“The root of the word ‘courage’ is ‘cor,’ or heart. Jesus commands us to love and transform that love into the courage required to show up for one another, with one another in this time,” the Rev. Paul Raushenbush said while speaking at a recent event sponsored by the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. The minister went on to say the church must demonstrate courage, demand dignity and fight for equality as attacks against religious freedom and LGBTQ people spread.
As president and CEO of the nonprofit Interfaith Alliance, Paul works with affiliates, networks and leaders across the country to forge alliances among people of diverse faiths and beliefs to build a resilient, inclusive multi-faith democracy.
The great-grandson of Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis and of renowned theologian Rev. Walter Rauschenbusch, Paul attended Union Theological Seminary, a place where he became immersed in liberation theology. He says his Baptist life began after moving from Madison, Wis. where he grew up, to New York City, where he began attending Judson Memorial Church. “I heard unapologetic, Jesus-filled sermons that didn’t just accept LGBTQ people, but celebrated us,” said Paul, who is married to the author Brad Gooch and lives in NYC where they are raising their two children.
Paul speaks regularly around the country – and he’ll be at the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵𝘀 (Nov. 12-15), where he’ll participate in a panel entitled 𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. Learn more, see the full lineup, and get your all-access pass or individual tickets.