From the stirring foreword by Henri Nouwen to the last page of Romero’s text, this powerful little volume of eloquent, simple meditations never wastes a word. Yet the real depth of Romero’s message lies not in his words themselves, poetic as they are. It lies in the life they give witness to: the hard life of a man who was martyred for his faith. Thus The Violence of Love gives more insight, perhaps, than any biographical account of his life.

During his three years as archbishop of San Salvador, Oscar Romero became known as a fearless defender of the poor and suffering. His work on behalf of the oppressed earned him the admiration and love of the peasants he served, a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, honorary degrees from abroad – and finally, an assassin’s bullet on account of his outspokenness.

Romero was martyred for his insistence that following Christ cannot be relegated to the spiritual realm. He did not die in vain the people of Central America say his spirit lives on in them. As their struggle for justice and dignity intensifies, his words take on renewed urgency.