Grace Cathedral
The Forum is
A series of stimulating conversations about faith, ethics, and culture.
We invite inspiring and illustrious people to join us for an authentic — and interactive — conversation with the Forum’s host, Malcolm Clemens Young, the dean of Grace Cathedral. Our guests range from artists, inventors and philosophers, to pop culturists, elected officials and faith leaders. In all of our conversations the goal of The Forum is singular: civil, sophisticated discourse that engages minds and hearts, encouraging us to think about the world in new ways. The Forum meets online on Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. or in-person on Sundays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., and is free of charge and open to all.
If you enjoy these engaging dialogues and would like to receive discounts on other arts, music, and cultural offerings found only at Grace, consider joining our GraceArts cultural membership program. Details below.
Debie Thomas
September 22 @ 9:30 am
Join us for a conversation with Thomas about what sorts of ruptures and revisions it would take to find a more spacious faith — and then to inhabit it with authenticity and joy.
The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios
September 29 @ 9:30 am
Join us for an engaging conversation with the Ninth Bishop of California, The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios, who was installed on August 11 (watch the installation here).
Michael Mechanic
October 6 @ 9:30 am
Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Mechanic about his compassionate, character-rich, perversely humorous, and ultimately troubling journey into the American wealth fantasy and where it has taken us.
The Rev. Canon Dr. Stephanie Spellers
October 13 @ 9:30 am
Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Canon Stephanie about who we are, why God placed us here, what difference that makes to the world, and what the Episcopal Church will look like over the next 50 years.
The Rt. Rev. William E. Swing
October 27 @ 9:30 am
Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Bishop Swing about the complex relationship between belief in a life-creating God and the reality of a life-denying nuclear arsenal.
BJ Miller, MD
November 11 @ 9:30 am
Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Miller regarding the big questions about how we think on death and honor life.
Previous Forums
King and Faith
(In-Person)
January 14 @ 4 pm
Join us for a discussion in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., presented in partnership with The Northern California Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Foundation and moderated by Executive Director Aaron Grizzell.
Rev. John Dear
(In-Person)
January 21 @ 9:30 am
Join Malcolm Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral, in conversation with leading peace activist, author, and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Rev. John Dear, talking about his new book, The Gospel of Peace: A Commentary on Matthew, Mark and Luke from the Perspective of Nonviolence.
Shaun Casey
(Online)
February 7 @ 6 pm
Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Shaun Casey, the founding director of the US Department of State’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs, about how understanding the role of religion in global politics is crucial for effective diplomacy.
Bryan Gibel and Di’ara Reid
(In-Person)
February 18 @ 9:30 am
Join us for an exclusive sneak peek of “Sign My Name to Freedom,” a feature documentary about iconic National Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin, her hidden life as a singer-songwriter, and her family’s experiences confronting Jim Crow-style segregation on the West Coast.
Tobias Keller and Ian Haney López
(In-Person)
March 3 @ 9:30 am
Join us for an insightful conversation between Vice Chair of the Grace Cathedral Board of Trustees, Tobias Keller and UC Berkeley Law professor Ian Haney López about his book: Dog Whistle Politics, Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America.
David Ackerly
(In-Person)
March 10 @ 9:30 am
Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Ackerly about our responsibility in a changing climate, and how to prepare the next generation for a changing world.
The Rev. Jim Wallis
(In-Person)
April 14 @ 9:30 am
Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Rev. Jim Wallis, the inaugural holder of the Chair in Faith and Justice at the McCourt School of Public Policy and founding Director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice, about his latest book, The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy.
Tonya M. Foster
(In-Person)
April 28 @ 9:30 am
Every year we choose a theme to inspire us and to create new ways to grow as a community. Last year was our Year of Poetry. In 2024, we celebrate the 175th anniversary of the founding of Grace Cathedral with the Year of Memory. Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Foster about poetry as memory and poetry as prayer.
Dr. Sarah Ogilvie
(In-Person)
May 5 @ 9:30 am
Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Ogilvie about the previously untapped archives she discovered and the never-before-heard full story of the making of one of the most famous books in the world.
Michael Goldberg
(In-Person)
Join Dean Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Michael about his experience with the musicians, the challenges of photographing musicians, and his pioneering career in writing about music.
Watch or Listen
to Past Forums
Watch The Forum from 2017 to the present on our YouTube channel. You can also listen to The Forum, from the most recent one to October 2018, as an iTunes podcast. Please note: for the most recent Forum, the video is usually posted by the end of the next business day.
Visit our calendar for upcoming conversations on The Forum, and get involved.
Love engaging dialogue?
Become a GraceArts Member
We offer a special cultural membership program, GraceArts, focused exclusively on the arts and well-being. GraceArts allows a wider community to belong to and support Grace, with discounts and benefits on a robust schedule of events.
