Rev. Jennifer Butler: Reclaiming Faith to Inspire Action

Dec 10

Kristine Michie - Playfull Podcast Interview - Rev. Jennifer Butler

Rev. Jennifer Butler: Reclaiming Faith to Inspire Action

In this episode of The PlayFull Podcast, Kristine Michie talks with Rev. Jennifer Butler, founder of Faith in Democracy, about bringing joy, faith, and community into social change. They discuss how reclaiming spiritual language sparks action, why humor and play strengthen movements, and how faith can bridge divided communities. Jennifer shares lessons on resilience, well-being, and compassionate leadership, offering a hopeful vision for sustaining long-term work toward justice.

Key Takeaways:

Shared moral frameworks create opportunities for solidarity across secular and religious communities, strengthening collective efforts for social good.
Humor, lightheartedness, and play become tools of resistance that unlock new solutions, keep teams grounded, and counter the heaviness of systemic challenges.
Leaders who bring their faith, doubts, values, and sense of fun into their work show up with greater authenticity, resilience, and connection.
Training in communication and strategy equips faith leaders to mobilize their communities and influence policy toward justice-oriented outcomes.
Creative hobbies, time in nature, music, rest, and relationships help activists stay emotionally regulated, hopeful, and steady in demanding seasons.

"When we pray, we’re actually trying to align ourselves with what God wants here and now... Jesus calls us to really put our values and beliefs into action here and now, to love our neighbor here and now, and that’s how we draw close to God." — Rev. Jennifer Butler
“True faith is actually playful and joyful and life-giving... What play does and joy is it really helps us lift our head and our perspective to understand that God created and called everything good.” — Rev. Jennifer Butler
"Faith, by nature, is full of doubt. It’s the assurance of things hoped for, things not yet seen. And I think for me, that assurance is just a commitment. God is justice, God is liberation, God is love, and I am committed to that even when it looks bleak." — Rev. Jennifer Butler

Episode References:

Faith in Public Life – https://www.faithinpubliclife.org
Faith Forward – https://www.faithforward.org
Poor People's Campaign – https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.or
Southern Poverty Law Center – https://www.splcenter.org
Race Forward – https://www.raceforward.org
Who Stole My Bible? – https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/who-stole-my-bible-9781635571064/
Leap of Faith film – https://leapoffaithfilm.com

More about Rev. Jennifer Butler:

About Rev. Jennifer Butler: Rev. Jennifer Butler is a nationally respected faith leader, author, and organizer working at the intersection of religion, democracy, and social justice. She is the founder of Faith in Democracy and formerly led Faith in Public Life, building multi-faith movements for human rights. Rev. Butler is the author of Born Again: The Christian Right Globalized and Who Stole My Bible?, and her work has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, MSNBC, and NPR. She began her career as the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s representative to the United Nations and served in the Peace Corps in Belize.

Connect with Rev. Jennifer Butler:
Website: www.revjenbutler.com, www.faithdemocracy.com

Connect with Kristine:

Website: https://www.impactfullinc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactfull_inc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-breese-michie/

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