The Pearl of Great Price
Episodes
362 episodes
Sep 4 The Murder of a Croatian Abbot and Iconographer
Rafailo Momčilović was a celebrated Orthodox painter (writer) of Icons. He was murdered by the fascist Ustase in Croatia whilst they were a Nazi puppet government
Sep 3 The Heliand - An Old Norse Life of Christ
The discovery and publication of the Heliand started to explain a historical mystery. How were the warrior Germanic Cultures subsumed into Christendom? This life of Christ in Old Norse is now an invaluable epic poem in a forgotten languag...
Sep 2 An American Ascetic Orthodox Monk - Seraphim Rose
The translations and summaries of Orthodox wisdom from Fr Seraphim Rose became valued as illegal Samizdat, material banned and shared in a clandestine manner under Communism. We look at the life and conversion of this monk who died at a young a...
Sep 1 Fr Dowling's Spiritual Exercises and Alcoholics Anonymous
The Friendship between Jesuit Priest Ed Dowling and the founder of the AA Bill Wilson was deep and rich, We look at how Dowling became his advisor and sponsor and how he integrated the Ignatian Exercises into the 12 step programme
Aug 31 Grunewald and the Isenheim Altarpiece
Matthias Grunewald masterpiece was commissioned by the Antonite Monks at Isenheim. His depiction of an excruciating crucifixion is now iconic and was commissioned in the context of a monastery that was treating victims of the plague and s...
Aug 30 Liverpool, Everton and the Rev Ben Chambers
When Ben Chambers became the Methodist Minister at St Domingo's chapel he started the 'Band of Hope' putting on activities to distract youngsters from drink. Thus Everton FC was born and then its younger brother - the more successful Live...
Aug 29 Michael Faraday, non conformism and electricity
Today Michael Faraday induced the first electrical current - this would change civilization. Not formally educated - his enquiring mind was underpinned by his faith - we explore this today
.jpg)
Aug 28 Medellin and the start of Liberation Theology
Paul VI opened the Second Conference of Latin American Bishops in Medellin, Colombia. This was influenced by the Brazilian educationalist Paolo Freire and his theory on 'conscientisation'. The conference endorsed the 'preferential o...
Aug 27 The Businessman who could be beatified
Enrique Shaw was a successful lifelong businessman from Argentina. As he was dying awaiting for a life saving blood transfusion - hundreds of his employees queued outside the hospital to give him their blood
Aug 26 Ivan the Terrible's monk
Adrian of Ondrusuv sacrificed his estate to become a monk after meeting a holy hermit. Ivan the Terrible. a tyrant and cruel leader asked him to be the godfather at his daughters baptism
Aug 25 Nietzsche on the murder of God
Friedrich Nietzsche died today in 1900 - one of the most influential intellectuals of the modern era. His relationship with God is much more complex than the famous statement that 'God is dead' Today we explore it and his life
Aug 24 Non Conformists and the Book of Common Prayer
Today approximately 2000 puritans resigned their pulpits as deadline came for forced assent to the Book of Common Prayer. We look at the remarkable impact they have had in both Britain and North America
.jpg)
Aug 23 Brother Roger, the flowering of ecumenism & his violent death
The Taize ecumenical monastic community in France was founded by Roger Schultz in the ashes of WW2. It still attracts thousands of young people every year as a community of reconciliation. Brother Roger was stabbed in the neck by a young ...
Aug 22 Henri de Lubac & Spiritual Worldliness
De Lubac was one of the most influential theologians of the 20th Century. His experience of WW1 and WW2 was followed by 10 years being banned from teaching by the Vatican. He was appointed cardinal by Pope John Paul 2, the first one to be named...
Sep 13 Dostoevsky and the Brothers Karamazov
The final novel of Dostoevsky is possibly his most famous - the Brothers Karamazov. Wrought out of terrible grief and struggles with faith after the death of his three year old son Aloysha. One of Russia's greatest novelists has pro...
Sep 11 Defender of Slaves and indigenous peoples - De La Casas
Bishop Bartholomew De La Casas chronicled the terrible atrocities that Spanish colonists carried out on the indigenous people of Central and South America. He was appointed protector of the Indians by the Spanish Legal Establishment, His ...
Sep 10 Jung, Religion and Individuation
Carl Gustav Jung was one of the most creative thinkers of the 20th Century. The founder of analytical psychology his fascination with religion was life long
Aug 1 Aethelwold, Bluetooth and the Vikings
Today we look at the life of St Aethelwold, who rebuilt the church after 300 years of Viking raids. Also the unlikely assimilation of Christianity into the Vikings and how Bluetooth got its name
July 31 Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a unique centre for Orthodox Christianity, today in 1913 the Russian Navy removed 800 monks. We look at the traditions there and its claim to be Marys Garden
July 30 Johann Sebastian Bach
The greatest of the Baroque composers was a man of profound Lutheran faith, we look at his life
July 29 Humanae Vitae and the issue of 'Reception'
Humane Vitae is the most controversial of papal encyclicals, restating the Church's opposition to artificial birth control. It also marked a moment in the shift of the authority of the Church. It was Pope Paul VI last encyclical. Was it p...
July 26 Padre Pio
The Franciscan friar, Francesco Forgione took the religious name Pius when he entered his order. He lived an unusual life of spiritual intensity and holiness and was strongly persecuted by his religious authorities for 20 years. He ...
July 9 Brazil, stampede at a Papal Mass & Dom Helder Camara
Today we look at the unprecedent global journeys of John Paul II, a stampede at a mass in Fortaleza in North East Brazil and its Dom Helder Camara the bishop who spoke for the poor and instituted the pact of the Catacombs
.jpg)
July 8 John Templeton and his Templeton Prize
John Templeton, one of the worlds most generous philanthropist was fascinated by religion and science. His annual prize is bigger than the Nobel Prizes in monetary value as he felt that spirituality was ignored by the Nobels.
July 7 Alexander Solzhenitsyn repenting in the Gulag
Alexander Solzhenitsyns book the Gulag Archipelago sold over 30million copies and did much to expose the cruelty and lies of Stalins Regime. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. This is the story of his own spiritual journey and...
