The Forum at Grace Cathedral

At age twenty-one, the pain of losing her mother to cancer sent Laurel Mathewson—with a naturally skeptical and questioning outlook—on a years-long existential journey. Laurel began to read The Interior Castle, Saint Teresa of Ávila’s book about the “dwellings” within our souls that we move through to develop an ever-deepening relationship with God through prayer. In An Intimate Good: A skeptical Christian mystic in conversation with Teresa of Ávila, a beautifully written and moving memoir, she illustrates an ancient reality still very much alive today: the love and closeness of a good God, as known through Jesus Christ, who seeks to move out into the world, into our very bodies and lives. Not by nature or training inclined to believe such a wild claim, Laurel discovered that God is full of surprises. Join Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral, for a conversation with Mathewson about bringing to life the complex frameworks and ideas of The Interior Castle and also the living God who is at the heart of it. Buy the Book About the Guest Born and raised in Oregon, Laurel Mathewson developed a deep love for nature, rural life, and social justice. At Stanford, she discovered her intellectual passion in the intersections of literature and landscape, faith and politics, and social transformation. After losing her mother to cancer at 21, she pursued careers in academia, media (as an editorial assistant at Sojourners in Washington, D.C.), and ministry. She eventually became an Episcopal priest, serving at St. Luke’s, a vibrant multicultural church in San Diego. During her time there she’s written award-winning pieces for Sojourners, Geez, and The Christian Century. She is also the editor of The Interior Castle: Exploring a Spiritual Classic as a Modern Reader. About the Moderator The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young is the dean of Grace Cathedral. He is the author of The Spiritual Journal of Henry David Thoreau and The Invisible Hand in Wilderness: Economics, Ecology, and God, and is a regular contributor on religion to the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner. About The Forum The Forum is a series of stimulating conversations about faith and ethics in relation to the important issues of our day. We invite inspiring and illustrious people to sit down for a real conversation with the Forum’s host and with you. Our guests range from artists, inventors and philosophers to pop culturists and elected officials, but the point of The Forum is singular: civil, sophisticated discourse that engages minds and hearts to think in new ways about the world.  Learn more about The Forum and upcoming discussions. You can help us bring the arts to life at Grace with a gift today to The Forum.

San Francisco is home to some of the nation’s most important and forward-thinking arts institutions. What is their role in shaping a city in the process of revitalization?  How are they themselves being shaped by this fast-evolving landscape? Especially against a backdrop of shifting national values, with provocative questions being asked at the highest levels, which directly impact the role and autonomy of museums and culture. Join us for a candid dialogue between some of San Francisco’s pre-eminent arts and civic leaders, moderated by Cathedral Dean Malcolm Clemens Young. The panel includes: Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Alison Gass, Founding Director & Chief Curator, Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco Dr. Soyoung Lee, The Barbara Bass Bakar Director and CEO, Asian Art Museum Ned Segal, Chief of Housing and Economic Development, San Francisco This will be a not-to-be-missed conversation for anyone who cares deeply about our city — and nation. The first in a series of conversations and convening at Grace Cathedral in support of civil dialogue and mutual understanding, this discussion will provide insights into why vibrant arts and cultural institutions are integral to hope, understanding, and urban regeneration. About the Guests Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Serving for over fifteen years as Director and CEO of two major US art museums—the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 2009–2017, and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco since 2018—Thomas P. Campbell has dedicated his life to the preservation, study, and promotion of art as a gateway to human understanding. A distinguished art historian, and authority in the field of European tapestries, Campbell was educated at Oxford and the Courtauld Institute. Alison Gass, Founding Director & Chief Curator, Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco Before founding ICASF in 2022, Alison Gass served as the director of the Institute of Contemporary Art San José, University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art, and chief curator of the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University. Gass began her museum career at the Jewish Museum in New York City and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She obtained her BA from Columbia University and MFA from the New York University Institute of Fine Arts. Dr. Soyoung Lee, The Barbara Bass Bakar Director and CEO, Asian Art Museum Dr. Lee joined the Asian Art Museum in April from the Harvard Art Museums, where she served as the Landon and Lavinia Clay Chief Curator since 2018. Before her time there, Dr. Lee spent 15 years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as the Met’s first-ever curator for Korean art. She received her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in art history from Columbia University. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, Dr. Lee has lived in Seoul, Tokyo, Stockholm, London, Los Angeles, New York, and Cambridge, MA. Ned Segal, Chief of Housing and Economic Development, San Francisco As Chief of Housing and Economic Development for San Francisco, Ned Segal is leading the revitalization of downtown, with a strong focus on arts, culture, and businesses of all sizes, driving economic growth. Previously, Ned served as Twitter’s Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President of Finance for Intuit, and Chief Financial Officer of then-public RPX Corp. Ned began his career at Goldman Sachs, most recently as a Managing Director and Head of Global Software Investment Banking. Ned earned a BS from Georgetown University in Spanish. About the Moderator The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young is the dean of Grace Cathedral. He is the author of The Spiritual Journal of Henry David Thoreau and The Invisible Hand in Wilderness: Economics, Ecology, and God, and is a regular contributor on religion to the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner. About The Forum The Forum is a series of stimulating conversations about faith and ethics in relation to the important issues of our day. We invite inspiring and illustrious people to sit down for a real conversation with the Forum’s host and with you. Our guests range from artists, inventors and philosophers to pop culturists and elected officials, but the point of The Forum is singular: civil, sophisticated discourse that engages minds and hearts to think in new ways about the world.  Learn more about The Forum and upcoming discussions. You can help us bring the arts to life at Grace with a gift today to The Forum.

john powell Forum   Grace Cathedral, San Francisco    john a. powell (who spells his name in lowercase in the belief that we should be “part of the universe, not over it, as capitals signify”) is an internationally respected expert in the areas of civil rights, racial identity, fair housing, poverty, and democracy. He is director of the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, where he holds the Robert D. Haas Chancellor's Chair in Equity and Inclusion, and is a professor of law, African American studies, and ethnic studies. He is the author of Racing to Justice, coauthor of Belonging without Othering and The Power of Bridging, and cofounder of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council.     Join Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral, for a conversation with Professor powell about an actionable path through “bridging” that helps us communicate, coexist, and imagine a new story for our shared future where we all belong.    Recorded at Grace Cathedral on September 28, 2025.   Give to Grace  You can help us bring the arts to life at Grace with a gift today to The Forum. gracecathedral.org/give   Become a GraceArts Member Love engaging dialogue? 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. Learn more and join at gracecathedral.org/join.   About the Guest john a. powell is an internationally respected expert in the areas of civil rights, racial identity, fair housing, poverty, and democracy. He is director of the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, where he holds the Robert D. Haas Chancellor's Chair in Equity and Inclusion, and is a professor of law, African American studies, and ethnic studies. He is the author of Racing to Justice, coauthor of Belonging without Othering and The Power of Bridging, and cofounder of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council. For more, visit johnapowell.org.    About the Moderator The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young is the dean of Grace Cathedral. He is the author of The Spiritual Journal of Henry David Thoreau and The Invisible Hand in Wilderness: Economics, Ecology, and God, and is a regular contributor on religion to the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner.     About The  Forum The Forum is a series of stimulating conversations about faith and ethics in relation to the important issues of our day. We invite inspiring and illustrious people to sit down for a real conversation with the Forum’s host and with you. Our guests range from artists, inventors and philosophers to pop culturists and elected officials, but the point of The Forum is singular: civil, sophisticated discourse that engages minds and hearts to think in new ways about the world.  Learn more about The Forum here:    gracecathedral.org/the-forum

The Rev. Dr. Paula Nesbitt was ordained a priest (1992) and then taught and directed an ethics institute at the University of Denver prior to serving as a visiting associate professor of sociology at U.C. Berkeley for 10 years. She also serves on the Steering Group of the Anglican Communion’s Anglican Peace and Justice Network as well as the International Anglican Women’s Network, and as a research consultant for varied Anglican and Episcopal projects. Her books include Indaba! A Way of Listening, Engaging, and Understanding across the Anglican Communion (Church Publishing, 2017), Feminization of the Clergy in America: Occupational and Organizational Perspectives (Oxford University Press, 1997), and Religion and Social Policy, an edited collection (AltaMira, 2001).   Join Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral, for a conversation with Nesbitt about her transformative work in relationship-building, conflict transformation, and reconciliation across differences of culture, belief, and points of view.  Buy Indaba! A Way of Listening, Engaging, and Understanding across the Anglican Communion  About the Guest The Rev. Dr. Paula Nesbitt has served as an Assisting Priest at All Souls since 2002. Following her M.Div. and Ph.D. (Harvard), she was ordained a priest (1992) and then taught and directed an ethics institute at the University of Denver prior to serving as a visiting associate professor of sociology at U.C. Berkeley for 10 years. Her current appointment is at the Graduate Theological Union (Visiting Professor of Sociology of Religion). She also serves on the Steering Group of the Anglican Communion’s Anglican Peace and Justice Network as well as the International Anglican Women’s Network, and as a research consultant for varied Anglican and Episcopal projects. Her books include Indaba! A Way of Listening, Engaging, and Understanding across the Anglican Communion (Church Publishing, 2017), Feminization of the Clergy in America: Occupational and Organizational Perspectives (Oxford University Press, 1997), and Religion and Social Policy, an edited collection (AltaMira, 2001). Interests include religion and multicultural societies, ethics and social justice, spirituality, and congregational studies.  About the Moderator The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young is the dean of Grace Cathedral. He is the author of The Spiritual Journal of Henry David Thoreau and The Invisible Hand in Wilderness: Economics, Ecology, and God, and is a regular contributor on religion to the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner. About The Forum The Forum is a series of stimulating conversations about faith and ethics in relation to the important issues of our day. We invite inspiring and illustrious people to sit down for a real conversation with the Forum’s host and with you. Our guests range from artists, inventors and philosophers to pop culturists and elected officials, but the point of The Forum is singular: civil, sophisticated discourse that engages minds and hearts to think in new ways about the world.  Learn more about The Forum and upcoming discussions. You can help us bring the arts to life at Grace with a gift today to The Forum.

Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Bonnie Tsui about her latest book, On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters.   In On Muscle, Tsui brings her signature blend of science, culture, immersive reporting, and personal narrative to examine not just what muscles are but what they mean to us. Cardiac, smooth, skeletal—these three different types of muscle in our bodies make our hearts beat; push food through our intestines, blood through our vessels, babies out the uterus; attach to our bones and allow for motion. Tsui also traces how muscles have defined beauty—and how they have distorted it—through the ages, and how they play an essential role in our physical and mental health.  Buy the Book About the Guest Bonnie Tsui is a longtime contributor to The New York Times and the author of the new book On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters, a vivid, thought-provoking celebration of musculature that was named one of NPR’s “Books We Love” 2025 and an Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Nonfiction of 2025; it is currently being translated into six languages. Her bestselling books include Why We Swim, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and a Time magazine and NPR Best Book of the Year, and American Chinatown, which won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. Her work has been recognized and supported by Harvard University, the National Press Foundation, and the Best American Essays series. She lives, swims, and surfs in the Bay Area. About the Moderator The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young is the dean of Grace Cathedral. He is the author of The Spiritual Journal of Henry David Thoreau and The Invisible Hand in Wilderness: Economics, Ecology, and God, and is a regular contributor on religion to the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner. About The Forum The Forum is a series of stimulating conversations about faith and ethics in relation to the important issues of our day. We invite inspiring and illustrious people to sit down for a real conversation with the Forum’s host and with you. Our guests range from artists, inventors and philosophers to pop culturists and elected officials, but the point of The Forum is singular: civil, sophisticated discourse that engages minds and hearts to think in new ways about the world.  Learn more about The Forum and upcoming discussions. You can help us bring the arts to life at Grace with a gift today to The Forum.

Jack Clark is the iconic varsity rugby coach at University of California. His team-building abilities are considered legendary within university circles and throughout the corporate sector. Since becoming head coach of the Golden Bears in 1984, Clark has led the rugby program to 30 national collegiate championships. Entering his 45th year overall and 43rd as head coach in 2025-26, he holds an all-time record of 732-106-5 (.870) in 15s and 230-23-0 (.909) in 7s. He has also produced 157 All-Americans, 60 players who have made 805 combined appearances on the United States National 15s Team, one two-time Olympian and six players who have earned their “Blues” at Oxford. Clark is also a former head coach of the U.S. National Team, which won an improbable 16 victories, the most in the history of U.S. rugby, during his term as coach. He has also coached the All-American team and led the All-Marine rugby team to the Silver Medal at the Armed Forces Championship. Join Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral and a Cal Rugby player, for a conversation with Clark about the art of team and culture building. About the Guest Jack Clark, legendary varsity rugby coach at the University of California, has led the Golden Bears since 1984, securing 30 national collegiate championships. Entering his 45th year overall and 43rd as head coach in 2025–26, he boasts a record of 732-106-5 in 15s and 230-23-0 in 7s, producing 157 All-Americans and numerous national team players. Clark’s athletes excel academically and professionally, with alumni in leadership across sectors, including the late Mark Bingham, honored for heroism on 9/11. Former head coach of the U.S. National Team, Clark achieved a record 16 victories and has coached at all elite levels. Inducted into both the U.S. Rugby and Cal Athletic Halls of Fame, he’s recognized as one of Cal’s most influential sports figures. A sought-after lecturer and corporate consultant, Clark shares his expertise in building high-performance teams with industries from biotech to finance, applying lessons from elite athletics to organizational success. About the Moderator The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young is the dean of Grace Cathedral. He is the author of The Spiritual Journal of Henry David Thoreau and The Invisible Hand in Wilderness: Economics, Ecology, and God, and is a regular contributor on religion to the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner. About The Forum The Forum is a series of stimulating conversations about faith and ethics in relation to the important issues of our day. We invite inspiring and illustrious people to sit down for a real conversation with the Forum’s host and with you. Our guests range from artists, inventors and philosophers to pop culturists and elected officials, but the point of The Forum is singular: civil, sophisticated discourse that engages minds and hearts to think in new ways about the world.  Learn more about The Forum and upcoming discussions. You can help us bring the arts to life at Grace with a gift today to The Forum.

Focus on Abortion: Americans Share Their Stories is a book and a traveling exhibit by author and photographer Roslyn Banish. Join Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral, for a conversation with Banish about what she has learned through the creation of this work, and giving voice to the often-missing and most important voices in the abortion conversation: the voices of those who have experienced abortion. The exhibit is on view in the cathedral during regular opening hours, Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 1 to 5 pm. There is an admission fee. Plan your visit. About the Artist Roslyn Banish is an author and photographer. She found her passion when she enrolled in a photography course at the Institute of Design in Chicago, where she received a Master’s degree in Photography. From the beginning, she was drawn to photographing people. Over time she realized that she wanted to include what her subjects had to say, along with the photographs. This approach of combining photographs and text has allowed her to more fully document human issues. Published works include Focus on Living: Portraits of Americans with HIV/AIDS (UMass Press). An exhibit of photographs and interviews from the book travelled to 35 community-based venues, from colleges to health centers to LBGTQ centers to a cafe. Other books: City Families: Chicago and London, and children’s books A Forever Family, Let Me Tell You About My Baby, Just Gus: A Rescue Dog and the Woman He Loved. Roslyn has exhibited her work in England and the US and has taught photography in the US, England, and Italy. Learn more: https://focusonabortion.org/ About the Moderator The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young is the dean of Grace Cathedral. He is the author of The Spiritual Journal of Henry David Thoreau and The Invisible Hand in Wilderness: Economics, Ecology, and God, and is a regular contributor on religion to the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner.

Dr. Russell M. Jeung, professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University and a leading sociologist of race, religion, and social movements, was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2021, in recognition of his work launching Stop AAPI Hate. Stop AAPI Hate is a U.S.-based coalition dedicated to fighting racism and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. As the nation’s largest reporting center tracking anti-AAPI hate acts, the coalition works to create a safer, more equitable future for all.  Jeung, who learned to integrate social activism and faith as a community activist in his East Oakland’s Murder Dubs neighborhood, asks difficult questions about longing and belonging, wealth and poverty, and how living in exile can transform your faith. Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Jeung about vital issues for us today: immigration, inequity, and taking faithful action.

Gary Dorrien, the Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and Professor of Religion at Columbia University, is the author of 24 books and more than 300 articles that range across the fields of social ethics, philosophy, theology, political economics, social and political theory, religious history, cultural criticism, and intellectual history. Social critic Michael Eric Dyson called him:  “the greatest theological ethicist of the twenty-first century, our most compelling political theologian, and one of the most gifted historians of ideas in the world.” Dorrien himself says: “I am a jock who began as a solidarity activist, became an Episcopal cleric at thirty, became an academic at thirty-five, and never quite settled on a field, so now I explore the intersections of too many fields.” Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Dorrien about his newest book, Over from Union Road: My Christian-Left-Intellectual Life, a rich memoir of his unusual journey.

Crystal Williams – writer, poet, advocate, leader, and President of the Rhode Island School of Design – believes that education, art and design, and commitments to equity and justice are essential to transforming our society. For more than two decades, her work to elevate and amplify the multiplicity of human experience in higher education has galvanized the imagination about who we have been and who we can become.    In her inaugural address, she asked: “Can you imagine a single national or international movement in which the arts were not a motivating and defining force? … For instance, in this country, the civil rights movement is often characterized as being driven by orators, attorneys, and activists; and yet when you unpack the requisite strategic components of the movement, beside the visionaries, activists, and strategists we typically call, were yet other visionaries, activists, and strategists, these narrating, depicting, influencing via graphic design, visual arts, performance, literature, film and television. Their worked galvanized the imagination, influenced perception, helped drive strategy, and helped to drive change. … This is not superficial work, it’s serious work.”  Join Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral, for a conversation with Williams about the power of art in a changing world.    Recorded on April 30, 2025.    Give to Grace   You can help us bring the arts to life at Grace with a gift today to The Forum. gracecathedral.org/give      Become a GraceArts Member  Love engaging dialogue? 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. Learn more and join!    About the Guest  Crystal Williams believes that education, art and design, and commitments to equity and justice are essential to transforming our society. For more than two decades, her work to elevate and amplify the multiplicity of human experience in higher education has galvanized the imagination about who we have been and who we can become. The daughter of an educator and a musician, Williams was raised in Detroit, MI and Madrid, Spain, where she was immersed in arts and culture from an early age. Today, when not on campus or connecting with RISD alumni and friends of RISD around the globe, one can often find her wandering art galleries or museums, at live theater—one of her first loves—reading or watching British murder mysteries and spending time enjoying the company of beloved friends, both human and canine. Williams earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Cornell University. In April 2022, she became the 18th President of Rhode Island School of Design. Learn more.    About the Moderator  The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young is the dean of Grace Cathedral. He is the author of The Spiritual Journal of Henry David Thoreau and The Invisible Hand in Wilderness: Economics, Ecology, and God, and is a regular contributor on religion to the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner.            About The Forum  The Forum is a series of stimulating conversations about faith and ethics in relation to the important issues of our day. We invite inspiring and illustrious people to sit down for a real conversation with the Forum’s host and with you. Our guests range from artists, inventors and philosophers to pop culturists and elected officials, but the point of The Forum is singular: civil, sophisticated discourse that engages minds and hearts to think in new ways about the world.  More about Grace Forum Online:     gracecathedral.org/the-forum 

Malcolm Harris Forum  Grace Cathedral, San Francisco     Just as humans have caused climate change, we hold the power to avert a climate apocalypse, but that will only happen through collective political action.    In WHAT’S LEFT: Three Paths Through the Planetary Crisis, bestselling author Malcolm Harris cuts through the noise and gets real about our remaining options for saving the world. Harris outlines the three strategies—progressive, socialist, and revolutionary—that have any chance of succeeding, while also revealing that none of them can succeed on their own.    WHAT’S LEFT is a vital and transformative guide for collective political action against the climate apocalypse, from “a brilliant thinker and writer capable of making the intricacies of economic conditions supremely readable” (Vulture).    Join Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral, for a conversation with Harris about his meta-strategy, one that will ensure we can move forward together rather than squabbling over potential solutions while the world burns.    Recorded at Grace Cathedral on April 23, 2025.    Give to Grace   You can help us bring the arts to life at Grace with a gift today to The Forum. gracecathedral.org/give      Become a GraceArts Member  Love engaging dialogue? 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. Learn more and join at gracecathedral.org/join.    About the Guest  Malcolm Harris is the author of the national bestseller Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Kids These Days: The Making of Millennials; and Shit is Fucked Up and Bullshit: History Since the End of History. He was born in Santa Cruz, CA and graduated from the University of Maryland.    About the Moderator  The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young is the dean of Grace Cathedral. He is the author of The Spiritual Journal of Henry David Thoreau and The Invisible Hand in Wilderness: Economics, Ecology, and God, and is a regular contributor on religion to the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner.            About The Forum  The Forum is a series of stimulating conversations about faith and ethics in relation to the important issues of our day. We invite inspiring and illustrious people to sit down for a real conversation with the Forum’s host and with you. Our guests range from artists, inventors and philosophers to pop culturists and elected officials, but the point of The Forum is singular: civil, sophisticated discourse that engages minds and hearts to think in new ways about the world.  Learn more about The Forum here:     gracecathedral.org/the-forum 

Mariann Edgar Budde is the bishop and spiritual leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C., and the Washington National Cathedral. On January 21, 2025, many Americans were introduced to Bishop Budde thanks to what The New York Times called “an extraordinary act of public resistance.” During her prayer service for Donald J. Trump’s second inauguration, Bishop Budde addressed the president directly, imploring him “to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now,” from those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, to immigrants and refugees.    But for Bishop Budde, this moment was the culmination of a lifetime spent thinking about and acting when we’re called on to push past our fears and act with strength. In her most recent book, How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, Bishop Budde explores the full range of decisive moments, and seamlessly weaves together personal experiences with stories from scripture, history, and pop culture to underscore both the universality of these moments and the particular call each one of us must heed when they arrive.    Join Bishop Austin K. Rios and Dean Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Bishop Budde about how being brave is not a singular occurrence; it’s a journey that we can choose to undertake every day. 

How do we cultivate collective flourishing? When facing the monumental challenges of our world, we often end up disconnecting to focus on our mental health. Dr. Yuria Celidwen explains this focus on our state of mind alone is precisely why so many of us struggle to flourish. “What’s been overlooked is the Indigenous perspective of relationality,” she says. “It is the understanding that happiness is only possible in community, when we cultivate our relationships toward all kin, from human to more-than-human, and our living Earth.”   Dr. Celidwen’s research shows the tremendous benefit of integrating Indigenous approaches into our approach to well-being, while recognizing the gains made by Western positive psychology, mindfulness, and neuroscience. In Flourishing Kin, she identifies seven key principles found in Indigenous cultures worldwide that embrace virtue, ethical living, and spirituality. Dr. Celidwen invites us to experience a path to fulfillment that allows us to meet the world in all its complexity with reverence and joyous commitment to participate in the flourishing of all living beings.   Join Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral, for a conversation with Celidwen about how we can overcome isolation and climate anxiety, nourish healthy relationships with our communities and environment, and build strong foundations of well-being that elevate our life choices for the benefit of our whole planet.  

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco  The internet is broken, and it’s urgent that we fix it. We can – and must – do more to safeguard the health and well-being of our children, our democracy, and our society as a whole.   Project Liberty is stitching together an ecosystem of technologists, academics, policymakers, and citizens committed to building a better internet—where the data is ours to manage, the platforms are ours to govern, and the power is ours to reclaim.   Join Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral, for a conversation with Sheila Warren, Chief Strategy and Operations Officer for Project Liberty and CEO of the Project Liberty Institute, about reimagining an internet that is designed for people and the collective good.

Every day the news is filled with stories of extreme weather that threatens our cities, our health, our futures: tornadoes wiping out whole communities; droughts that ignite catastrophic wildfires; storms flooding roads and destroying infrastructure; rising water levels that jeopardize entire nations; new climate-related diseases that threaten our health. Just as World War II raised an existential threat that united Americans in a common cause, the dangers of climate change are similarly challenging all of our previously held notions of the future—and our only hope is to unite together to take action in a collective movement akin to a war effort. Tom Steyer has been on the forefront of the climate war for well over a decade, leveraging his investment expertise, business knowledge, and community-organizing skills to support sustainable climate solutions. In his first book, Cheaper Faster Better: How We’ll Win the Climate War, he tells his own story of coming to understand the urgency of climate action, and he showcases the inspiring work of people on the front lines, whose innovative approaches provide hope for meaningful change. Join Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral, for a conversation with Steyer about why immediate action on the climate front will not only be our key to a healthy and viable future but also an investment in the future of our economy. Recorded on March 23, 2025.

In her book Jesus For Everyone, Not Just Christians renowned biblical scholar and author Amy-Jill Levine uses stories told by and about Jesus to address the issues dividing us today: economics, family values, the legacy of slavery, nationalism, healthcare, and politics.   Join Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean of Grace Cathedral, for a conversation with Dr. Levine about why Jesus’s historic and cultural influence makes him fascinating, provocative, and relevant for everyone, not only Christians.   Recorded on April 12, 2025. Give to Grace  You can help us bring the arts to life at Grace with a gift today to The Forum. gracecathedral.org/give   Become a GraceArts Member Love engaging dialogue? 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. Learn more and join!   About the Guest Dr. Amy-Jill Levine is the Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Hartford International University for Religion and Peace; University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies Emerita and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita, Vanderbilt. Dr. Levine is the first Jew to teach at Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute and the recipient of the 2023 Hubert Walter Award for Interfaith Cooperation awarded by the Archbishop of Canterbury. She is the author of many books, including The Misunderstood Jew and Short Stories by Jesus, and she is the co-editor of the Jewish Annotated New Testament.   About the Moderator The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young is the dean of Grace Cathedral. He is the author of The Spiritual Journal of Henry David Thoreau and The Invisible Hand in Wilderness: Economics, Ecology, and God, and is a regular contributor on religion to the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner.           About The Forum The Forum is a series of stimulating conversations about faith and ethics in relation to the important issues of our day. We invite inspiring and illustrious people to sit down for a real conversation with the Forum’s host and with you. Our guests range from artists, inventors and philosophers to pop culturists and elected officials, but the point of The Forum is singular: civil, sophisticated discourse that engages minds and hearts to think in new ways about the world.  More about Grace Forum Online:    gracecathedral.org/the-forum      

Dietary guidelines, alcohol, ultra-processed foods. It seems like new recommendations come out every day. Who is making our food choices?     Marion Nestle, one of the seven most powerful foodies (Forbes Magazine), is a molecular biologist and nutritionist who started the country’s first academic food-studies program at NYU, bringing attention to the roles that culture, capitalism, and politics play in what and how much we eat.     Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Nestle about how to navigate the science, what we might expect from the next administration, and sneak previews of her next two books. 

How do we live with fire? Fire is an essential part of California’s ecology. Humans have been using it to shape the California landscape for thousands of years. But today many Californians’ relationship to fire is one of fear. Obi Kaufmann, author of the best-selling California Field Atlas, now asks: How do we live with fire? What makes fire essential to a healthy and biodiverse Golden State, and how do we benefit from its teachings? With the same solution-minded ethic as his much-admired The State of Water: Understanding California’s Most Precious Resource, in The State of Fire: Why California Burns Kaufmann presents fire as a force of regeneration rather than apocalypse. He considers the long history of ecological burns, the varied ways fire behaves across the state, and the lessons we can learn from California’s largest fires of recent decades. Packed with Kaufmann’s signature watercolor maps and paintings, The State of Fire confronts one of California’s most pressing social and ecological challenges. From this maelstrom Kaufmann emerges to share a deepened love for the natural world—and a refreshingly hopeful vision of California’s future.   Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with Kaufmann about stewardship, resilience, and hope.

At the end of our lives, what do we most wish for? For many, it’s simply comfort, respect, love. On November 10, as we celebrate All Souls’ Day at our Choral Eucharist service, please don’t miss the opportunity to hear also from renowned hospice and palliative care specialist, public speaker, and connector BJ Miller. On this day of prayer and remembrance for those we love and see no longer, who better to hear from than this deep thinker about how to create a dignified, graceful end of life. Miller is the co-author with Shoshana Berger of the book A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death; the executive director of San Francisco’s Zen Hospice Project from 2011 to 2016; and the founder of the Center for Dying and Living, a web site designed for people to share their own stories related to living with illness, disability, and loss or caring for those who are.