Church Tomorrow?: What Nones and Dones Teach Us About the Future of Faith
The Reverend Canon Stephanie Spellers, Assisting Priest, draws on the experiences of those at the Church’s periphery in her effort to chart a future for faith itself.
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, June 1, 2025
The Renewal of the Church for the Healing of the World: Why the Story of Church Decline is Wrong
The Right Reverend Matthew F. Heyd, Bishop of New York, offers his thoughts on the renewal that is already happening within the Church.
Upcoming Speakers at The Forum
June 8
A Personal Story of Palestine
The Reverend Canon Leyla King, a Palestinian American priest and the author of the forthcoming memoir Daughters of Palestine, provides a way in to the conversation about the current realities in the Holy Land through the lens of her family’s experiences as Palestinian Christians.
June 15 Jon Key, author of Black, Queer & Untold, on art, sexuality, and race
June 22 Jacqueline Goldsby, Professor of African-American Studies and English at Yale University, and Charles Cuykendall Carter, Assistant Curator at New York Public Library, on James Baldwin
June 29 The Reverend Mihee Kim-Kort, co-pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Annapolis, Maryland, on queerness and faith
Watch or listen to The Forum from previous weeks below.
Featured
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.
Not of Charity, but Justice: Labor Rights and the Common Good - John Wirenius
09.06.20 | Articles | The Forum
On Labor Day weekend, the Reverend John Wirenius, Deacon of St. Bart's and the Chair of the New York State Public Employment Relations Board, discusses the importance of securing labor rights as part of our effort to build a just society. Read a...
Women’s Suffrage: 100 Years Later - Lee Ann Banaszak
08.30.20 | Articles | The Forum
As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of 19th amendment, Lee Ann Banaszak, Professor of Political Science and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the Pennsylvania State University, reflects on the past, present...
Tolle Lege (Take Up and Read!): Reading as Revelation - Lauren Smith
08.23.20 | Articles | The Forum
Lauren Smith, a PhD student in Religious Studies at Brown University, examines the close connections between the experience of reading great literature and the experience of conversion. Please email your questions for our speaker to the...
White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity - Robert P. Jones
08.16.20 | Articles | The Forum
Robert P. Jones (CEO and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute) reflects on his new book, which outlines the long and unfortunate connection between white supremacy and Christianity in America.
Racism and Climate Change: Understanding the Link, Preparing for Action - Malik Saafir
08.09.20 | Articles | The Forum
Malik Saafir, GreenFaith’s Arkansas Organizer and a long-time racial justice activist, will speak about these interconnections and how faith communities can make a difference. Please email your questions for our speaker to the Reverend...
Damaged Heritage - J. Chester Johnson
08.02.20 | Articles | The Forum
J. Chester Johnson discusses his latest book, Damaged Heritage, the account of his discovery of his beloved grandfather’s participation in the worst race massacre in our country’s history; his meeting of Sheila L. Walker, a descendant...