John Dear

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Fr. John Dear, S.J. is a Jesuit priest, peace activist, lecturer, and writer of approximately twenty books on nonviolence, including Living Peace.

In the course of his civil disobedience against war, he has been arrested more than 75 times. In addition, he was incarcerated for eight months for participating in a Plowshares Movement disarmament action. As a result, Dear lost his United States voting rights, is prohibited from traveling to certain countries, and is subjected to increased scrutiny at airports.

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He has been mocked by armed U.S. soldiers standing outside the doors to his New Mexico parish. All this because he so fervently believes in peace. Dear’s unflappable persistence in speaking and acting on behalf of peace stems from his life-changing decision in college to leave behind his frat-boy, party-all-night lifestyle and instead become a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. In turn, that decision has, over many years, led him to live out the Beatitudes of the nonviolent Jesus in every dimension of his life rather than simply quote them when convenient from time to time.

From his conversion to Christianity, to his calling to become a Jesuit, to the extreme dangers and delights of a life dedicated to truly living out the radical, forgiving love of Jesus, Dear’s life touches anyone who believes in the power of peace. Perhaps most important of all, John wintesses to the most important disarmament of all is the one that happens inside each heart—when we finally let go of our own self-righteousness, resentment, and anger.

Dear has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 by Archbishop Desmond TuTu.