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Bishop Budde and Murray “Mac” Dewart with Bow of Burning Gold.
In January 2025, the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the ninth bishop of Washington and a three-time VTS alumna, captured the attention of the nation when she called on President Donald Trump to “have mercy” on people who were scared.
Her sermon triggered an avalanche of responses, many of them supportive, but some sharply critical. VTS, as the seminary that had formed Bishop Budde, also received a number of negative comments, including some calls to be shut down.
In response to the criticism, the Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, dean and president of VTS, released a statement defending Bishop Budde and pointing out that her sermon was faithful to biblical witness. “To ask a President to be merciful is in the tradition of the prophets of the Hebrew Bible. We support and stand alongside our Bishop alumna,” he wrote. The statement went viral.
A few months later, VTS was contacted by internationally renowned sculptor Murray “Mac” Dewart, whose father graduated from VTS in 1941, offering to donate one of his works to the Seminary in honor of Bishop Budde.
The bronze and granite sculpture, entitled Bow of Burning Gold, takes its name from William Blake’s poem Jerusalem. Originally created more than a decade ago, the sculpture has previously been exhibited at Harvard University and the Christian Science Plaza. It is now installed behind the 1881 Chapel.
It was officially dedicated by Dean Markham on September 1, 2026, during an Evening Prayer service attended by Bishop Budde and Dewart.
The dedication was followed by the launch of Have Mercy: Following Jesus in Politically Perilous Times, a collection of essays by faculty from VTS and The General Theological Seminary inspired by Bishop Budde’s sermon.
The initiative was launched by three VTS faculty, Kyle Lambelet, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Ethics and Director of the Saint Nicholas Center for Faith and Justice, the Rev. Canon Altagracia Perez-Bullard, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Multicultural Ministries and Assistant Professor of Practical Theology, and the Rev. Ruthanna Hooke, Ph.D., Professor of Homiletics, emerging from a conversation during the faculty’s annual retreat in January 2025. Wanting to affirm the courageous voice of Bishop Budde and to encourage others to speak with such clarity of conviction, the three faculty members invited their colleagues to contribute short essays.
Each essay considers a Christian commitment, such as “Love Thy Neighbor” or “Judge not, lest you be judged,” in light of the current political moment, exploring what it means to follow Jesus and embody mercy and compassion in public life. Intended as a resource to help faith leaders navigate the current political climate, each essay includes accompanying discussion questions that examine how foundational Christian commitments take on political significance.
Dean Markham said: “For a sermon to inspire both the gift of a sculpture and a book is remarkable. But the sermon remains a deeply biblical response to power delivered with dignity, restraint, and graciousness. A model of Christian engagement.”
You can buy a copy of Have Mercy: Following Jesus in Politically Perilous Times, here:
(L-R) Dr. Altagracia Perez-Bullard, Bishop Budde, Dr. Kyle Lambelet, and Dr. Ruthanna Hook.
Student Jasina Wise shares how being a Saint Nicholas Center for Faith and Justice Fellow is enriching her formation.
Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) congratulates the Rev. Ruthanna Hooke, Ph.D., on her appointment as the 10th Dean and President of Seminary of the Southwest.
Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) has conferred the Dean’s Cross for Servant Leadership on Stephen Colbert for his work as a satirist who provokes critical thinking and inspires change, and on Evelyn McGee-Colbert for her ministry and leadership in the arts.
VTS has launched a Faith and Justice Concentration in its Master of Divinity degree. The new offering enables students to pursue a pathway that focuses on formation for transformative engagement in the public square.
