Overview

Catholic Media Association Award Winner 

First Place - Life and Dignity of the Human Person

Winner of The Association of Catholic Publishers Award*

*2nd Place - Scripture*

 “John Dear’s is a beautiful message of peace!”—Anne Lamott, author, Traveling Mercies and Almost Everything

"[Dear] is not only an advocate for peace but also an excavator as he uncovers the vein of nonviolence that he sees threaded throughout the Synoptic Gospels."​- Vincent M. Smiles, The Bible Today

With the Third World War being fought piecemeal as our Holy Father Pope Francis regularly reminds us, and the violence of handguns and assault weapons daily taking the lives of God's children in the U.S., we Christians need to be reminded that the Gospel of Jesus is about peace. . . .  Father John Dear's book [assists] us in becoming blessed peacemakers ourselves.” —Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., Bishop-President, Pax Christi USA

“Prepare to be inspired, as John Dear guides you on a journey into the nonviolent revolution grounded in Jesus and his Way of Love. Along the way, you will encounter anew the steadfast fearlessness of figures like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, and Oscar Romero . . . and find yourself ready to join them in this holy work.” —The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church; author, The Power of Love 

“Each time I consult this magnificent commentary for insight into a particular gospel passage, I am drawn further into the nonviolent teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.  As John Dear convincingly demonstrates, Jesus was their inspiration. The Gospel of Peace lovingly confronts us all with what it means to follow Jesus in all dimensions of life. It is a master class on Christian discipleship.”—The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC.   

'As I read carefully through Dear’s exegesis of the Sermon on the Mount, which he renames “The Great Mountaintop Sermon on Nonviolence,” I bought more and more into his thesis, that peace and the commitment to radical nonviolence are at the very heart of Jesus’s message. And as I read through Dear’s interpretations of Mark and Luke’s Gospels, I became increasingly convinced that the peace he gave us was indeed Jesus’s primary message." - Marian Ronan, EqualwRites

“This book is highly recommended for seminaries and parish libraries. It will challenge readers and preachers to reconsider the message of the gospels and the truth of Christ’s message. Dear never succumbs to scholarly jargon or theoretical arguments. Instead, he takes the gospels seriously and seems to imagine that if the rest of us did the same, well, it could change the world. This commentary belongs in the hands of every priest and deacon, every minister and chaplain, and every politician and leader in our country (and the world). “- Herman Sutter, Catholic Library World

In this original and inspiring new commentary Father John Dear walks us through every line of the three synoptic Gospels, pointing out Jesus’ practice and teachings of nonviolence each step of the way.   

As Dear shows us, Jesus is—like Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. —nonviolent to the core, a disarming, healing presence toward those in need. This Jesus is also a revolutionary disrupter of the unjust status quo and a political threat to the ruling authorities. Those authorities succeed in killing him, only to push Jesus to the heights of nonviolence through his death and resurrection. 

This original commentary brings a fresh new approach to the Gospels for all those who preach or engage in social ministries. It is sure to inspire everyone in this time of permanent warfare, gun violence, racism, poverty, and climate change.   

Cover art: Jesus the Peacemaker, © Laura James  

Cover design: Diane Mastrogiulio 

Related Materials

Click Here For The Table Of Contents

Click Here For The Book Introduction