Rosaria Butterfield’s story begins in the academic world, where she embraced feminism and progressive activism—but ended with an unexpected turn toward Christian faith.

According to CBN, the former Syracuse University professor shared how building a relationship with a Presbyterian pastor and exploring the Bible led her away from a life of activism and into a life of faith.

Once a staunch advocate for feminist and LGBTQ causes, Butterfield taught women’s studies at Syracuse University and openly identified as a lesbian and activist. Her transformation began unexpectedly while researching content for a book in 2013 titled The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith.

As part of her academic inquiry, she reached out to Pastor Ken Smith of a local Presbyterian church. Instead of criticism or distance, Smith and his wife, Floy, extended consistent hospitality and welcomed Butterfield into dialogue and fellowship.

Butterfield began visiting their home regularly, where she experienced something unfamiliar—peace combined with deep conversations on challenging topics filtered through a lens of Scripture and prayer.

More Than an Academic Exercise

Unlike her politically charged social circle, the Smiths' home environment was marked by calm, thoughtful discussions, prayer, singing, and what she described as the ability to "leave it at the cross." These experiences sparked her curiosity about what genuine Christian life looked like.

Motivated partly by opposition to Christian views and partly by intellectual curiosity, Butterfield started reading the Bible. Over two years, she read it cover to cover seven times, each reading slowly transforming her from a detached researcher to a personal seeker of truth.

Her spiritual perspective shifted while reading Scripture more deeply. What had started as an academic interest began stirring inner conflict and conviction, especially around her previous assumptions about truth and justice.

A Crisis of Identity and Conviction

The growing realization led Butterfield to pull back from regular engagement with Pastor Smith, hoping to process her discoveries independently. Despite the distance, Smith and Floy continued to offer support, never abandoning their friendly commitment to her journey.

She later admitted that she stopped reading Scripture for others and began reading to square her own life with what she was learning about God, human nature, and salvation. This shift marked a turning point in her spiritual path.

Butterfield said she felt convicted about past beliefs and behaviors, recognizing that the very ideologies she had supported conflicted with the message of Christ she now found compelling.

New Challenges in Familiar Spaces

Drawn still further, she began attending church services on her own. Butterfield found sermons intellectually stimulating and emotionally unsettling, as they forced her to confront ideas she had long dismissed as outdated or irrelevant.

She also came to realize that, despite holding a professional background in women's studies, she had not grasped what it truly meant to live as a woman created in God's image. This insight further dismantled her previous worldview.

“I was a mess,” she recalled, acknowledging that she surrendered her life to Christ before knowing what the outcome would be, simply because she believed in the reality and truth of Jesus.

Unexpected Transformation Beyond the Classroom

Looking back, Butterfield attributes much of her transformation to the example set by Ken and Floy Smith. Their willingness to engage without compromising their beliefs allowed her the space to consider faith in a non-threatening environment.

Her journey highlights a seldom-seen transformation from academic skepticism to religious conviction, influenced heavily not by debate but by the consistent lived witness of others’ faith.

Today, Butterfield reflects openly on her past and hopes her story encourages others to explore belief systems they may not fully understand—or might dismiss too quickly.