What do you think?
Rate this book
Living Peace: A Spirituality of Contemplation and Action
"To take care of each other should be our primary concern in this 21st century and Father Dear is steady on this course."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
For John Dear, a Jesuit priest and respected leader of the ecumenical peace movement, the spiritual life is a combination of contemplation and action, of maintaining inner peace and projecting that peace into the greater world. It is the spirituality exemplified by the lives of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and others throughout history who remained true to the highest ideals while addressing the most difficult problems and conflicts of the real world.
As a tireless advocate for social justice and human rights, Dear has followed that path in his own life, and in Living Peace he describes his journey. Breaking down the life of peace into three parts an inner journey, a public journey, and the journey of all humanity he shares the spiritual practices that have sustained him and teaches readers how to integrate these practices into their own lives.
From the Hardcover edition.
--Thich Nhat Hanh
For John Dear, a Jesuit priest and respected leader of the ecumenical peace movement, the spiritual life is a combination of contemplation and action, of maintaining inner peace and projecting that peace into the greater world. It is the spirituality exemplified by the lives of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and others throughout history who remained true to the highest ideals while addressing the most difficult problems and conflicts of the real world.
As a tireless advocate for social justice and human rights, Dear has followed that path in his own life, and in Living Peace he describes his journey. Breaking down the life of peace into three parts an inner journey, a public journey, and the journey of all humanity he shares the spiritual practices that have sustained him and teaches readers how to integrate these practices into their own lives.
From the Hardcover edition.
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 17, 2001
14 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
John Dear
56 books30 followersFather John Dear (The Society of Jesus) is an internationally known voice for peace and nonviolence. A Jesuit priest, pastor, peacemaker, organizer, lecturer, and retreat leader, he is the author/editor of 30 books, including his autobiography, “A Persistent Peace.” In 2008, John was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
From 1998 until December 2000, he served as the executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the largest interfaith peace organization in the United States.
After the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, John served as a Red Cross Chaplain, and became one of the coordinators of the chaplain program at the Family Assistance Center. He worked with some 1,500 family members who lost loved ones, as well as hundreds of firefighters and police officers, while at the same time, he spoke out against the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan.
From 2002-2004, he served as pastor of several parishes in northeastern New Mexico. He co-founded Pax Christi New Mexico and works on a nonviolent campaign to disarm Los Alamos. These days, he lectures to tens of thousands of people each year in churches and schools across the country and the world. He also writes a weekly column for the “National Catholic Reporter” at www.ncrcafe.org.
A longtime practitioner and teacher of nonviolence, John has written hundreds of articles and given thousands of talks on nonviolence. John has two masters degrees in theology from the Graduate Theological Union in California.
* BIO EXCERPT FROM http://www.johndear.org/
From 1998 until December 2000, he served as the executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the largest interfaith peace organization in the United States.
After the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, John served as a Red Cross Chaplain, and became one of the coordinators of the chaplain program at the Family Assistance Center. He worked with some 1,500 family members who lost loved ones, as well as hundreds of firefighters and police officers, while at the same time, he spoke out against the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan.
From 2002-2004, he served as pastor of several parishes in northeastern New Mexico. He co-founded Pax Christi New Mexico and works on a nonviolent campaign to disarm Los Alamos. These days, he lectures to tens of thousands of people each year in churches and schools across the country and the world. He also writes a weekly column for the “National Catholic Reporter” at www.ncrcafe.org.
A longtime practitioner and teacher of nonviolence, John has written hundreds of articles and given thousands of talks on nonviolence. John has two masters degrees in theology from the Graduate Theological Union in California.
* BIO EXCERPT FROM http://www.johndear.org/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 29, 2023
This is my second reading of the book. When I read it the first time, it was powerful. I picked it up again after an interview with Fr. John Dear after the passing of Thich Nhat Hanh.
Maybe it is because I am at a different point in my life than I was the first time, or that I’ve simply read so many things like this, or my interests have changed on some level, but nothing seemed as ground breaking like it felt the first time. I did enjoy his personal stories.
However, as a person living in this world with a job and a family, it doesn’t provide as clear of a path. Yeah, I can not support the wars my government partakes in, but how can I truly integrate non-violence into my life? This is unclear and he gives no insight. He speaks from a privileged place, as a white, male priest. Nothing wrong with his message, but it’s just from his point of a view.
Overall a quick read.
Maybe it is because I am at a different point in my life than I was the first time, or that I’ve simply read so many things like this, or my interests have changed on some level, but nothing seemed as ground breaking like it felt the first time. I did enjoy his personal stories.
However, as a person living in this world with a job and a family, it doesn’t provide as clear of a path. Yeah, I can not support the wars my government partakes in, but how can I truly integrate non-violence into my life? This is unclear and he gives no insight. He speaks from a privileged place, as a white, male priest. Nothing wrong with his message, but it’s just from his point of a view.
Overall a quick read.
July 1, 2021
This was my second reading of the book, the first being shortly after it came out twenty years ago. This time around I skimmed, but the message still resonated.
Given today’s problems: left hating right, right hating left; race; gender; gender identity; and just the general dislike for people who are different, all who profess to be Christian would be well-served in reading and following — or at least making an effort to follow — these teachings of nonviolence.
Given today’s problems: left hating right, right hating left; race; gender; gender identity; and just the general dislike for people who are different, all who profess to be Christian would be well-served in reading and following — or at least making an effort to follow — these teachings of nonviolence.
April 28, 2020
Challenging, challenging, challenging. A beautiful guide to life of non-violence. It makes sense to start on the inside before being able to move outward. I‘ve become more aware of the violence in my heart and my prayer has become “disarm my heart”! It’s a process and I am thankful for John Dear’s direction.
October 28, 2021
Extraordinary account of the author's life of promoting social justice and human rights.
He spoke to me on both a spiritual and a earthly level. He includes many practical suggestions for each of us to carry on the work of peace and his concluding chapter on hope gives me just that.
He spoke to me on both a spiritual and a earthly level. He includes many practical suggestions for each of us to carry on the work of peace and his concluding chapter on hope gives me just that.
August 30, 2018
Brief yet decent
A very brief yet decent book, the book to a religious stance that I wasn't prepared for, but it was well welcomed.
A very brief yet decent book, the book to a religious stance that I wasn't prepared for, but it was well welcomed.
June 14, 2014
Meeting John Dear was one of the greatest experiences of my life. This was a wonderful book, but I really wish he would write a revised edition or a sequel. While the author bio mentions his being a chaplain for families after 9/11, I imagine the book was ready to be printed right as 9/11 happened, because there is no mention of it in the book. I think much of this book remains still valuable, but I think its publication year dates it and I know he has done much work since then that would be inspiring and helpful.
May 24, 2013
Dear's luminous faith shines forth from every page, through theologically rich encouragement to choosing nonviolence and deep peace to describing his own spiritual development through his risks and efforts at making peace. One of the finest books I've read this year, filled with spiritual practice and teaching stories from Dear's life of witness.
August 29, 2013
I love this book and I really appreciate Father John Dear's teachings and non-violent service for peace. This is the 2nd book of his I have read and I agree that our Lord taught non-violence, love, peace and social disobedience.
November 29, 2007
Everyone should read this.
January 18, 2008
A very powerful book about living what one believes and peace starting in each person's life, day by day.
January 11, 2009
A life changing book for me.
April 18, 2012
My review for this book is actually under the review for "God of Peace" by the same author
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews