies and activism have shaped his life and his peacemaking faith journey.

What does it mean to practice ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ in a world often ruled by violence? The Beatitudes aren’t just ancient sayings—they’re a bold, countercultural call to action. In this episode, we’ll explore how nonviolence isn’t just the absence of conflict—it’s the presence of love in action and creative activism.We can create real change, stand up to injustice, and find the courage to choose peace every single day. Together, let’s uncover how these timeless words can guide us to heal wounds, build bridges, and create a more peaceful world.John reads from the Beatitudes at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (from Matthew 5:1-11), and reflects on them not as an impossible ideal, but rather as a practical way to transform societal systems of power, justice, and relationships through Jesus’ vision of living a nonviolent life and working for a more just, more peaceful, more nonviolent world. He will invite us to live out the Beatitudes and become people of Gospel nonviolence, peacemakers, the beloved sons and daughters of the God of peace. Fr. John Dear is a priest, activist, and author of 40 books including The Beatitudes of Peace and The Gospel of Peace: Reading Matthew, Mark, and Luke from the Perspective of Nonviolence, and the founder and director of www.beatitudescenter.org See www.johndear.org

What if the key to a more peaceful world is following the path of the nonviolent Jesus?Join Fr. John Dear—priest, author, activist, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee—for The Nonviolent Jesus, a weekly 30-minute podcast. Each episode reflects on the radical teachings of Jesus through the lens of active nonviolence, inspired by the traditions of Gandhi and Dr. King.Featuring compelling conversations with spiritual teachers, authors, and activists like Martin Sheen, Joan Baez, Rev. Richard Rohr, Sister Helen Prejean, Dolores Huerta, Shane Claiborne, and many others, John dives deep into the practice of nonviolence to address critical issues. Together, they explore the practice of nonviolence and its power to end war, racism, poverty, nuclear weapons, and environmental destruction—all while embracing Jesus’ call to universal love, compassion, and peace.Be inspired to reclaim the radical nonviolence of Jesus and work toward a more just and peaceful world and discover how universal love and compassion can transform our lives and the world.Subscribe now and join us as we follow The Nonviolent Jesus!