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
The Life and Leadership of Frances Hesselbein
11.10.24 | Articles | The Forum
The makers of the new documentary Defining Moments: The Life and Leadership of Quiet Revolutionary Frances Hesselbein pay tribute to the long-time friend of St. Bart’s who counseled military and business leaders and served as the CEO of the...
A Report from the Laboratory: Notes from the Church Beyond
11.03.24 | Articles | The Forum
The Right Reverend Mark D. W. Edington, Bishop-in-Charge of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, speaks about the presence of the Episcopal Church outside of the United States.
The Making of a Hospital Chaplain
10.27.24 | Articles | The Forum
Rabbi Mychal Springer, ACPE, BCC, Manager of Clinical Pastoral Education at NY-Presbyterian Hospital, explains how hospital chaplains are educated and trained.
Doctor, Will You Pray for Me?
10.20.24 | Articles | The Forum
Robert Klitzman, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Masters of Bioethics Program at Columbia University Medical Center, discusses the role that spirituality can play in medical care.
Ethics at the End of Life
10.13.24 | Articles | The Forum
Liz Blackler, MBE, LCSW, Program Manager for the Ethics Committee at Memorial Sloan Kettering, looks at the ethical issues that can arise at the end of a human life.
The Secret Life of the Sea: Exploration, Discovery, and Unexpected Deep-Sea Solutions
10.06.24 | Articles | The Forum
Peter DeMenocal, President and Director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, discusses efforts currently being made to better understand the mysteries of the ocean and the role that ocean-related solutions can play in the fight against...
We Choose You: How Black Voters Decide Which Candidates to Support
09.29.24 | Articles | The Forum
Julian Wamble, Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University, discusses the role that the Black electorate plays in American elections.
Marked: Not Your Typical Bible Story
09.22.24 | Articles | The Forum
Nearly two decades after its initial publication, parishioner Steve Ross discusses his graphic novel Marked, a subversive, award winning and genre-defying comic based on the Gospel according to Mark.
Ask Us Anything: The Clergy of St. Bart’s
09.15.24 | Articles | The Forum
The Clergy of St. Bart’s answer your questions about . . . absolutely anything.
Leaning into the Lectionary: How We Read the Bible in Church and Why It Matters
09.08.24 | Articles | The Forum
The Reverend Peter Thompson presents an overview of the Revised Common Lectionary, the system of assigned readings from the Bible that is used at St. Bart’s and throughout the English-speaking world.