Bishop Mariann Budde on preaching the gospel in a political world

How do we navigate politics in our congregations, our prayers, and our lives of faith? Fr. James Martin, S.J., discusses these questions with Bishop Mariann Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington DC. Bishop Budde became the first-ever woman to hold her position after being consecrated as the ninth bishop of Washington in November 2011. In addition to being a bishop, she is a mother, grandmother, and author of books including, “Gathering Up the Fragments: Preaching as Spiritual Practice” and “How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith”. Together, Bishop Budde  and Fr. Martin discuss: Preaching in a politically fraught time Recognizing the humanity in everyone in a polarized country Experiencing God in your daily life Chapters: 00:00 Welcome Bishop Mariann Budde 3:51 What defines Episcopalian spirituality?  7:25 Matthew Shepard’s internment at the National Cathedral 11:44 How do you preach about politics?  22:33 Challenging a culture of contempt 28:50 Bishop Budde’s call to ordained ministry  33:35 What is liberation theology?  41:00 Spiritual practices that keep Bishop Budde grounded 47:49: Experiencing God in your day-to-day life  52:29 Audience question: How do we ensure our transgender child knows they are loved by God and by us?  Links from the show:  Bishop Budde showed faithful moral courage. Catholics should follow her lead. How We Learn to Be Brave Gathering Up the Fragments: Preaching as Spiritual Practice  Read Maggi and Fr. Jim’s article reflecting on the themes of this episode Support The Spiritual Life by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at:  thespirituallife@americamedia.org Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices