LILY RESLINK
Staff Writer
For the first-ever joint public appearance of the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde and Diana Butler Bass, Chautauqua Institution will host a conversation between the two Episcopalian faith leaders and spiritual practitioners as a part of the Interfaith Lecture Series. At 2 p.m. today in the Hall of Philosophy, Budde and Bass will switch gears from the traditional format to a collective reflection on acting with courage and faith amid contemporary challenges.
“This is a great chance for us to literally sit down in front of an audience and talk about what’s been going on in the world in which we live and how faith has enabled us to face these days,” Bass said.
Budde said she and Bass are focused on understanding the role of Christianity and the influence of the Trump administration. She framed this anticipated topic of discussion with a question: “What is an alternative vision of the Christian life that some of us are called to amplify in the public arena at a time when many of the Christian voices are aligned with a version of a political power that is antithetical to the teachings of Jesus?”
While coming at the conversation from different perspectives, Budde called herself and Bass “one in that effort.”
In 2022, Budde participated in the Interfaith Lecture Series and served as Week One’s chaplain. She fondly remembers this week spent with her family at a house rented on the grounds, and she is excited to do the same in 2026.
“I know that there’s a long list of people who are worthy to be considered as Chautauqua worship leaders and speakers, so to get a second invitation means a lot to me,” Budde said.
Budde is perhaps most widely known for the sermon she preached at the National Cathedral Service at the 2025 presidential inauguration. Today, her presence in the public eye differs vastly from her time as a Chautauquan lecturer in 2022.
“There weren’t that many people who knew who I was, and as a result of the sermon after the inauguration last year, that’s changed,” Budde said. “I’ve had a year and a half of a very different life, very different public presence that I have tried to steward carefully.”
Noting Budde’s world-renowned sermon, Bass connected this moment to their shared concerns of injustice and what that means for the future of the U.S and churches within it.
Serving as chaplain for the week, Budde said the conversation will also draw from her sermon series inspired by the Chautauqua Lecture Series Week One theme “Icons and Instigators: Women Who Change the World.”
Bass — author, speaker and preacher — returns to the Hall of Philosophy after beginning the 2026 Season with a separate ILS lecture Monday.
Budde said she and Bass will highlight their own experiences, but also “draw upon the wisdom and inspiration of others.”
When possible, Budde said her own process for choosing words often includes giving responses time, checking emotional influence and seeking others’ review. “That’s how it works when I have time.”
Productive dialogue she said in public spaces such as Chautauqua, Budde said, relies on the environment participants create together. Budde called for creating respectful environments to navigate discourse on important issues that not everyone sees the same way.
“We’re going to give each other a generous space,” Budde said.
Bass and Budde said honoring the dignity of all humans and their right to be heard is something they both feel strongly about.
Budde said she aims to use her platform, including her appearances at Chautauqua, to work toward goals of “pointing people toward themes of dignity and mercy and justice” and “amplifying the voices and the movements of others around the country and the world who are committed to the same work.”
Budde spoke on the high stakes of choosing words carefully, especially considering national polarization and online discourse.
“There’s just so much volatility in public space right now that the temptation is not to say anything at all,” Budde said.
Bass agreed, emphasizing the negativity that can often brew in public spaces.
“Both of us have a deep commitment to what I would call upholding the dignity of every person, which means not just getting out into public space and spewing how much we’re angry about something,” Bass said.
With Bass living in Virginia, Budde said the pair started meeting up periodically after Budde moved to Washington, D.C., in 2011. “We’ve had times when we have been in alignment with each other. We’ve had times when we’ve been in disagreement,” Budde said. After being approached with the idea of collaborating for a conversational Interfaith Lecture, it became a reality that the two put their heads together for and planned over a lunch.
Before knowing Bass personally, Budde said she’s been influenced by Bass’ writing for over 20 years.
Bass noted the humor in how they have yet to have a public conversation together despite how much their worlds have overlapped. “Here we are, two women, both Episcopalians, one a lay Episcopalian — I am not ordained — and the other one a bishop in the church, whose sermons have reached millions of people around the world, and yet we have not had a public conversation together in all that time.”
