John Dear, SJ, has been arrested more than 75 times. He has spent more than a year of his life in jail. 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.
A Persistent Peace, John Dear's autobiography, invites readers to follow the decades-long journey and spiritual growth of this nationally known peace activist, and to witness his bold, decisive, often unpopular actions before government officials, military higher-ups, and even hostile representatives of the Church. With heroes such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela, it should come as no surprise that John's activism has taken him to many places including war zones all over the world.
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 incredible story will touch anyone who believes in the power of peace. Perhaps most important of all, readers will come to understand through John that 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.

John Dear, SJ, has been arrested more than 75 times. He has spent more than a year of his life in jail. 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.
A Persistent Peace, John Dear's autobiography, invites readers to follow the decades-long journey and spiritual growth of this nationally known peace activist, and to witness his bold, decisive, often unpopular actions before government officials, military higher-ups, and even hostile representatives of the Church. With heroes such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela, it should come as no surprise that John's activism has taken him to many places including war zones all over the world.
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 incredible story will touch anyone who believes in the power of peace. Perhaps most important of all, readers will come to understand through John that 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.