The Rev. Dr. Amos Brown was enjoying his customary Sunday afternoon nap in late July when a familiar voice broke the quiet: it was Vice President Kamala Harris, a devoted member of his congregation. “Pastor, I need you to pray for Doug, for me, and for this nation,” Dr. Brown recalled her saying earnestly. “I’ve decided to run for president.” Just hours earlier, President Biden had announced his decision to withdraw from the re-election race, and he promptly extended his endorsement to Ms. Harris.

In response, Dr. Brown offered a heartfelt prayer, drawing inspiration from a Bible verse frequently quoted by Ms. Harris herself: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

This intimate moment provides a rare glimpse into the private spiritual life of Ms. Harris, whose rich biography reflects the multifaith, pluralistic, and increasingly secular tapestry of America that she aspires to lead. Born to a Hindu mother and a Christian father, she has woven together diverse cultural and religious threads throughout her life. Notably, she married a Jewish man, incorporating elements from both Indian and Jewish traditions into their wedding ceremony, as reported by local media at the time.

In a significant gesture of unity and tradition, the couple affixed a mezuzah—a small scroll enclosed in a decorative case, symbolizing a Jewish home—on the doorpost of the vice-presidential residence in 2021, marking a historic first.

Ms. Harris embodies the complexities of navigating a multifaith democracy, both in her public persona and her personal life. As the Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, who leads Interfaith Alliance, aptly puts it, she is a person “who has gone through what it means to be living in a multifaith democracy in her own life.”