Make a Joyful Noise: The Power of Music in Difficult Times
Ethnomusicologist and St. Bart's parishioner Margaret Farrell reflects on how music can lift spirits in difficult times.
Every Sunday at 10 am
Each week, guest speakers from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines join the Reverend Peter Thompson and other St. Bart's clergy for deep and insightful conversations about topics that matter to our lives as responsible citizens and people of faith. Speakers in recent years have included winners of the Tony Award, the Emmy Award, the MacArthur Fellowship, and the Pulitzer Prize, professors from prominent universities like Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia, and journalists from New York, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic.
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Fake News: The Most Famous Quotes the Saints Never Said
The Reverend Peter Thompson fact checks quotations purported to derive from famous Christian figures, including St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila, Martin Luther, and John Wesley. Please post your questions in the comments section on Facebook or YouTube, or email the Reverend Peter Thompson at
Upcoming Speakers at The Forum
July 27 Mama: A Queer Black Woman’s Story of a Family Lost and Found
Author Nikkya Hargrove discusses her memoir about her unconventional journey to motherhood.
August 3 Expunge: Restoration after a Criminal Record
Attorney Jeffrey Grant, founder of White Collar Support Group, explains how expunging criminal records can benefit those who have already served their sentences and the society-at-large.
Watch or listen to The Forum from previous weeks below.
Featured
Tending to the Sick: The Future of Healthcare in America - Heidi Allen
11.22.20 | Articles | The Forum
Heidi Allen, Associate Professor at Columbia School of Social Work, offers insight on how future healthcare policy could better protect the most vulnerable.
The Future of Education: Sowing the Seeds of Renewal through a National Tutoring Corps - Michael Duffy
11.15.20 | Articles | The Forum
Michael Duffy, who as President of the Great Oaks Foundation oversees five public charter schools, explores how an emphasis on tutoring could transform our approach to education.
Heaven and Hell: Contemplating the Ultimate Future - Bart Ehrman
11.01.20 | Articles | The Forum
Bart Ehrman, the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, chronicles the historical development of Christian ideas about the afterlife.
The Greatest City in the World: The Future of the Big Apple - Fred Cerullo
10.25.20 | Articles | The Forum
Fred Cerullo, Executive Director of the Grand Central Partnership and a Commissioner on the New York City Planning Commission discusses the future of New York City in the wake of COVID-19.
The Digital Cathedral: The Future of the Church - Rev. Keith Anderson and Prof. J. Patrick Hornbeck II
10.18.20 | Articles | The Forum
The Reverend Keith Anderson, author of The Digital Cathedral: Networked Ministry in a Wireless World, talks with Professor J. Patrick Hornbeck II of Fordham University about the future of the Church beyond 2020.
It Ain’t Easy Being Native - Rev. Dr. Bradley Hauff
10.11.20 | Articles | The Forum
Indigenous People, The Doctrine of Discovery, and the Episcopal Church: On the eve of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, The Episcopal Church’s Indigenous Missioner, The Reverend Dr. Bradley Hauff, examines the Church’s problematic...
Christianity and Animals - David Clough
10.04.20 | Articles | The Forum
David Clough, Professor of Theological Ethics at the University of Chester (UK) and the co-founder of https://www.becreaturekind.org/, outlines the responsibilities Christians have to protect and care for non-human animals.
The State of St. Bart's - The Clergy of St. Bart's
09.27.20 | Articles | The Forum
The clergy of St. Bart’s reflect on the parish’s response to COVID-19 and share plans for the coming year.
@BlackLiturgies: Black Voices, Worship and Prayer - Cole Arthur Riley
09.20.20 | Articles | The Forum
Cole Arthur Riley, the creator of the Instagram account @blackliturgies, shares some of her beautiful prayers and speaks to the importance of amplifying Black voices in the liturgical life of the Church. https://www.instagram.com/blackliturgies/
Who Is My Neighbor During a Pandemic? Part 2: Vaccines and Public Health - Dr. Jamie Ferrara and Dr. Jim Marion
09.13.20 | Articles | The Forum
After an initial overview of COVID-19 in June, Dr. Jamie Ferrara and Dr. Jim Marion return to discuss progress being made towards a vaccine. Dr. Ferrara and Dr. Marion suggest reviewing this article in Foreign Policy for background on the topic.