Agnostic Animal Rights Activist Finds Purpose in Seminary

Founder of Direct Action Everywhere discusses how religion can help sustain social movements.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Emma Walker, the founder of the animal rights organization Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), discusses how she initially lacked a strong affiliation with Christianity but came to appreciate the idea of "moral community" - the concept of people coming together to support each other and work towards something good. After consulting with a sociologist at Stanford, Walker realized that movements lacking a specific identity struggle to sustain themselves long-term, and that religious institutions like the Black church have been effective in mobilizing and maintaining social movements. This led Walker to consider how incorporating religious elements could strengthen the animal rights movement.

Why it matters

This story highlights how social movements, even those with secular origins, can benefit from incorporating religious or spiritual elements to build a stronger sense of community, identity, and long-term sustainability. As the animal rights movement continues to evolve, understanding how faith and religious institutions can play a role in activism could help activists achieve their goals more effectively.

The details

Emma Walker, the founder of the animal rights organization Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), initially lacked a strong affiliation with Christianity. However, she developed a positive association with the idea of "moral community" - the concept of people coming together to support each other and work towards something good. In 2015, Walker discussed this with Doug McAdam, a sociologist at Stanford who specializes in political movements. McAdam pointed out that movements lacking a specific identity struggle to sustain themselves long-term, and cited the example of the Black church as an effective mobilizer of the Civil Rights Movement. This led Walker to consider how incorporating religious elements could strengthen the animal rights movement, which had previously been explicitly secular.

  • Around 2015, Walker discussed the role of religion in social movements with Doug McAdam at Stanford University.
  • In the late 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement faltered due to waning faith and community, according to sociologist Charles Tilly.

The players

Emma Walker

The founder of the animal rights organization Direct Action Everywhere (DxE).

Doug McAdam

A sociologist at Stanford University who specializes in political movements.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

A prominent leader in the Civil Rights Movement, whose work McAdam and Walker discussed.

Charles Tilly

A sociologist who coined the acronym WUNC (worthiness, unity, numbers, and commitment) to define the attributes of a successful social movement.

Aldon Morris

A sociologist whose work on the origins of the Civil Rights Movement was referenced by McAdam.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“You're⁤ not leveraging a specific⁤ identity. Movements lacking identities‌ struggle to sustain themselves long-term.”

— Doug McAdam, Sociologist at Stanford University

“People are fundamentally ‍motivated when they​ believe⁢ they fight for ⁣something integral ⁢to their identity. Purely ​ideological battles⁢ lack the power to create ‌lasting ‌mobilization.”

— Doug McAdam, Sociologist at Stanford University

The takeaway

This story highlights how social movements, even those with secular origins, can benefit from incorporating religious or spiritual elements to build a stronger sense of community, identity, and long-term sustainability. As the animal rights movement continues to evolve, understanding how faith and religious institutions can play a role in activism could help activists achieve their goals more effectively.