The Cathedral's public programs explore the intersection of sacred and civic life, convening people from all walks of life to examine important issues through the lens of the Gospel.
The Marshall Plan: Democracy, Faith and America’s Role in the World
Seventy-five years ago, the United States did something extraordinary: It debited precious resources to rebuild a war-torn world. Acting out of both generosity and of self-interest, the nation undertook the Marshall Plan, a profound effort to create a safer, better, freer world. What are the lessons of this experience for America today? Is a divided country capable of big things? Can democracies truly rise to the challenges inherent to a world of appetite and ambition? A conversation with David Ignatius, Joe Scarborough, and Jon Meacham.
Beyond Black and White: African American Art & Iconography
Art permeates our lives in museums, our homes, and the public square. The images and stories artists capture tell us of truth, history, divinity, beauty, and pain. In public spaces, how and what we choose to create and show has lasting impacts in our communities. Join Washington National Cathedral for an evening with artists, historians, and leaders for a discussion about art and the impact of imagery of African Americans and African American culture. This evening forum will be moderated by Cathedral Canon Theologian The Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas and feature a discussion with artists, curators and historians.
Man, Machine, and God – Ignatius Forum
With the very fast acceleration of artificial intelligence, we are approaching what may be an inflection point in human history—the moment when A.I. is so advanced that it is impossible to know whether you are talking in a chat, say, with a human or a computer.
Before we take this next step in human-machine evolution, we need to think very carefully. Henry Kissinger, among others, has asked – Is the Age of Artificial Intelligence the end of the Age of Reason? These issues in technology may sound recondite, but they go to the heart of what it is to be “human.” What are the essential values that should guide our human interaction with each other, the planet, and the infinity beyond?
Join Washington National Cathedral for this year’s annual Ignatius Forum.
A Long, Long Way: Conversations on Race and Film
Before his death in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. remarked that while the nation had come “a long, long way” in its quest for racial justice, it still had a long, long way to go. In this spirit, the Long, Long Way Film Weekend at Washington National Cathedral compares historical and contemporary film, offering a unique opportunity to explore narratives of race and prejudice over time.
This year, the series moves online as a two-part event, comparing Casablanca (1942), Crash (2004), and Black Panther (2018)
Faith, Compassion, and Healing our National Divides
Friday, November 20, 2020 • 11 am et
Join us for an online conversation with two of America’s best-known faith leaders, The Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church and Dr. Russell Moore, executive director of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. Moderated by broadcaster Krista Tippett.
Cathedral Oral Histories
The Cathedral’s Racial Justice Task Force presents a series of first-person oral histories from African American members of the Cathedral community to help us all learn, reflect and walk forward together.