When Courage Calls: Josephine Butler and the Radical Pursuit of Justice for Women

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.

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 and founder of Westminster Abbey Institute
When Courage Calls brings Butler to life in its extensive use of her letters and writings and allows us to hear her 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
What a gift this book is! Sarah C. Williams expertly charts Josephine Butler's life and work, honouring both her feminism and her faith. While Butler's faith has left her ambiguously remembered, Williams gives a profound insight into Butler's life which has much to teach us today. This is a crucial and compelling read for both feminists and for Christians, to understand that in Butler we have a shared, but rarely told, history. Natalie Collins, aka @GodLovesWomen, CEO of The Women's Liberation Collective and co-founder of the UK Christian Feminist Network
The title 'When Courage Calls' is a superb summary of the theme of this book. I have acquired a deep admiration for Josephine Butler's inspirational life: her responses to many challenging situations, supported by her spirituality, infused by her profound commitment to prayer. And the book is highly readable - indeed it was hard to put down! Caroline (Baroness) Cox
This is an inspiring book written by an inspiring writer. Sarah C. Williams powerfully makes visible the life and work of Josphine Butler which for too long has been relegated to the shadows. In so doing Williams wonderfully honours a woman whose own vision and activism, rooted in prayer, brought women out of the shadows and shone a transforming light on the dark places of injustice and inequality. The Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester and Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons
'An astonishing portrait of an extraordinary life. Dr Williams has given women - and all who seek a better world - a gift that has resonance for today and years to come.' Chine McDonald, writer, broadcaster and director of Theos

Sarah C. Williams is a highly respected social historian. 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. Williams remains a Research Professor at Regent and also has a collegiate attachment at the University of Oxford.

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