Listen to Fr. John Dear as he reflects on some aspect of nonviolence on his Peace Podcast
John Dear has been studying, teaching and writing about nonviolence for forty years, given thousands of lectures and published over 35 books. We encourage you to listen to the whole show, or to break it up and listen to it over the course of a week.
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EPISODES
Information and updates on John Dear’s Peace Podcast can now be found at the Beatitudes Center.
EPISODE 13: The Nonviolent Life Of Dorothy Day - October 2020
Dorothy Day is recognized as one of the "Greatest of all Americans" by Pope Francis and here John Dear tells you why in a talk covering Day's life, the Catholic Worker, and many, many quotes from Dorothy Day. Day at one time said that one can't be a Christian or a Catholic and support war and she lived up to that comment in her life protesting war, weapons and nuclear build up. Dear explains that Dorothy Day was the first Catholic to publicly say no to war. As a journalist she began the Catholic Worker newspaper and sold it for one cent. It became one of the most popular social justice publications of all time and is still going today. Dear emphasizes that Day is the epitome of a nonviolent life. Her "manifesto was the Sermon on the Mount" and she lived it setting up Catholic Worker houses that now spread across the country where the poor and homeless found a permanent home. You can learn more about living the nonviolent life that Day was committed to by reading John Dear's book, "The Nonviolent Life".
EPISODE 12: The raising of lazarus as a nonviolent revolution - September 2020
So, you think you know the story of Lazarus? Guess again! In this podcast John Dear brings us on a journey through biblical times with Jesus, his disciples, the sisters of Lazarus, and the people of Bethany with his interpretation of the Gospel according to John, Chapter 11. Dear likens Jesus to Gandhi and the Salt March as Jesus marches on through Bethany to Jerusalem and the Cross. He states that Jesus had it figured out when he was brought the news of the death of his friend Lazarus. He reads to us Chapter 11 of John the Disciple’s Gospel and then offers us a much broader description of what that gospel means. Imagine if you will that Lazarus represents the entire human race. Imagine again that discipleship is friendship and Jesus states that there is no greater thing than to lay down your life for your friends. Imagine that the people of Bethany represent a people of a culture of death not unlike what we suffer with today; those enmeshed in violence and war. Jesus walks alone to Bethany. Where are the disciples? John Dear then gives you the shortest sentence in the Bible; “And then Jesus wept.” What does this mean? Dear explains it. With the story of Lazarus, Dear asks the question, “Does death get the last word?” He then gives you Jesus’ three commandments and has us confronting the power of death and our inability to handle hope. “Lazarus, come forth!” How is this a message for us today? Find out in this powerful and dynamic podcast. You can learn more about Lazarus in John Dear's book "Lazarus Come Forth" available at www.johndear.org.
EPISODE 11: 75 Years After Hiroshima - Stories Of Resistance - August 2020
In this presentation John Dear speaks about the 75th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan and the danger humanity faces from the possibility of ever suffering from a nuclear attack. He tells how the movement against nuclear weapons calls for the abolition of nuclear weapons, not a freezing of developing them. Freezing just leaves a stockpile on hand ready to be used and about nine major countries hold a majority of nuclear warheads. John tells how most people alive today have lived under the threat of nuclear destruction all of their lives. He says we suffer from psychic numbness. There are approximately 16,000 nuclear weapons in the world, all ready to go at the pressing of a button. This and the fact that we spend trillions of dollars to produce them is the crux of the protest against them. John tells personal stories of his nonviolent actions in demonstrating for the end to nuclear weapons. These stories, some of them humorous, are in effect truly not funny. John has been arrested numerous times with these protests and you will gain insight as to why he perseveres in this work. Listen carefully as he explains "the greatest lie" having to do with the explanation as to why the United States dropped the atomic bomb. “It is legal to build nuclear weapons,” says John, but “when will we stop.”
EPISODE 10: The Nonviolent Life of Franz Jagerstatter - July 2020
In this podcast John Dear speaks on the journey to Fascism today with the true life story of Austrian Franz Jagerstatter, a farmer who refused to join the Nazi army in 1943 to fight on the Russian front knowing he would die if he refused. Franz was arrested and beheaded by the Nazis. He was Beatified in 2007 by the Roman Catholic Church. He may be elevated to sainthood. John tells how Franz would not give up his spiritual beliefs to participate in killing. As a young priest John visited Austria and met Franziska, Jagerstatter's wife. He tells how he considers Franziska a saint as well as a Franz. He tells how Franz went to the church and asked what he should do when being told to join the Nazi army and how church bishops and priests all told him he should do as they say. But Franz's faith was stronger and he refused. The recent movie production "A Hidden Life" tells the story of a man most people have never heard of before. Hear about Franz's dream and vision about the train that took the men from his town to join the Nazis and how he heard the words "Get off that train to Hell." John ends his podcast with a warning to us as we face the path to Fascism and gives us strength to pursue nonviolence with noncooperation just like Franz Jagerstatter did. This is a fascinating tale for all to hear and take note.
EPISODE 9: Thomas Merton's Teachings on Nonviolence - JUNE 2020
John Dear speaks to us on the life and teachings of the monk Thomas Merton. Dear tells us that Merton was one of the first United States priests or monks to publicly denounce war, racism, nuclear weapons, and violence. He quotes Merton as saying, “the God of peace is never glorified by human violence.” John extends that by adding “the God of peace is always glorified by human nonviolence.” Thus, begins a podcast filled with eye opening revelations that Merton experienced and wrote about in his many books and and essays. Merton says that “the chief difference between violence and nonviolence is that violence depends entirely on its own calculations, Nonviolence depends entirely on God.” John tells of Merton’s past that was radically different from his life as a Trappist monk where he spent years in contemplative prayer. Merton, he states, rejected war, and dedicated his life to abolishing war and the weapons of war. His revelation that he loved the entire human race may have come from his study of Gandhi during the 1950s and he wrote that we should first find unity within ourselves rather than trying to force unity on others. John tells of one essay wherein Merton states, “I believe that the problem of solving international conflict without massive violence has become the number one problem of our time. The task of humanity and of the church is to end all wars.” John goes on to speak to how we are now living in a global pandemic of violence and war. We have the virus of violence. This is a powerful message with much more for you to listen to.
EPISODE 8: WALKING WITH THE NONVIOLENT RISEN JESUS - MAY 2020
(This podcast was recorded in February prior to John leaving on his national book tour, which was cancelled shortly after it began due to the coronavirus pandemic. John is sheltering at home on the Central Coast of California and sends his blessing to everyone at this difficult time.) It is more than resurrection according to John Dear on his latest podcast Walking with the Nonviolent Risen Jesus. It is Revolution! Listen as John tells us how it all came down as described in Luke 24. Resurrection is not possible without nonviolence. He goes on to wonder why Jesus put up with all the torture and death and then comes back! John says. "If it was me I wouldn't have come back, but this guy not only comes back to his disciples, he makes breakfast for them." We will understand the disciples better and understand ourselves better as we hear John explain the grammatical past perfect of "We had hoped."
EPISODE 7: Jesus' Campaign of Nonviolence - April 2020
(This podcast was recorded in February prior to John leaving on his national book tour, which was cancelled shortly after it began due to the coronavirus pandemic. John is sheltering at home on the Central Coast of California and sends his blessing to everyone at this difficult time.) In this episode John talks about Jesus stating the way he lived during his time was totally nonviolent. He resisted the Roman empire just as we should be resisting the empire of war and death we live in now. Dear speaks about the peace movements going on in the country like Fire Drill Fridays with Jane Fonda and the 3000 participants across the country in last year's week of nonviolence actions around International Peace Day. He states "we need to be a global movement now!" Dear explains nonviolent resistance as us "cooing like a dove and hissing like a snake, but not hurting anyone." We are existing under the demons of apathy and complacency, but if we took up the "cross" like Jesus did nonviolently we would find out that we have already won. Through Jesus' campaign of nonviolence we have been given the power if we claim it.
Episode 6: The Nonviolent Sermon on the Mount - March 2020
This is not the Sermon on the Mount that you might be used to! John Dear takes us on a new path to understand what Jesus was saying to the world with the Sermon on the Mount. He spoke of loving our enemies, do unto others as you would have done to yourself, and passing through the narrow gate. John reminds us that Gandhi read the Sermon on the Mount every day of his life and felt it was the blueprint for a successful life. John speaks of active nonviolent resistance to the evil we are experiencing today. He comments that the church's Just War Theory does not fit to what the Sermon was teaching. He talks of noncooperation and systemic injustice. War is about money, John says and he reminds us that God is nonviolent.
EPISODE 5: Psalms of Peace - February 2020
Peace activist John Dear speaks on his newest book Praise Be Peace: Psalms of Peace and Nonviolence in a Time of War and Climate Change. Dear recites a variety of Psalms and relates how each pertains to our search for peace in a world possessed by violence and war. In his book John relates many personal stories of locations, events, and people that influenced him to deal with our current problems, such as climate change, nuclear weapons build-up, and economic injustice. John reminds us to step into peace, practice meditation, and be nonviolent in all things.
EPISODE 4: Dr. King's Nonviolence - January 2020
In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day January 20, 2020, John Dear speaks of King's journey with civil rights during the 1960s. Dear relates many of the incidents in King's life such as the letter from Birmingham Jail, the night King heard God's voice speak to him, and his many speeches and marches. Dear also tells of his own personal involvement as a child the day King was assassinated and later as a new Jesuit speaking with Coretta King.
EPISODE 3: Mary and the Advent Journey of Peace - December 2019
John Dear reflects on the journey of Mary the Mother of Jesus as she accepts God's intentions for her. Dear emphasizes how revolutionary her acceptance and her words were at the time of Jesus. He also emphasizes how we can take on our own Advent journey of nonviolence by rejecting war and militarism and standing up for a world of peace and nonviolence.
EPISODE 2: Beatitudes of Nonviolence - November 2019
John Dear reflects on a new version of the Sermon on the Mount saying "Arise, and go forth." This view of the Beatitudes encourages us to not be passive but be active in the pursuit of peace and nonviolence.
EPISODE 1: Gandhi at 150 - October, 2019
John discusses 12 lessons he learned from Mahatma Gandhi as we celebrate Gandhi’s 150th birthday on October 2, 2019. Based on John’s book Mohandas Gandhi: Essential Writings (Orbis Books).