My newest book “Universal Love” is now available at

I will be sharing more about it on The Nonviolent Jesus podcast this Monday, February 23rd and next Monday March 2nd.

Some endorsements that might encourage you to check it out :)

“One of the people I respect most on this Earth and whose winsome company I enjoy most is Fr. John Dear. In this short, valuable, and practical book, John shares his conversations with a young spiritual seeker named Will who came to him seeking spiritual guidance. As I read each chapter, I felt like I was meeting with John for coffee, sharing my struggles, and receiving his wisdom and encouragement. This book is a treasure.”

-- Brian McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt and The Last Voyage

“In these moving meditations, Fr. John Dear shows how Universal Love meets us right where we are — even in doubt — and gently calls us into prayer, nonviolence, and service. Fr. John Dear’s latest book testifies to love’s power to transform lives.”

---Kerry Kennedy, President, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Center

“Surrendering our lives to God is the heart of the spiritual life. In this delightful book, we are invited to listen in as Fr. John Dear guides a young friend on a journey of surrender to God, and the possibilities of Universal Love.”

---Rev. Cyprian Consiglio, author of Epiphanies of Nature and Grace, New Camaldoli Hermitage, Big Sur, CA

“This conversational book nourishes the spirit in the process of embracing and surrendering to the God of Peace. Through conversations over coffee, John and his friend explore the mystery and challenge of the beatitude mandate: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” In turbulent times this is nourishment for staying engaged.”

---Sr. Simone Campbell, author of Nun on the Bus and Hunger for Hope, and recipient of the 2022 Presidential Medal of Freedom

“John Dear has a rare gift for clarifying what is at the heart of the message of Jesus, and Universal Love carries that gift in a very real way. This book feels like a call that brings us back to our hearts and to what actually matters. It speaks just as clearly to those who are new to the spiritual life as to those who have been trying to live it for decades. John invites us into silence, into the presence of the One who loves us, and who alone can take our wounds, our anxieties, and our longings and slowly transform them into our unique gift to the world. Over time, as our hearts are gently disarmed, we begin to look and love more like Jesus, and to trust the peace he promised. This is the kind of book you keep close, return to often, and find yourself wanting to place in the +hands of a friend you care about.”

---Rev. Adam Bucko, author of Let Your Heartbreak Be Your Guide”