Washington National Cathedral presents the Spring 2021 series of "Honest to God," an online program featuring wisdom leaders, theologians and others offering spiritual conversation for uncertain times.
Register below for upcoming conversations.
Bishop Yvette Flunder
Guest preacher Bishop Yvette Flunder and Dean Randy Hollerith hold an Honest to God conversation on Bishop Flunder’s life and leadership. They will be joined by the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Canon Theologian at Washington National Cathedral, and Michael Vazquez, Director of the Religion and Faith Program at HRC, to reflect on LGBTQIA leadership and the church during Pride month.
The Life and Leadership of John Lewis
Tuesday, March 23 • 7 pm EST
Dean Randy Hollerith hosts Jon Meacham, author and historian, with Congressman Lewis’ Chiefs of Staff, Linda Earley Chastang and Michael Collins, for an intimate conversation about Lewis’ life and leadership. Less than a year after Lewis’ death, the guests reflect on what inspired and sustained his decades-long, faith-driven leadership that focused on the wellbeing of others.
Free; donations accepted.
Congressional Chaplains
Tuesday, April 20 • 7 pm EST
In partnership with the National Institute on Civil Discourse (NICD), the Cathedral welcomes Senate Chaplain Barry Black and House Chaplain Margaret Kibben for a conversation about ethical leadership. As Chaplains, Black and Kibben have a unique relationship with elected officials. Dean Hollerith and Keith Allred, Director of NICD, discuss public service, the Golden Rule, insights from military chaplaincy, and the role of faith in fostering respect and healing amidst painful division.
José Andrés
Tuesday, May 11 • 7 pm EST
Chef and humanitarian José Andrés joins Dean Randy Hollerith and Canon Missioner Leonard Hamlin for a conversation about leadership, inspiration, and public service. Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, a non-profit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters, shares the stories behind his internationally recognized humanitarian efforts to eliminate poverty and feed the hungry.
Honest to God: 2020 Series
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry
October 21, 2020
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry is the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. A preacher, teacher and pastor, Bishop Curry encourages Christians to practice the “loving, liberating and life-giving Way of the Jesus Movement.” This conversation with Dean Hollerith reflects on respecting the dignity of every human being during this challenging, conflicted time.
Ambassador Andrew Young and The Rev. Dr. Paul Smith
June 17, 2020
Ambassador Andrew Young is the former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, US Congressman, and Atlanta Mayor. He was an early leader in civil rights movement, serving as executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was a close confident of Martin Luther King, Jr. The Rev. Dr. Paul Smith is a Presbyterian minister, mediator, and civil right activist known for creating multi-racial churches in Buffalo, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Brooklyn.
Quinn Cook
May 27, 2020
Quinn Cook, 2018 NBA champion joins Canon Missioner Leonard Hamlin to discuss faith and perseverance. A graduate of Dematha High School in Prince George’s County, Cook is a producer of the recently released Showtime documentary Basketball County: In the Water. His early life experiences and strong family ties to church laid the foundation for a faith that undergirds a commitment to community and to God.
Barbara Brown Taylor
May 20, 2020
Bestselling author, teacher, and Episcopal priest Barbara Brown Taylor joins Dean Randy Hollerith for conversation. She is the author of 14 books, the most recent Holy Envy was published in March 2019. An Altar in the World (2010) and Learning to Walk in the Dark (2015) were both New York Times Bestsellers. In 2014 TIME included her on its annual list of Most Influential People.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde
May 13, 2020
Dean Randy Hollerith hosts Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde for an Honest to God conversation on living with faith during the pandemic. Bishop Budde is a passionate believer in the gospel of Jesus and the Episcopal Church’s particular witness and is committed to developing new expressions of Christian community. She believes that Jesus calls all who follow him to strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being.
Father James Martin
May 5, 2020
Father James Martin is a Jesuit priest and editor at large at America magazine. He is the author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage and Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Sensitivity and Compassion. In 2017, he was appointed by Pope Francis as a consultant to the Vatican’s Dicastary for Communication.
Nadia Bolz-Weber
April 29, 2020
The Honest to God series continues with Nadia Bolz-Weber, ordained Lutheran Pastor. Bolz-Weber is the founder of House for All Sinners & Saints in Denver, and a New York Times bestselling author. She writes and speaks about personal failings, recovery, grace and faith.
Earth Day: 50 Years
April 22, 2020
The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Evangelism, Reconciliation and Creation, hosted a panel discussion on healing the earth in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day. Rev. Traci Blackmon, Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas and Bishop David Rice joined Canon Spellers to remind us of the urgency of collective, inspired, and loving action to end the climate crisis.
Lisa Sharon Harper
April 15, 2020
Canon Theologian Kelly Brown Douglas, Dean of Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary, hosts writer, speaker and activist Lisa Sharon Harper. Harper served as Sojourners Chief Church Engagement Officer, where she is currently a columnist. She is the author of several books, including The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong can be Made Right.
Philip Yancey
April 1, 2020
Dean Hollerith hosts bestselling author Philip Yancey, author of Where Is God When It Hurts, Disappointment with God, and The Question That Never Goes Away. Yancey brought his wisdom and experience to an online audience, expanding on thoughts he shared in his most recent blog, Living in Plague Times.