Starlight: Exploring the Epiphany in Art
The Reverend Dr. Ayla Lepine, Associate Rector of St. James's Piccadilly in London, explores the role of the star in the story of the Magi's visit to Bethlehem and how that star has been depicted in art.

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.
As Bishop Sarah Mullally prepares to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, the Reverend Canon Chuck Robertson, Ph.D., Canon & Senior Advisor to the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, reflects on the role Archbishops of Canterbury have played within the Anglican tradition.
January 18: The Reverend Dr. Andrew Wilkes, Co-Lead Pastor, Double Love Experience Church
January 25: James L. Ferrara, M.D., Ward-Coleman Chair in Cancer Medicine, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine
February 1: Edward Button, Countertenor, The King’s Singers
February 8: Annual Meeting of the Parish
February 15: Melanie Holcomb, Ph.D., Curator, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Nancy Thebaut, Ph.D., Associate Professor of the History of Art, University of Oxford
February 22: Michael Zuch, LCSW, Clinical Social Worker and Ph.D. student at Rutgers University School of Social Work
Watch or listen to The Forum from previous weeks below.
The Reverend Dr. Ayla Lepine, Associate Rector of St. James's Piccadilly in London, explores the role of the star in the story of the Magi's visit to Bethlehem and how that star has been depicted in art.
Dante Tipiani, Senior Navigator and Community Builder at CaringKind provides information on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and offers an overview of available programs and services.
The Reverend Ryan Kuratko and the Reverend Megan Sanders, Episcopal chaplains at Manhattan universities, reflect on the tense climate on college campuses and the challenges facing their students.
The Reverend Canon Dr. Duncan Dormor, General Secretary of the United Society Partners in the Gospel, unpacks the complex connection between imperialism and mission work and imagines how the Church can more productively connect across cultures...
Carole Bailey French, President of St. Bartholomew’s Conservancy, discusses the majestic Triple Portal entrance to St. Bart's and efforts currently underway to preserve it for future generations.
Attorney Mary Rothwell Davis, who oversees the larger Diocese’s work on immigration and refugees, assesses the current federal approach to immigration and shares thoughts on what we, as people of faith, can do.
The Reverend Buddy Stallings reflects on the decade since he retired as Rector of St. Bart’s and the state of the world today.
Dr. Daisy Khan, Founder and Executive Director of Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality & Equality (WISE), discusses how Muslim women’s lives can be improved by connecting them to beliefs that affirm human dignity and gender...
In an age of information overload and political polarization, how do we discern what truly serves the common good? CUNY Law professor and St. Bart’s parishioner Ally Coll explores the promises and pitfalls of both evidence-based and...
Have you wondered why the lines for food have gotten so long? Patrick Bergquist, Interim Executive Director of Crossroads Community Services, discusses the increasing prevalence of food insecurity within our city.
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.