The Pearl of Great Price
A short daily trip down the lane of Christian History. Looking at the fascinating people and events that have shaped a universal civilisation.
Jan 6 - Washington National Cathedral
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Today in 1893 Congress chartered the building of the Washington National Cathedral, Today's pod explores a remarkable building that is now of unifying importance for the nation.
Jan 5 - Twelfth Night
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Today is the last day of Christmas, so we explore the origins of Twelfth Night Festivities and answer the question why does Christmas last 12 days?
Jan 4 - I Promise to do my duty to God
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The Boys Scouts becomes a worldwide movement today in 1912 as the Scout Association was incorporated throughout the British Empire by royal charter. Today's pod looks at how the promise to do my duty to God has waxed and waned over the years
Jan 3 - The Apostle of Lepers
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The amazing story of Father Damian, the apostle of lepers, who was born today in 1840
Jan 2 - New Name New Mission
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Jan 1 - Amazing Grace
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Today the Anglican Priest John Newton introduced a new hymn called I Chronicles 17.16-172 this has since became known as Amazing Grace, We look at how it has become one of the most popular hymns of all time
Dec 31 Abraham Lincoln and the Deity
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We look at how Abraham Lincoln saved the constitution and kept the country together - but wasn't able to change the constitution to acknowledge the deity
Dec 30 Ben Hur
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The ground breaking film Ben Hur was based on the novel that was voted the most influential Christian Book of the 19th Century. It tells the fictional story of a Jewish prisoner, who encounters Christ and eventually is freed from slavery by winning a chariot race
Dec 29 Thomas Becket
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Thomas Beckets murder in Canterbury Cathedral made him one of the most popular saints of the medieval period and Canterbury became a pilgrimage destination for many from around Europe
Dec 28 John Wycliffe and the Lollards
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John Wycliffe was a reforming priest from the 14th Century. However he grew more critical and distant from the Pope and Church and inspired a group called the Lollards. Sometimes he is called the evening star of scholasticism and the morning star of the Reformation
Dec 27 Hagia Sophia - The Holy Wisdom
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The building that has become iconic in Istanbul, today was consecrated as a church 'The Holy Wisdom', Under the Ottomans it became a mosque, Attaturk turned into a museum and Erdogan has turned it back into a mosque
Dec 26 Nuns on a hospital ship
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The first nurses on a US Navy hospital ship where 3 sisters from the Order of the Holy Cross - this is their story during the US Civil war
Dec 25 First record of Christmas as a holiday
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The Philocalus Calendar is the first time we have Christmas Day recorded as an annual feast
Dec 24 The First Christmas Crib at Greccio
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Francis of Assisi is credited of inventing the Live Crib at his hermitage at Greccio in Italy, this is the story of it
Dec 23 The Columbus of the Catacombs
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Antonio Bosio was a remarkable man who discovered many of the catacombs in Rome. He often risked his life exploring them, risking getting lost for ever
Dec 22 The Father and Son who were Popes
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Today we look at the papacy of Saint Innocent I who according to St Jerome was the son of the previous pope, which was not a cause for scandal
Dec 21 The Wartime radio drama - The man born to be King
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Dorothy Sayers wrote a cycle of radio plays about the life of Jesus Christ that has been repeated and reproduced on multiple occasions
Dec 20 Rev Adam Buddle and the Buddleia
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The Buddleia or butterfly bush has become prolific, whilst many countries consider it an invasive species. It was named by Carl Linneaus after a mild mannered Anglican cleric - Adam Buddle
Dec 19 Westminster Abbey
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Westminster Abbey has become one of the most iconic and important churches in England, the site of many coronations, weddings and burials of Kings and Queens. Recently the site of the Unknown Warrior - the only grave that you can't walk over
Dec 18 Hans Kung stripped of the right to teach
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The Swiss theologian Hans Kung was very influential as the youngest 'periti' or expert of Vatican 2. As he his theology became more liberal he was banned from teaching by the Vatican
Dec 17 The Nun who helped invent BASIC
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Today we look at the life of Sister Mary Keller - the first person to be awarded a PHD in computer science in America alongside Irving Tang. Her legacy includes being part of the group that delivered the pioneering computer language of BASIC
Dec 16 The Ten Booms - Righteous amongst nations
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Today we remember the death of Elizabeth Ten Boom in a concentration camp. Just before she died she told her sister Corrie "There is no pit so deep that He [God] is not deeper still."
Dec 15 Freeman Dyson and the two windows of faith and science
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One of the most creative minds of recent times was the mathematical physicist Freeman Dyson, who was given the nickname the cosmic genius. He called himself a non-denominational Christian and had strong views on faith and science
Dec 14 John of the Cross - a suffering reformer
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St John of the Cross is now famous for his Dark Night. He believed that God was nothing and everything, this is the story of the Carmelite reformer and how he suffered
Dec 13 Saint Lucy
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Saint Lucy was one of the most popular saints in the early church and devotion to her still lasts in many parts of the world
Dec 12 Examining the Image of Guadalupe
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Today was the day when an image was left miraculously on the Tilma of Juan Diego during Our Lady's second apparition to him on the hill of Guadalupe. We look at the image and the recent tests done on it
Dec 11 The man who invented the laser
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Charles H Townes won the Nobel Prize and the Templeton Prize combining his scientific genius with a deep faith. He believed science and religion were converging, and he invented the laser and discovered the black hole at the centre of our Galaxy
Dec 10 Ulster Revival
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We look at a revival in the Protestant Church in Northern Ireland in 1859 which has made Northern Ireland a lot more socially conservative than the rest of Britain
Dec 9 Our Lady of Guadalupe
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The appearance of a women to an Aztec Convert on a hilltop outside of Mexico City has had a huge impact on Mexico as a country. Today we look at the story and the miraculous image which is still venerated widely
Dec 8 Archaeology of Jericho and Capernaum
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Today we remember the death of Carl Watzinger - the German archaeologist who made historic discoveries in the important biblical sites of Jericho and Capernaum
Dec 7 Gaudium et Spes
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The final document promulgated at Vatican 2 - Gaudium et Spes was the Church's document about engaging with the world - with the joys and hopes of humanity .
Dec 6 The Franciscan who first sketched Niagra Falls
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One of the great wonders of the Natural World - the Niagra falls between Canada and US was first sketched today by a Franciscan explorer
Dec 4 The Shroud of Turin
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Today we remember how a fire melted metal onto a large piece of linen that was reputed to be the burial cloth of Christ. When an Italian photographer processed the first negative image of the cloth it wowed the world
Dec 3 The first heart transplant
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Dr Christian Barnaard performed the first heart transplant - we look at his missionary parents and his visit to Pope Paul VI
Dec 2 Christopher Wren designs St Pauls
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St Pauls was one of the worlds first Anglican Cathedrals and one the most iconic. This is the story of how and when it was designed by Sir Christopher Wren
Dec I Charles de Foucault of the Little Brothers is shot
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Today we remember how the hermit Charles de Foucault was assisinated by Tuareg bandits. His life and commitment has inspired many movements
Nov 28 The Night of the Confessor - Tomas Halik
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Tomas Halik - A priest from the Czech Republic was ordained clandestinely under communism. Now he has been given many awards including an honorary doctorate from Oxford for his many writings.
Nov 27 Milan Cathedral - Il Duomo
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Milan's Cathedral - the biggest in Italy is made up of pink-hued white marble. Canals were dug leading to the construction site, to bring the stone there, It has the most statues and spires in the world and houses the shrine of Charles Borromeo and a nail from the cross of Christ
Nov 26 Paul VI Stabbed in Manila
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This is the story of an assassination attempt on Pope Paul VI at Manila airport. The 'Pilgrim Pope' who was the first to travel on an aeroplane and visit the Holy Land
Nov 25 Biblical Encylopedias and their deaf author
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The incredible story of John Kitto - who although he became deaf after an accident as a teenager, he became an avid traveller and observer of Eastern Culture. He used what he had experienced and observed to created very popular Biblical Encyclopaedias
