The State Of Belief

In a time of mounting division and injustice, faith isn’t just a personal refuge—it’s a call to step up and speak out. This week, host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is joined by Bishop Dwayne Royster, Executive Director of Faith in Action.

Talk about action—Bishop Dwayne and partners organized a massive, diverse, faith-inspired gathering in Washington, D.C. just days after a series of ICE-related deaths. 450 clergy mobilized in 72 hours, with multiple faith traditions coming together to oppose policies rooted in hate and fear—and almost 60 faith leaders arrested during the peaceful protest. As the bishop describes his own motivation, he subjected himself to arrest “for all my neighbors that don't deserve to be arrested, detained, or deported.” Others visited individual senators’ offices, making over 50 Hill visits to challenge funding for the extremist practices of ICE. It’s all a reminder that faith, when truly grounded, can be a revolutionary force.

With the 250th anniversary of the country this year, Bishop Dwayne has a powerful vision for faith-inspired organizing for the occasion: “We all want to survive and live our best lives, and that requires us to come together, love our neighbors, and build a different story for America.” This underscores once again that our faith and beliefs are a resource of resilience, meant to be shared in action, not just in prayer.

Another layer to this: it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of injustice, but each of us has a role. Whether we march, donate, pray, or hold space for others, our collective effort is what moves the needle. As Bishop Dwayne beautifully put it, “We all have different contributions—some in the streets, some behind the scenes, some in policy, some in prayer.”

That’s a crucial truth—each person’s place in this movement is vital. We can find the testimony that grounds each of us, whether rooted in faith, philosophy, or our own personal convictions. When the moment calls, that’s what will carry us—the belief that your action, no matter how small, is part of a larger and essential whole.

Also, Interfaith Alliance is taking the Trump administration to court. At the top of the show, attorney and Democracy Forward Executive Director Skye Perryman is back to explain this lawsuit, brought with a diverse group of partners, which focuses on the lack of representative pluralism in the makeup of the Religious Liberty Commission.

 

More About Bishop Dwayne

Bishop Dwayne Royster is a faith leader and community organizer who serves as the executive director of Faith in Action, a national network dedicated to grassroots organizing for racial and economic justice. An ordained minister in the Progressive National Baptist Convention, he has spent decades working at the intersection of faith, public policy, and social change.

 

More About Faith in Action

Faith in Action is a grassroots, nonpartisan, global, faith-based organizing network. It works with over a thousand congregations in more than 200 cities and towns through its 46 local and state federations.

 

More About the Lawsuit

A multifaith coalition—including Interfaith Alliance, Muslims for Progressive Values, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Hindus for Human Rights—filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York challenging the Trump administration’s Religious Liberty Commission. The plaintiffs argue the commission was created and structured in a way that violates federal law and undermines religious pluralism.
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What does courage look like on the ground? For many faith leaders and everyday citizens, it involves showing up despite risks, discomfort, or opposition. Dr. Simran Jeet Singh, scholar and activist, describes courage rooted in love and fearlessness—values encoded in Sikh teachings like nirpo (fearlessness) and nirvad (without hatred).

Simran reflects that true bravery is not about bravado or self-assertion but about steadfastly choosing love over hatred, even when faced with hate or violence. For example, during a clergy-led protest in Minnesota, ordinary people—clergy, community members, and even those with vulnerabilities—stood on the front lines, committed to protecting their neighbors and advocating for justice. Their actions exemplify that small, consistent acts of love and solidarity are the most powerful resistance to authoritarian tactics.

This kind of courage asks us to stand with neighbors in difficult moments, practice humility and listen deeply, and act lovingly in the face of fear.

The author of the best-selling book The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life, Simran shares a story from Sikh tradition that struck me: a tiny lantern flickering in the darkness, not to fix everything but to let a little light shine. When enough of those lanterns light up, the darkness begins to lift. It’s a simple, powerful lesson: humility, love, and perseverance are acts of courage.

Thursday, Feb. 5th was the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC. This purportedly apolitical event has turned into a “partisan farce,” in the words of US Rep. Jim Clyburn. He spoke with us exclusively about his reasons for not attending the breakfast, and you’ll hear that along with the comments of other members of Congress who have also made the difficult decision to absent themselves: Rep. Jared Huffman, Rep. Lucy McBath, and then Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who is also an ordained minister. Host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush was invited to share thoughts about the Christian Nationalist takeover of the National Prayer Breakfast on C-Span, and you’ll hear an excerpt of that on this week’s show, as well.

More about Simran Jeet Singh

Dr. Simran Jeet Singh is a scholar, educator, writer and activist, who focuses on religion and racism. Simran is a professor at the historic Union Theological Seminary and Senior Advisor for the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program, a columnist for the Religion News Service, and a contributor for TIME Magazine. A Texas native, Simran is the author of several important books, including the national best-seller The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life, and his Substack is titled, More of This, Please. Simran also hosts Wisdom & Practice, a new podcast by The Aspen Institute and PRX. He's working on a new television series titled Undivided.
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It’s not a zero-sum game. This week on The State of Belief, interfaith organizer Maggie Siddiqi makes clear that coming together to counter antisemitism and Islamophobia is an essential part of the effort to protect American democracy. And doing that requires countering the narrative that somehow supporting one of these communities is harming the other.

Maggie and host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush discuss some of the concrete ways these communities are, in fact, coming together, but also the very real risks that doing so brings, and the courage needed to persevere in the face of challenges that can include divisions and mistrust within diverse communities themselves.

The result can be profoundly inspiring: Paul and Maggie talk in-depth about a major Capitol Hill briefing last December convened by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) and Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), in partnership with Interfaith Alliance and Union Theological Seminary. In addition to MPAC President Salam Al-Marayati and JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnick, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, a Muslim, and Congressman Jamie Raskin, who is Jewish, addressed the gathering, moderated by Union Seminary Senior Executive Vice President Rev. Fred Davie.

Paul and Maggie walk us through some of the highlights of the event, with excerpts from the various speakers and commentary on the significance of their words. For context, the briefing took place just days after the Hanukkah massacre of Jews in Sydney, Australia. But the focus on each other’s humanity, on the critical need for solidarity - especially during times of pain and fear – was unshakable. You can watch a recording of the entire briefing on the Interfaith Alliance YouTube page.

Paul also shares his first-person experiences on the front lines with faith leaders from all over the country who gathered last week in Minneapolis to take a moral stand against the authoritarian atrocities being perpetrated by ICE in that community.

 

More about Maggie Siddiqi:

Maggie Siddiqi is senior advisor at Interfaith Alliance. She is an expert in faith-based advocacy for social change, coalition-building across lines of difference, and public policy on religious freedom and standing up against hate. Maggie is also a non-resident fellow at MPAC. She has held important faith-focused positions at the office of the U.S. Secretary of Education and at the Center for American Progress. Maggie served as emcee for the briefing, in addition to playing a key role in organizing the event itself.
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On this edition of The State of Belief, Democracy Forward President and CEO (and one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World 2025) Skye Perryman is back to talk about the first year of this presidency. Democracy Forward has filed hundreds of court challenges to the administration’s unconstitutional power grab and has been remarkably successful in winning most of them.

She stresses that not even the conservative Supreme Court has always sided with this administration and that lower court judges rejecting executive branch policies are sometimes Trump appointees themselves.

Skye and host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush talk about the essential role for people of all faith traditions and belief systems to hold fast to their values and teachings regardless of the forces buffeting society, and how important maintaining community connections is to get through the enormous challenges we are all facing right now.

"Courage is the new currency," Skye often says, and stresses that there are many, many ways for people of good conscience to get involved in the work of defending and rebuilding our democracy - including, admittedly, options that do involve personal risk.

Democracy Forward has just released its 2025 Impact Report, documenting how the power of people in courts and communities has, again and again, been victorious over the relentless power grab of this administration. Skye stresses that these successes have come, in great part, thanks to the intense preparation that was done ahead of the election, and that a proactive stance regarding what may come next continues to be essential.

It’s available at https://democracyforward.org/work/research/2025-impact-report/

 

More About Skye Perryman:

Skye L. Perryman is the President and CEO of Democracy Forward, a nonpartisan, national legal organization that promotes democracy and progress through litigation, regulatory engagement, communications, policy education, and research. Named as one of the 2025 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine, Skye took the helm at Democracy Forward a few months after January 6, 2021, in the midst of rising extremism in communities and courts across the country.

Skye has testified before the U.S. Congress and other expert bodies, and her legal work has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court as well as state supreme courts. She is a frequent guest on network and cable television news programs, and her work and commentary are routinely covered in national newspapers, newsmagazines, and radio broadcasts.

Skye Perryman is also an invaluable member of the Interfaith Alliance board.

 

More about Democracy Forward:

Since January 2025, Democracy Forward has played a leading role in inspiring courage and in protecting the American people from harmful and unlawful federal executive action. The organization has filed hundreds of legal actions, launched hundreds of investigations, and, through its Democracy 2025 initiative, has organized the largest, most successful affirmative litigation effort against executive branch excesses in United States history.

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Please forward this episode of The State of Belief to one person who would enjoy hearing this conversation - and thank you for listening!
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In this episode of The State of Belief, host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush engages with four distinguished religious leaders and activists from Minnesota: Rev. Susie Hayward, Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown, Rev. Dr. Rebecca Voelkel, and Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs.

The discussion centers on the current authoritarian crisis engulfing their community, driven by ICE raids and systemic injustice. Each leader shares their insights on the role of faith in activism, the importance of community, and their personal experiences confronting violence and authoritarianism, both globally and locally. They also explore the historical context of displacement and oppression and the need for solidarity in these turbulent times.

The episode highlights the essential relationships strengthening and encouraging the work of our guests and every activist; the ways creative expression can support resilience; the gift that ritual can be in a time of chaos and crisis; and of course, the role faith can play for individuals and entire movements. The conversation offers valuable lessons on how to engage with and support marginalized communities even in this time of potential personal risk.

 

More About Our Guests:

Rev. Susie Hayward is minister for justice and formation at Creekside United Church of Christ in Minneapolis. She’s a religion and peace scholar, activist, educator, and minister, as well as a longtime leader in faith-based organizing and justice work. Susie spent 14 years at the US Institute of Peace.

Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown is an African American pastor, educator, author, and activist with more than three decades of experience advocating for underrepresented communities. With a heart for community and access for all, she stands - and activates - as a truth-teller at the intersection of faith, education, and justice.

Rev. Dr. Rebecca Voelkel is Pastor for Justice Ministries and Director of the Center for Sustainable Justice at Lyndale United Church of Christ, and adjunct faculty at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. She’s the author of the book Carnal Knowledge of God: Embodied Love and the Movement for Justice.

Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs is a Mohican pastor, author, and environmental justice leader who works with Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light. Formerly the Director of Racial Justice and Community Engagement for the Minnesota Council of Churches, Rev. Jim Bear weaves Indigenous spirituality, Christian faith, and climate justice into powerful teachings on healing, land, and community.
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