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When Courage Calls: Josephine Butler and the Radical Pursuit of Justice for Women
Millicent Fawcett, the leader of the British suffragist movement, described Josephine Butler as 'the most distinguished English woman of the nineteenth century'.
Among the first feminist activists, Butler raised public awareness of the plight of destitute women, worked to address human trafficking and led a vigorous campaign to secure equal rights for women before the law. As a hugely influential woman in history, Butler deserves to be even more widely known. This biography presents a fresh interpretation of the relationship between Josephine Butler's public leadership, her political philosophy and her spirituality.
Among the first feminist activists, Butler raised public awareness of the plight of destitute women, worked to address human trafficking and led a vigorous campaign to secure equal rights for women before the law. As a hugely influential woman in history, Butler deserves to be even more widely known. This biography presents a fresh interpretation of the relationship between Josephine Butler's public leadership, her political philosophy and her spirituality.
356 pages, Hardcover
Published February 11, 2025
About the author
Sarah C. Williams
7 books16 followersSarah C. Williams trained as a historian at the University of Oxford, where she subsequently taught British and European political and cultural history. After seventeen years at Oxford, in 2005 she moved with her family to Vancouver, Canada, where she taught history at Regent College.
Today Williams lives with her husband Paul in the Cotswolds, close to the city of Oxford, where she continues her research, writing, and teaching. The daughter of popular British author Jennifer Rees Larcombe, Williams is the author of Perfectly Human, a spiritual autobiography in which she reflects on contemporary debates surrounding identity and personhood.
Today Williams lives with her husband Paul in the Cotswolds, close to the city of Oxford, where she continues her research, writing, and teaching. The daughter of popular British author Jennifer Rees Larcombe, Williams is the author of Perfectly Human, a spiritual autobiography in which she reflects on contemporary debates surrounding identity and personhood.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 9, 2026
A remarkable spiritual biography of a woman who I knew nothing about, and yet through this biography have come to greatly admire. William’s retelling of Butler’s grief after losing her daughter in a tragic accident gave words to a similar grief that our extended family have walked through over these last few years. The way William’s weaves a narrative of Butler’s life, demonstrating her story as primarily a story of prayer is outstanding, and deeply edifying. It’s a wonderfully written work from an author I have had the joy of meeting, and learning from.
May 13, 2026
I had the honor to meet Dr. Williams and can convey that she is a beautifully gracious historian. This book is well-written, well-researched and engaging. I had never heard of Mrs. Butler before, but am so glad I have now learned about this woman of faith and conviction.
August 10, 2025
A biography of one of history's forgotten feminist campaigners, Josephine Butler nee Grey, which centers on Butler's deep religious faith. Josephine's belief in God was one of the mainstays of her life & a well of inspiration & strength throughout. Whether it was campaigning for the increasing of the age of consent or the fight to overturn the deeply misogynistic 'Contagious Diseases Act 1864', her faith was intertwined with her political work. In fact this is given by the author as one of the reasons why Josephine Butler is no longer a household name - she was considered by later feminists as too religious & by Christians as too feminist & so her legacy was allowed to fade into the background.
What an interesting read! I wasn't familiar with Josephine Butler before reading this, but what a courageous lady she turned out to be. Alongside a small number of friends & acquaintances, she took on the British 'establishment' (& some in other countries), at the cost of former friends & even physical threats from those whose livelihood in the trafficking of young girls & women for the sex trade she was threatening. Butler even found time to write several books including one on the life of the Christian saint, Catherine of Siena. This is a well-researched, well-written account of a formidable woman who deserves to be remembered.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, John Murray Press/Hodder & Stoughton, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
What an interesting read! I wasn't familiar with Josephine Butler before reading this, but what a courageous lady she turned out to be. Alongside a small number of friends & acquaintances, she took on the British 'establishment' (& some in other countries), at the cost of former friends & even physical threats from those whose livelihood in the trafficking of young girls & women for the sex trade she was threatening. Butler even found time to write several books including one on the life of the Christian saint, Catherine of Siena. This is a well-researched, well-written account of a formidable woman who deserves to be remembered.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, John Murray Press/Hodder & Stoughton, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
October 23, 2024
This is an interesting, enlightening, and encouraging book! I had never heard of Josephine Butler before. Sarah Williams does an exceptional job bringing this historic woman to life! And what a life! She has times of joy and sorrow. These times strengthen her faith in God. She often reaches out to others while she's suffering to help them out of their horrible circumstances.
This book has encouraged me to remember the power of prayer! Josephine commits a lot of her time to prayer. Her prayers move mountains. "But above all we see her understanding of prayer embodied in her life, and through this subtle portrait she shows her readers how to reconnect the outer life of political action with the inner life of spiritual contemplation."
I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Hodder & Stoughton via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book has encouraged me to remember the power of prayer! Josephine commits a lot of her time to prayer. Her prayers move mountains. "But above all we see her understanding of prayer embodied in her life, and through this subtle portrait she shows her readers how to reconnect the outer life of political action with the inner life of spiritual contemplation."
I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Hodder & Stoughton via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 26, 2024
Most inspiring book I’ve read in a long time. Women and men the world over are indebted to Josephine Butler and we should all know about her.
June 12, 2026
Excellent book, read in small doses as I wanted to absorb it well. What a courageous and godly woman!
Her devotion to prayer gave her a unique perspective on helping those less fortunate, and in her fight to repeal the Contagious Diseases Act, and raise the age of consent.
I felt sad that she was criticised by both her colleagues and her son for giving too much time to the other. Such is the life of a working mother
Her devotion to prayer gave her a unique perspective on helping those less fortunate, and in her fight to repeal the Contagious Diseases Act, and raise the age of consent.
I felt sad that she was criticised by both her colleagues and her son for giving too much time to the other. Such is the life of a working mother
March 12, 2025
Josephine Elizabeth Butler (née Grey; 13 April 1828 – 30 December 1906) was a distinguished English feminist and social reformer in the Victorian era.
Grey grew up in a well-to-do and politically connected progressive family, which helped develop in her a strong social conscience and firmly held religious ideals. She married George Butler, an Anglican divine and schoolmaster, and the couple had four children, the last of whom, Eva, died falling from a banister. The death was a turning point for Butler, and she focused her feelings on helping others, starting with the inhabitants of a local workhouse. She began to campaign for women's rights in British law. In 1869 she became involved in the campaign to repeal the Contagious Diseases Acts, legislation that attempted to control the spread of venereal diseases—particularly in the British Military—through the forced medical examination of alleged prostitutes, a process she described as surgical or steel rape. The campaign achieved its final success in 1886 with the repeal of the Acts. Butler also formed the International Abolitionist Federation, a Europe-wide organisation to combat similar systems on the continent, and later in the British Raj.
While investigating the effect of the Acts, Butler had been appalled that some of the prostitutes were as young as 12, and that there was a slave trade of young women and children from England to the continent for the purpose of prostitution. A campaign to combat the trafficking led to the removal of corrupt higher-ups. Butler fought child prostitution with help from the campaigning editor of The Pall Mall Gazette, William Thomas Stead. The subsequent outcry led to the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885, which raised the age of consent from 13 to 16 and brought in measures to stop child prostitution.
Butler wrote more than 90 books and pamphlets over the course of her career, most of which were in support of her campaigning, although she also produced biographies of her father, her husband and Catherine of Siena. Butler's Christian feminism is celebrated.Her campaign strategies changed the way feminist and suffragists conducted future struggles.
Grey grew up in a well-to-do and politically connected progressive family, which helped develop in her a strong social conscience and firmly held religious ideals. She married George Butler, an Anglican divine and schoolmaster, and the couple had four children, the last of whom, Eva, died falling from a banister. The death was a turning point for Butler, and she focused her feelings on helping others, starting with the inhabitants of a local workhouse. She began to campaign for women's rights in British law. In 1869 she became involved in the campaign to repeal the Contagious Diseases Acts, legislation that attempted to control the spread of venereal diseases—particularly in the British Military—through the forced medical examination of alleged prostitutes, a process she described as surgical or steel rape. The campaign achieved its final success in 1886 with the repeal of the Acts. Butler also formed the International Abolitionist Federation, a Europe-wide organisation to combat similar systems on the continent, and later in the British Raj.
While investigating the effect of the Acts, Butler had been appalled that some of the prostitutes were as young as 12, and that there was a slave trade of young women and children from England to the continent for the purpose of prostitution. A campaign to combat the trafficking led to the removal of corrupt higher-ups. Butler fought child prostitution with help from the campaigning editor of The Pall Mall Gazette, William Thomas Stead. The subsequent outcry led to the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885, which raised the age of consent from 13 to 16 and brought in measures to stop child prostitution.
Butler wrote more than 90 books and pamphlets over the course of her career, most of which were in support of her campaigning, although she also produced biographies of her father, her husband and Catherine of Siena. Butler's Christian feminism is celebrated.Her campaign strategies changed the way feminist and suffragists conducted future struggles.
June 14, 2026
200 years separates my life from the astonishing life of Josephine Butler however she has had a huge impact on who I am as a woman and understanding how Jesus sees me, through her I have come to appreciate that Jesus has given me a voice that needs to be heard.
The beauty of Sarah C. Williams writing has made me feel that I know this woman, who was not only steadfast in her faith but had a heart for the broken, lost and unheard.
In Sarah’s beautifully written book When Courage Calls we don’t hear about Josephine Butler, we hear from Josephine Butler, we hear her voice through her own words and through the lens of those she impacted. But so much more than that, we hear the heart of Christ who came from heaven to earth to transform all who put their faith and trust in Him.
If you Google Josephine Butler, she is described as an English feminist and social reformer, but this shortchanges us from really knowing her. To know her you need to hear her own voice; a voice that declares the love her Lord and Saviour has for her; a voice that takes the love of God’s love into the heart of those most in need; a voice that sees through the pomp and ceremony of human pride and solely depends on the wisdom and guidance of the One True God who came to transform us all into his image.
Josephiine teaches and demonstrates to us what a prayerful, trust-filled dependency on our Heavenly Father not only looks like, but we see the fruit of the reality of Christ’s Spirit living within us.
Come and see for yourself through the pages of this courageous book what the voice of a woman of God sounds like, filled with passion for the things of God, filled with the reality of human suffering, trusting her whole self to Christ and his purposes, filled with the hope for all people that God is transforming the world from one that man rules to a world united through Christ our true King, working together for the good of all and the glory of God Our Creator, Our Redeemer.
The beauty of Sarah C. Williams writing has made me feel that I know this woman, who was not only steadfast in her faith but had a heart for the broken, lost and unheard.
In Sarah’s beautifully written book When Courage Calls we don’t hear about Josephine Butler, we hear from Josephine Butler, we hear her voice through her own words and through the lens of those she impacted. But so much more than that, we hear the heart of Christ who came from heaven to earth to transform all who put their faith and trust in Him.
If you Google Josephine Butler, she is described as an English feminist and social reformer, but this shortchanges us from really knowing her. To know her you need to hear her own voice; a voice that declares the love her Lord and Saviour has for her; a voice that takes the love of God’s love into the heart of those most in need; a voice that sees through the pomp and ceremony of human pride and solely depends on the wisdom and guidance of the One True God who came to transform us all into his image.
Josephiine teaches and demonstrates to us what a prayerful, trust-filled dependency on our Heavenly Father not only looks like, but we see the fruit of the reality of Christ’s Spirit living within us.
Come and see for yourself through the pages of this courageous book what the voice of a woman of God sounds like, filled with passion for the things of God, filled with the reality of human suffering, trusting her whole self to Christ and his purposes, filled with the hope for all people that God is transforming the world from one that man rules to a world united through Christ our true King, working together for the good of all and the glory of God Our Creator, Our Redeemer.
October 10, 2024
“The most distinguished Englishwoman of the 19th century.”
Who would you peg for that title? Florence Nightingale…Elizabeth Blackwood…or even Queen Victoria herself?
Well, you would be wrong. Millicent Fawcett, writing in 1927 wrote this about Josephine Butler! Have you heard of Josephine Butler? I hadn’t until I read “When Courage Calls.”
The book is the remarkable story of a petite, fragile Victorian women who campaigned for the abolition of the Contagious Diseases Act of 1864, fought for gender equality, befriended sex workers discarded by society, and was influential in raising the age of sexual consent. Indeed, Butler was prepared to accept excommunication from polite society to further the rights of those seen as the dregs of society.
So why is Josephine Butler not better known? The author eloquently outlines how Butler was an extremely spiritual and religious woman, who was guided by prayer to answer God’s call. However, she was regarded as ‘too feminist’ for Christians, and ‘too religious’ for the feminists, and so in posterity neither group laid claim to her.
When Courage Calls tells the story of a very human woman, wife, and mother; who through prayer felt called to do extraordinary things and was gifted at writing, speaking, campaigning, and drawing people together.
This is a fascinating book about a little-known woman who did marvellous things, but had no interest in the plaudits of the material world. Ironically, it should be read by anyone curious about religion and prayer, and also feminists, or the overlap of that Venn diagram. It is a detailed biography, and I admit that I did skip some of the deeper theological texts (not my area of interest) and some readers may find it heavy in places. However, the book is well worth persisting with to gain a deep understanding of a most remarkable woman.
Who would you peg for that title? Florence Nightingale…Elizabeth Blackwood…or even Queen Victoria herself?
Well, you would be wrong. Millicent Fawcett, writing in 1927 wrote this about Josephine Butler! Have you heard of Josephine Butler? I hadn’t until I read “When Courage Calls.”
The book is the remarkable story of a petite, fragile Victorian women who campaigned for the abolition of the Contagious Diseases Act of 1864, fought for gender equality, befriended sex workers discarded by society, and was influential in raising the age of sexual consent. Indeed, Butler was prepared to accept excommunication from polite society to further the rights of those seen as the dregs of society.
So why is Josephine Butler not better known? The author eloquently outlines how Butler was an extremely spiritual and religious woman, who was guided by prayer to answer God’s call. However, she was regarded as ‘too feminist’ for Christians, and ‘too religious’ for the feminists, and so in posterity neither group laid claim to her.
When Courage Calls tells the story of a very human woman, wife, and mother; who through prayer felt called to do extraordinary things and was gifted at writing, speaking, campaigning, and drawing people together.
This is a fascinating book about a little-known woman who did marvellous things, but had no interest in the plaudits of the material world. Ironically, it should be read by anyone curious about religion and prayer, and also feminists, or the overlap of that Venn diagram. It is a detailed biography, and I admit that I did skip some of the deeper theological texts (not my area of interest) and some readers may find it heavy in places. However, the book is well worth persisting with to gain a deep understanding of a most remarkable woman.
April 30, 2025
In this fascinating biography of Josephine Butler, an early English women’s rights and political activist in the nineteenth century, readers discover how she became a public activist active across England. Focusing on her writing and spirituality as grounding her activism, Williams offers a unique insight into Butler’s life and how her private life and beliefs influenced her public activism and helped her transform Victorian society and the lives of many living in Victorian England. Full of historical detail and drawing on Butler’s private papers, this fascinating biography and history of Victorian social activism adds some fascinating nuance to the social issues of the period and the ways in which women’s activism in the nineteenth century affected multiple walks of life. In bringing this fascinating historical woman to life, Williams has really added some fascinating insights into this book that readers will love, while the mix of personal and political focus really offer a good mix of perspective for readers. Entertaining, fascinating, unique, and deeply engaging, this is a brilliant new biography and a fantastic addition to the women’s history canon that readers will love. A must-read for women’s history enthusiasts, the pacing and length of this book is absolutely perfect and will pull readers into this engaging new biography.
Thanks to NetGalley, John Murray Press, and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy.
Thanks to NetGalley, John Murray Press, and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy.
May 22, 2026
I recently heard a lecture on Josephine Butler and her ties to Wesleyan/Holiness ideals, particularly through working with the Salvation Army to overturn, basically, misogynistic legislation in the late 1800s in regards to prostitution, as well as to protect young girls from being trafficked to old rich men (sound familiar?). I knew there was a rich story there of a gutsy woman and I wanted to know more. Sarah Williams brings Butler to life, both through extended quotation of her own words as well as through constructing an engaging narrative on Butler's work for social reform. Williams make a compelling case for social reform that is rooted in prayer, and the fruit of perseverance that results from a radical commitment to both individual and corporate appeal to the Lord in pursuit of living a life that says, 'on earth as it is in heaven.' It challenged me today to think about how the church today is on a total adventure in missing the point when it comes to being an agent of change in this world either through wanton ignorance or total want of personal holiness as a foundational aspect of seeking social change. Our foremothers like Butler were neither ignorant nor lukewarm in their personal lives of devotion and maybe that's the tie that binds that we are missing today. So much food for thought in this one on the nature of church renewal as identification with Christ for the sake of the world. A very good read.
October 29, 2024
"When Courage Calls" is a biography of Josephine Butler. I knew she'd done much to help women (especially children) trapped in prostitution. She was able to bring together people that normally wouldn't work together and even gathered support for similar work in Europe. I had expected much of the biography to be focused on the details of that work, and the book did cover some of that.
However, Josephine's faith played a motivating role in why she did what she did, so much of this book covered Josephine's Christian faith and the role she felt that prayer played in political activism. She wrote several books about other people, which we're told about and which provided several quotes that showed what she believed. There were also some quotes from various speeches she gave along with a summary of what she said and was trying to accomplish.
This biography was more of an overview of her life and beliefs rather than full of details and action. Perhaps those details no longer exist as Josephine refused to write about herself. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting biography.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
However, Josephine's faith played a motivating role in why she did what she did, so much of this book covered Josephine's Christian faith and the role she felt that prayer played in political activism. She wrote several books about other people, which we're told about and which provided several quotes that showed what she believed. There were also some quotes from various speeches she gave along with a summary of what she said and was trying to accomplish.
This biography was more of an overview of her life and beliefs rather than full of details and action. Perhaps those details no longer exist as Josephine refused to write about herself. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting biography.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
January 7, 2025
An excellent biography of campaigner Josephine Butler, being thoughtful, balanced, well written and well-researched. I was aware of the work Butler was involved in, but unaware how much her religious faith informed her activism. Her deep Christian faith and her total conviction in the power of prayer informed her campaigning throughout her illustrious career. Her support for so called “fallen women” and her fight to eradicate sex trafficking was astonishingly courageous, especially for a middle-class woman in the Victorian era. Her husband gets his due in this book too, and rightly so. Her Christianity was vital to all she did and thought, and I was fascinated by how it sustained her through difficult times.
April 18, 2025
Sarah’s book is more than a biography. This is an invitation to become good friends with a woman of the past that loved fiercely and actively. This is a book that invites the reader to become friends with a woman whose heart was ever inclined to be in communion with God and whose communion with God spurred her to work toward the righting of political/social evil. Though I had never heard of Josephine Butler until reading Sarah’s work, I feel that by the end of this book I can imagine Josephine’s burden as I look around me. I have a greater appetite for both prayer and mission.
September 15, 2024
This is a well-written, thorough, and thoughtful biography of one of history's forgotten heroines. I can't believe I've never heard of Josephine Butler. This book is both heartbreaking and inspiring, portraying how Butler's faith, family, and marriage motivated her to help the under-served even as she faced enormous personal difficulties. I will be recommending it to all of my friends.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC; I post this review with my honest opinions.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC; I post this review with my honest opinions.
June 24, 2026
Sarah Williams has written a tremendous biography of a tremendous reformer: Josephine Butler—a woman whose prayer-soaked labours stirred the world, the waves of whose influence still break upon the shores of our own age. Yet one fears that, having forgotten this history, we stand poised to repeat the very errors that first called Butler to action.
January 3, 2025
fascinating documentation of the life of one of the most influential women of the 19th century. having come from Josephine Butler’s College in Durham, it is so interesting to discover more about her life, and she was a truly phenomenal woman
August 23, 2025
Sarah Williams details Josephine Butler’s life beautifully. I learned a lot, was inspired by Josephine’s tenacity, and compelled to make prayer more central to my life. I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in historical biographies, social justice, prayer, and women’s rights.
April 9, 2025
I devoured this book, honestly loved it. So beautifully written, deeply challenging. It's a must read.
July 28, 2026
4.5/5 - Beautifully written, with excellent academic & thorough research clearly written throughout. The retelling of Josephine Butler’s life is incredibly inspiring!
April 23, 2025
Josephine Butler (1828-1906), an early heroine of British feminism, is best known for campaigning against the 19th-century Contagious Diseases Acts (which legalised women suspected of working as prostitutes being forcibly examined for venereal disease, and detained until cured if infected) and was instrumental in these being repealed.
This new biography, by cultural historian Sarah C. Williams, focuses on Josephine Butler's spirituality, and argues that her Christian faith was intrinsic to her pursuit of social reform. Williams suggests that this religious element appeared "problematic" to later generations of feminists, while conversely Butler was also "too feminist for the Christian camp." This, argues Williams, has led to Butler being a rather neglected figure, relative to her achievements, though the tide is starting to turn. (There might also be an element of squeamishness about the issues Butler campaigned about- a figure like Florence Nightingale is easier to do a school assembly about).
I liked the author's passionate belief in the significance of Josephine Butler - "This woman needs to be known and her voice heard". I also liked that the book engaged with Butler on her own terms, for example, the importance of prayer to her way of life and way of thinking. It made an argument for her continued relevance to contemporary issues without seeking to present her as preternaturally modern. The book also raises an interesting methodological issue: how to study and examine something as personal and intimate as prayer, especially when the evidence is "partial and limited."
While I already admired Josephine Butler, having seen a documentary about her a few years ago, I learnt a lot from this in-depth biography. What Butler was contending with is still shocking. This anecdote stood out: "In April 1870 she met a prostitute who had chosen to go to prison rather than submit to the terms of the Acts. Butler heard how the magistrate who committed the woman to prison had a few days earlier paid her several shillings for sex. Butler responded by writing to all the magistrates she knew who had consorted with women to inform them that if they did not stop persecuting these women, she would speak openly about the nature of their relationships with these girls."
The book mixes traditional, chronological biography and in-depth academic analysis. It is not an "easy read", but it has a fascinating subject in Josephine Butler, is thought-provoking, and makes a strong central argument for the importance of her faith.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.
This new biography, by cultural historian Sarah C. Williams, focuses on Josephine Butler's spirituality, and argues that her Christian faith was intrinsic to her pursuit of social reform. Williams suggests that this religious element appeared "problematic" to later generations of feminists, while conversely Butler was also "too feminist for the Christian camp." This, argues Williams, has led to Butler being a rather neglected figure, relative to her achievements, though the tide is starting to turn. (There might also be an element of squeamishness about the issues Butler campaigned about- a figure like Florence Nightingale is easier to do a school assembly about).
I liked the author's passionate belief in the significance of Josephine Butler - "This woman needs to be known and her voice heard". I also liked that the book engaged with Butler on her own terms, for example, the importance of prayer to her way of life and way of thinking. It made an argument for her continued relevance to contemporary issues without seeking to present her as preternaturally modern. The book also raises an interesting methodological issue: how to study and examine something as personal and intimate as prayer, especially when the evidence is "partial and limited."
While I already admired Josephine Butler, having seen a documentary about her a few years ago, I learnt a lot from this in-depth biography. What Butler was contending with is still shocking. This anecdote stood out: "In April 1870 she met a prostitute who had chosen to go to prison rather than submit to the terms of the Acts. Butler heard how the magistrate who committed the woman to prison had a few days earlier paid her several shillings for sex. Butler responded by writing to all the magistrates she knew who had consorted with women to inform them that if they did not stop persecuting these women, she would speak openly about the nature of their relationships with these girls."
The book mixes traditional, chronological biography and in-depth academic analysis. It is not an "easy read", but it has a fascinating subject in Josephine Butler, is thought-provoking, and makes a strong central argument for the importance of her faith.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews