Best Ronald D. Peters Podcasts (2025)

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Emerante de Pradines: Haiti’s musical trailblazer 10:02

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4m ago10:02

10:02

Emerante de Pradines was a Haitian singer, dancer and folklorist who became the first person from her country to sign a record deal. She was dedicated to de-demonising vodou music and folklore and went on to teach dance at some of America’s most prestigious universities. Her son Richard Morse speaks to Emma Forde about his mother’s life and her leg…

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Orson Welles broadcasts The War of the Worlds 10:22

20h ago10:22

10:22

The night before Halloween in 1938, 23-year-old Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre on the Air performed a radio adaptation of HG Wells’s The War of the Worlds. It would become one of the most notorious radio broadcasts in history. In their own words, from the BBC's archive, Orson Welles, producer John Houseman and writer Howard Koch describe how …

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Srebrenica massacre 10:17

2d ago10:17

10:17

It's 30 years since a massacre of Bosnian Muslims during the war in the former Yugoslavia. The Srebrenica massacre, recognised by the United Nations as a genocide, was the shocking climax of the war in Bosnia. In 2014, Louise Hidalgo talked to Hasan Nuhanović whose father, brother and mother were among the 8,000 Bosnians killed. Eye-witness account…

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The invention of the balloon-expandable stent 10:35

3d ago10:35

10:35

An estimated 2 million stents are implanted into people’s hearts around the world each year – making it one of the key treatments for heart disease. The treatment was invented by Argentinian doctor Julio Palmaz, who credits a piece of metal being left by a construction worker in his home as inspiration for the structure of the stent. Collaborating …

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8:40 - 1 Peter - Life As Witness 51:29

4d ago51:29

51:29

New episode, new section in the book of 1 Peter as we dig into the idea of a cruciformed witness among the nations. (1 Peter 2:11 onward). We are in the world, but not of it—resident aliens representing the Kingdom of God wherever we go. How do we relate properly to non-believers and the powers of the world? Tune in today as the guys explore what P…

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Death of a priest 10:12

4d ago10:12

10:12

The 1977 murder of Father Rutilio Grande sent shockwaves through El Salvador. The 48-year-old Jesuit priest was an outspoken champion of the poor in the deeply divided central American nation. In the immediate aftermath of his murder, the Archbishop of San Salvador, Oscar Romero, took the unprecedented step of holding just one single mass, ordering…

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The man who invented the scratch card 10:12

7d ago10:12

10:12

In May 1974, scratch cards went on sale for the first time in the US State of Massachusetts. Free giveaway and coupon games from stores had been commonplace across the USA during the 1950s and '60s – but players could easily cheat. The mathematician John Koza was hired to make the games more secure; he succeeded in making the modern-day scratch car…

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GLP-1: A breakthrough for diabetes and obesity 10:37

8d ago10:37

10:37

In the 1980s, scientists made a discovery that would eventually lead to the development of drugs now used worldwide to treat diabetes and to help people manage obesity through weight loss injections. One of the key scientists behind this breakthrough was Svetlana Mojsov. She discovered that a hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) plays an …

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The UK’s first black-owned music studio 9:59

9d ago9:59

9:59

Sonny Roberts, a Jamaican carpenter, arrived in Britain in the 1950s. It was a time of racial disharmony, including the Notting Hill riots and the murder of Kelso Cochrane. In this tense atmosphere, black musicians struggled to make a name for themselves. Then in 1961, Roberts set up the UK’s first black-owned music studio, Planetone, in a basement…

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Wangari Maathai: The first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize 10:52

10d ago10:52

10:52

In 2004, the Kenyan ecologist Wangari Maathai became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, a grass-roots organisation empowering local women to plant trees. It spread to other African countries and contributed to the planting of over 30 million trees. In 2016, Alex Last spoke …

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8.39 - 1 Peter: Combating Regression 49:16

11d ago49:16

49:16

Picking up in chapter 2 of 1 Peter, we return to the theme of love. Not all babies go to the nursery—so what keeps us from growing? Could malicious talk, insincerity, or selfish motives be getting in the way of your witness? In today's digital world, where division often dominates the conversation, we're reminded how easy it is to return to old hab…

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Elliott Rabin, "The Biblical Hero: Portraits in Nobility and Fallibility" (Jewish Publication Society, 2020) 58:18

11d ago58:18

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Today I talked to Elliott Rabin about his book The Biblical Hero: Portraits in Nobility and Fallibility (Jewish Publication Society, 2020). Approaching the Bible in an original way—comparing biblical heroes to heroes in world literature—Rabin addresses a core biblical question: What is the Bible telling us about what it means to be a hero? Focusing…

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The British oil tanker sunk in Indonesia 10:47

11d ago10:47

10:47

In 1958, the British oil tanker, SS San Flaviano, was sunk in the harbour of Balikpapan, Indonesia, while a rebellion was underway against President Ahmed Sukarno. It’s reported the bomb was dropped by a CIA pilot authorised to aid the rebels, but confirming their involvement has required some investigating. Megan Jones has been looking into it and…

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My aunt created The Moomins 10:35

14d ago10:35

10:35

The first Moomins story about a family of nature-loving white round trolls was published in 1945 during World War Two. The Moomins and the Great Flood was created by writer and artist Tove Jansson as a source of comfort during bleak times. It highlighted the struggles of those who’d been displaced by war introducing readers into the lives of Moomin…

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Helen Fielding: The creator of Bridget Jones 11:08

15d ago11:08

11:08

In 1995, a single 30-something woman with big knickers and blue soup first appeared in a weekly column, published by British newspaper The Independent. Initially written anonymously by journalist Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones quickly became a cultural icon, as she tried to make sense of life and love. The book, Bridget Jones’s Diary, became a best-…

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The trial of Soviet writers Daniel and Sinyavsky 9:51

16d ago9:51

9:51

In 1965, two writers were accused of publishing anti-Soviet material abroad. The arrest of Yuli Daniel and Andrei Sinyavsky was seen as symbolic of the new era in the Soviet Union. The liberal leader Nikita Khrushchev had been ousted in favour of hardliner Leonid Brezhnev, and dissenting political views were being cracked down on. In a moment consi…

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Jorge Luis Borges: 'Father' of Latin American fiction 10:36

17d ago10:36

10:36

In 1961, the Argentine poet and short story writer Jorge Luis Borges won the Formentor Prize for literature. Borges’ stories were characterised by mind-bending plots often featuring labyrinths, dreams and fables. Following his recognition in 1961, his reputation grew to such an extent that he is regarded as one of the most influential Latin America…

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8.38 - 1 Peter: Universal Love 51:43

19d ago51:43

51:43

Does God call us to love everyone in a universal way, or are we called to love in a specific, concentrated way? For some, this is an easy answer; for others, it's a point of contention. Which is it for you? In an age of polarizing tension, the world could really use some love. In today's episode, the guys explore what it means to purify ourselves—a…

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Wallander and the rise of Nordic Noir 10:27

18d ago10:27

10:27

Published in 1991, Faceless Killers was the first of Henning Mankell’s crime novels featuring police inspector Kurt Wallander. The series changed the world of crime writing, introducing gritty social realism. The Wallander novels helped establish Scandinavia as the epicentre of crime fiction. Henning Mankell’s former agent Anneli Høier speaks to Be…

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How BRICS got its name 9:55

21d ago9:55

9:55

In 2001, a few months after 9/11, economist Jim O’Neill was working at Goldman Sachs when he wrote a report about which countries might become big players in the world economy. That’s when he came up with the name BRIC - short for Brazil, Russia, India and China. At first, nothing much happened. But in 2009, those countries took his idea and ran wi…

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Japan surrenders in Beijing 10:12

22d ago10:12

10:12

Eighty years ago, in the autumn of 1945, World War II surrender ceremonies took place across the Japanese Empire. The one in China was held at the Forbidden City in Beijing bringing an end to eight years of occupation. Thousands of people watched the incredible moment Japanese generals handed over their swords. The United States, China, Russia and …

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The remote island that was evacuated to 10,000km away 10:43

23d ago10:43

10:43

On 10 October 1961, a volcanic eruption threatened the population of Tristan da Cunha, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic, and all 264 islanders were evacuated to the UK. Two years later, the majority voted to return. In an interview she gave to the BBC in 1961, Mary Swain describes what it was like to survive the preceding earthqua…

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'I designed the Indian rupee symbol' 10:29

24d ago10:29

10:29

By BBC World Service

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8.37 - 1 Peter: Faith, Works, Foreknowledge 48:35

26d ago48:35

48:35

Continuing in chapter 1, verse 17, we resume our study of 1 Peter. God will judge each person according to their works, yet we are saved by grace through faith—not by works. Do Paul and Peter preach different gospels? How do we synthesize these messages? Join the guys as they wade into deep theological waters. Works, faith, predestination, and more…

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The home video war 10:08

25d ago10:08

10:08

Before streaming and catch-up TV, owning a video recorder was one of the only ways to watch on-demand entertainment. In 1975 Sony launched Betamax with its half-inch-wide tape capable of recording 60 minutes of television. It was the length of most American shows - the perfect run-time. But in 1977, JVC released its VHS: it was bigger and bulkier, …

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Cooper Smith, "Allusive and Elusive: Allusion and the Elihu Speeches of Job 32-37" (Brill, 2022) 31:12

27d ago31:12

31:12

Within the Book of Job, Elihu is one of the most diversely evaluated characters. For example, are Elihu’s speeches so insignificant he’s absolutely ignored afterward, or do they actually form an introduction to the speeches of the LORD? What are we to make of Elihu? Find out as we speak with Cooper Smith about his recent monograph, Allusive and Elu…

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The acquittal of OJ Simpson 10:35

28d ago10:35

10:35

It’s 30 years since American football star OJ Simpson was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Ron Shipp was a close friend of OJ Simpson's and also a police officer, he decided to testify against him in the criminal trial. In 2017, Ron spoke to Rebecca Kesby about why he wanted to testify. Eye-witn…

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'I took the famous photo of JFK and his son' 10:31

29d ago10:31

10:31

On 2 October 1963, American photographer Stanley Tretick took the best picture of his life – a photo of President John F Kennedy working at the Resolute Desk in the White House, with his two-year-old son ‘John-John’ peeking out a secret door underneath. The photo was published in Look magazine a month later, days after the President was assassinate…

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The strike that shook up India's tea industry 10:42

1M ago10:42

10:42

In September 2015, thousands of women tea pickers went on strike at one of India’s biggest tea producers. They had picked more tea than ever that year but were furious that wages remained low and managers were proposing to cut their bonus. Their action was unprecedented, with the low-caste women protesting in the streets for nine days, against both…

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The birth of the Excel spreadsheet 10:12

1M ago10:12

10:12

In September 1985, Microsoft introduced Excel, an electronic spreadsheet program that revolutionised the way we organise and analyse data. With its grid of rows and columns, it allows users to sort information, do calculations, and make charts with ease. Today it is used worldwide. Spreadsheets might have a reputation for being dull, but this story…

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8.36 - 1 Peter: Believing Without Seeing 46:43

1M ago46:43

46:43

The world distorts, persecutes, lies, and tempts us to be distracted. Despite this, are you experiencing the indescribable joy found in Christ? When we embrace the vision of the Kingdom of God inaugurated in Christ, it produces a joy that looks ahead to the fullness we will one day experience — yet can already taste now. As Peter writes: "Even thou…

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The Cradock Four killings 10:37

1M ago10:37

10:37

On 27 June 1985, four anti-apartheid activists from the rural town of Cradock in South Africa’s Eastern Cape were abducted at a roadblock. Their bodies were later found mutilated and burnt. Known as the Cradock Four, their murders became one of the most notorious cases of apartheid brutality. Fort Calata’s son, Lukhanyo, was just three years old wh…

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Guinea stadium massacre 10:29

1M ago10:29

10:29

On 28 September 2009, around 50,000 people took part in a rally to protest reported plans by military leader Moussa Dadis Camara to stand in the presidential election. It started peacefully, until troops, under Camara’s rule entered the stadium and opened fire, killing more than 150 people. Many others were left scarred, and women raped. Asmaou Dia…

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The secretary who made millions from her typos 9:46

1M ago9:46

9:46

In the 1950s, secretary Bette Graham from Texas was struggling to cope with her new electric typewriter. “My fingers would hang heavy on the sensitive keyboard and the first thing I'd know, I'd have a mistake with a deposit of carbon which I simply couldn't erase,” she said. A budding artist, she wondered if there was a way she could paint over her…

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DDLJ: India’s longest-running film 10:24

1M ago10:24

10:24

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, the ultimate Bollywood romance was released to critical acclaim in October 1995, becoming the longest-running movie in Indian cinema history. The premiere was held at the Maratha Mandir cinema in Mumbai, since then it’s been screened there every day for the past 27 years, stopping only briefly during the Covid pandemic.…

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The birth of Médecins Sans Frontières 10:42

1M ago10:42

10:42

In 1971, 13 men sat down in a Paris office to launch what would become one of the world’s best known humanitarian organisations: Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors without Borders. The men were among hundreds of volunteers responding to an appeal by the French medical journal, Tonus, after a major cyclone devastated East Pakistan. The campaign sp…

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The start of Scouting 10:29

1M ago10:29

10:29

In the early 1900s, while serving in the British Army, Lord Robert Baden-Powell laid the foundations for what would become one of the largest international youth movements, Scouting. His vision was to create an organisation that would build friendships, experiences, and skills for life. Gill Kearsley used archive to trace the origins of the movemen…

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8:35 - 1 Peter: Living Hope 49:29

1M ago49:29

49:29

Today the guys continue our study and examine 1 Peter 1:3–9. To choose allegiance to Christ and His Kingdom is to enter into conflict and enmity with the world wherever you may roam. What does it mean that our inheritance is kept in heaven? Are we Livin' on a Prayer, or is it true that the world Can't Touch This salvation we hope for as we follow T…