When Courage Calls - A Talk by Sarah C. Williams

Southwark Cathedral has been a place of Christian worship for over 1000 years. Established as a small convent, it grew over the centuries into a priory, which became a parish church and then, in 1905, the Cathedral for the newly created Diocese of Southwark which serves the whole of London south of the river.The Cathedral’s patchwork architecture bears testament to its past as do the many monuments and memorials inside and outside the church. These are reminders of the rich history of this part of London and our association with such major figures in our creative history, including Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dickens.Southwark Cathedral is a place of worship, welcome and friendship, to rejoice in or find rest when you’re weary. We are London’s community Cathedral striving to live the example of Jesus, seeking to be a spiritual home for all and set at the heart of Bankside, buzzing with people and activity, a vibrant cultural and commercial destination.

Southwark Cathedral

To celebrate Women's History Month, come learn about Josephine Butler's fight for women's rights with social historian Sarah Williams.

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An inspiring new biography of Josephine Butler (1828-1906) - political activist, social reformer and a pioneer of modern feminism 'A crucial and compelling read' NATALIE COLLINS @GodLovesWomen 'The story of Josephine Butler is astonishing, shocking, inspiring, recounted here by a narrator who understands the very core of her subject. A powerful read.' CLAIRE GILBERT, author of I, Julian 'When Courage Calls allows us to hear Butler's message afresh at a time when women's value and safety is again at risk.' ALISON MILBANK, Professor of Literature and Theology, University of Nottingham 'Remarkable' KRISH KANDIAH 'This is an inspiring book written by an inspiring writer' RACHAEL TREWEEK, Bishop of Gloucester Millicent Fawcett, the leader of the British suffragist movement, described Josephine Butler as 'the most distinguished English woman of the nineteenth century'. Among the first feminist activists, Butler raised public awareness of the plight of destitute women, worked to address human trafficking and led a vigorous campaign to secure equal rights for women before the law. In her pursuit of justice, Butler did as much for women as William Wilberforce did for African slaves within the British Empire, and yet, while Wilberforce remains a household name, Butler is forgotten. Social historian Sarah C. Williams presents a re-examined biography of the radical political activist Josephine Butler. From the beauty of her childhood in Northumbria, to the stifling intellectual environment of mid-Victorian Oxford; from the impoverished streets of Liverpool and the brothels of London, Brussels and Paris, to the offices of Westminster and the Houses of Parliament. Butler's relentless drive to secure rights for women against the sexual double standard of her day captures a remarkable woman with deeply held values for equality. Underpinning Butler's public life of political activism lies the full corpus of her writing and the spirituality that grounded her activism. When Courage Calls offers a profound examination of Butler's inner life of prayer, defined by her radical sense of justice that was able to transform Victorian society. Such conviction offers us a taste of the possibility for our time and culture. This biography presents a fresh interpretation of the relationship between Josephine Butler's public leadership, her political activism and her spirituality. Sarah C. Williams is a highly respected social historian, based in Gloucestershire. A specialist in 19th and 20th-century cultural and religious history, she has taught on Butler in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US as well as Britain. Having taught history at the University of Oxford; she moved to Regent College, Vancouver, teaching the History of Christianity to graduate students from all over the world. Having now returned to England, Williams remains a Research Professor at Regent College. This event will take place in the Cathedral library and is in-person only. This event will not be streamed or recorded. For queries about access please email Emily.Thorne@southwark.anglican.org Copies of When Courage Calls: Josephine Butler and the Radical Pursuit of Justice for Women: A Biography will be available to purchase on the evening.