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Disarming the Heart: Toward a Vow of Nonviolence
In a world of injustice, poverty, nuclear weapons, and war, what can we do to bring about peace? Where do we begin? John Dear proposes that a vow of nonviolence is the first step for anyone wanting to become a true peacemaker.A nationally recognized peacemaker, Dear calls on North American Christians to allow God to disarm our violent hearts. He upholds the dream of nonviolence and makes that gospel vision practical and personal.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
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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/
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September 14, 2010
Amazing book on peace activism and a non-traditional take on what it means to be a follower of Christ. I'd recommend it for anyone, regardless of faith, as the message of active non-violence even at great personal cost is so important to spread in light of the direction our country, government, society, and the world at large is headed toward today. The book is centered around what Dear calls "The God of non-violence," but is not preachy or sanctimonious. Dear's gentle voice of forgiveness - both for others and for ourselves when we inevitably fall short of our own ideal - shines through the text. The message is not one of perfection but of striving throughout life to spread peace to others and never losing hope, no matter how many times we fail or appear to fail. The book is a little dated in some of the political issues it references (it was published in 1993), but the message itself is timeless. Made me reflect upon my own life, behavior, and relation to other people, and instilled in me a desire to make changes and live differently. On the surface, it is a relatively short and "easy" read, but the ideas contained within the pages are ones that deserve a great deal of thought and discussion. It's not often that a book changes who I am is a person, but this one certainly altered how I view other people and instilled in me a desire to live more consciously and continue to "disarm" my own heart and life. I'd love to read more of Dear's more current writing; he is a truly gifted and powerful writer who is truly passionate about living for peace.
And if anyone has the opportunity to see Dear speak in person, I urge you to go. I was led to reading this book because he gave a lecture at my college nearly 10 years ago and his words and how he came across as a person stayed with me all this time - his passion for his ideas and his faith, and the unapologetic love and kindness in him is infectious. I am thankful that there are people like him in this world who sacrifice everything to try to alleviate suffering for others, and hopefully inspiring others to do the same along the way.
And if anyone has the opportunity to see Dear speak in person, I urge you to go. I was led to reading this book because he gave a lecture at my college nearly 10 years ago and his words and how he came across as a person stayed with me all this time - his passion for his ideas and his faith, and the unapologetic love and kindness in him is infectious. I am thankful that there are people like him in this world who sacrifice everything to try to alleviate suffering for others, and hopefully inspiring others to do the same along the way.
Displaying 1 of 1 review