Crossroads from Washington National Cathedral

Hope and Christian Humanism with Anne Snyder | Episode 58

Comment Magazine editor-in-chief Anne Snyder believes one of the great challenges of our time is transforming anxiety into yearning. From her childhood overseas, to her vision for “The Understory” festival at Washington National Cathedral, Snyder offers a hopeful framework for engaging public life with curiosity, humility, and wonder. Together with Dean Randy Hollerith, they also reflect on faith and the search for common ground in an increasingly fractured society.

 

Additional Resources:

• https://comment.org/
• https://cathedral.org/calendar/understory-uprising/

Separation of Church and State with Rachel Laser | Episode 57

What does protecting religious freedom truly mean in a democracy and pluralistic society? Dean Randy Hollerith welcomes Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, for a deep dive into the constitutional principles, cultural tensions, and deeply personal convictions shaping today’s debates around faith and public life.

 

Additional Resources:

• https://www.au.org/

Stepping into "Time" by Luxmuralis with Artist Peter Walker | Episode 56

Earlier this year, Time by Luxmuralis transformed the Cathedral into a breathtaking experience of light, sound and movement. Dean Randy Hollerith welcomed artist Peter Walker of Luxmuralis to discuss the inspiration behind the acclaimed installation and to reflect on how immersive works can open new pathways to wonder, reflection, and even transcendence.

 

Additional Resources:

• Luxmuralis at the Cathedral
• Luxmuralis' Website
• Peter Walker's Website

Embodying Shalom with Former Presidential Speechwriter Peter Wehner | Episode 55

Dean Randy Hollerith welcomes Peter Wehner back to Crossroads to explore the impact of single, powerful word: shalom. While it often conveys peace and wholeness, shalom can also point to a deep connection with God, others and ourselves. Together, the pair discuss what it might take to live more fully into shalom in times of division, loneliness and cultural unrest.

Stations of the Cross and the Practice of Presence | Episode 54

On this special Holy Week episode of Crossroads, we explore the ancient, movement-based practice of the Stations of the Cross - what it is, where it originates, and why it still resonates today. The Rev. Spencer Brown and Dr. Terri Lynn Simpson, Manager of the Cathedral's Center for Prayer & Pilgrimage, reflect on how slowing down and entering the story of Jesus’ journey to the cross allows us to discover more about ourselves

History in the Making with Heather Cox Richardson | Episode 53

Join us for highlights from our recent program featuring Historian Heather Cox Richardson. Together with Dean Randy Hollerith, Dr. Richardson reflects on the state of American democracy and the lessons history offers for our shared future. Known for her widely read daily newsletter Letters from an American, Richardson brings clarity and insight to the complex forces shaping our political and civic life.

 

Additional Resources:

• Watch the full event replay
• Dr. Richardson's "Letters from an American" Newsletter

Amplifying Voices through Poetry and Reflection | Episode 52

Catch up on highlights from our recent program featuring poets Pádraig Ó Tuama and Marilyn Nelson. Through the lenses of history and faith, the duo explores how poetry can amplify ignored American stories, how silence shapes the act of listening, writing, and truth-telling, and what it means to make space for voices long disregarded.

 

Additional Resources:

• Full Event Replay
• Marilyn's Website
• Pádraig's Website

Identity and Advocacy through Storytelling with Leyla King | Episode 51

The Rev. Canon Leyla King joins the Rev. Spencer Brown to discuss King’s journey as a Palestinian-American Episcopal priest and the stories at the heart of her book, Daughters of Palestine. Their conversation explores identity, inherited faith, and the ways memory and storytelling shape vocation, resilience, and faithful witness in a fractured world.

 

Additional Resources:

• Leyla's Website
• Daughters of Palestine

Courage and Civic Leadership with Polish Diplomat Bogdan Klich | Episode 50

Dean Hollerith welcomes Bogdan Klich, Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, to reflect on the pro-democratic opposition movement in communist Poland during the 1970s and 1980s, including his imprisonment at the time. Together, they explore themes of civic leadership and the place of faith in moments of personal and historical significance.

Religious Authority and Personal Identity with Bestselling Author Tia Levings | Episode 49

Author and advocate Tia Levings joins Vicar Dana Corsello to discuss Levings’ experience within a highly structured religious environment and her subsequent journey of reflection and recovery. Their conversation explores belief, authority, theology, and identity, as well as how religious frameworks can shape individual lives and communities.

 

Additional Resources:

• Tia Levings - Personal Website
• A Well-Trained Wife