Rosaria Champagne Butterfield was a tenured professor of English and Women's Studies at Syracuse University. She was a committed feminist, a leftist activist, and an open lesbian in a long-term relationship. She had no interest in Christianity. She considered it intellectually weak and politically dangerous.
The Article That Started Everything
In 1997, Rosaria wrote an article in the local newspaper criticising the Promise Keepers movement. She received hundreds of responses — most of them hateful. But one letter stood out. It was from Ken Smith, a pastor of a small Reformed Presbyterian church in Syracuse. He did not attack her or try to convert her. He simply invited her to dinner.
Two Years at the Kitchen Table
Rosaria went. Then she went back. For two years, she sat at the Smiths' kitchen table, arguing about the Bible, eating meals, and being treated as a human being rather than a target. She also began reading the Bible — not to believe it, but to critique it for her academic work. The problem was that the more she read, the more it read her.
The Conversion She Did Not Want
Rosaria has described her conversion as a train wreck. Everything she had built her life around was called into question. Her academic community was horrified. Her partner was devastated. She lost friendships, social standing, and the identity she had spent decades constructing. But she could not deny what had happened inside her.
What This Means for You
Rosaria's story is a challenge to anyone who thinks faith is only for people who have never thought seriously about it. She thought more seriously about it than almost anyone — and it overwhelmed her anyway. If you are in an academic environment where faith seems impossible, consider that the invitation might come from the last direction you expect. And that saying yes to dinner is not the same as saying yes to everything.
