What if the center of Jesus' teaching isn't the cross but the Sermon on the Mount? Father John Dear, peace activist, author, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, has spent four decades living out that claim and challenging the church to take nonviolence seriously. In this conversation, Dear shares his journey from witnessing jets drop bombs over the Sea of Galilee to facing 20 years of incarceration for hammering on an F-15 fighter jet. Now leading the Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus and hosting "The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast," Dear continues to build a community around Gospel nonviolence. We talk about his book The Gospel of Peace, the cost of his convictions, and what ordinary people can do to follow the nonviolent Jesus.

Show Notes:

• The Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus (https://beatitudescenter.org)
• The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast (https://johndear.org/podcasts)
• Books (https://johndear.org/books)
  • Universal Love: Surrendering to the God of Peace (February 2026)
  • The Gospel of Peace: A Commentary on Matthew, Mark & Luke from the Perspective of Nonviolence (October 2023)

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