Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast

The practice of fasting has been used for both spiritual development and physical healing for many centuries. In the Bahá’í Faith, as in many religions, a period of fasting once a year is seen as a symbol of purification and a means of moving closer towards our Creator, putting us in touch with our duty and destiny here on Earth. In her book The Supreme Remedy: Reflections on Applying Natural Healing Arts to the Baha’i Fast, Deborah Walters - a Doctor of Naturopathy - draws on both the Bahá’í teachings and her professional experience to examine the human condition of soul, mind and body, how they are interrelated, and how they can be integrated, transformed and energized through the spiritual discipline of the Bahá’í Fast.In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald podcast, Deborah Walters discusses how we can purify and energize soul, mind and body during the Fast and live a healthy lifestyle all year round.Purchase The Supreme Remedy: Reflections on Applying Natural Healing Arts to the Baha’i Fast here >Presented and produced by Rob WeinbergThis podcast (c) 2025 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing sales@grbooks.com

Portals to Freedom by Howard Colby Ives - the second ever book published by George Ronald in 1943 - has been loved for more than eight decades for its pen portraits of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.  But not many people know the story of Howard Colby Ives and of his wife Mabel Rice-Wray Ives, whose dedication to the Bahá’í Faith made her a powerhouse in her own right. Together, they formed a powerful partnership, travelling across the United States and Canada in their service to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. A Day for Very Great Things - The Lives of Howard Colby Ives and Mabel Rice-Wray Ives by Howard’s Great-Granddaughter Erica Toussaint and Earl Redman is the moving account of a husband and wife who strove to serve the Bahá’í Faith with complete commitment and constant sacrifice.In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast, Erica and Earl share their journey of research and recount some of the stories they found in more than 900 letters between this devoted couple, whose lives continue to offer inspiration today.Purchase A Day for Very Great Things - The Lives of Howard Colby Ives and Mabel Rice-Wray Ives here >Presented and produced by Rob WeinbergThis podcast © 2024 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing sales@grbooks.com

In the last decade of the nineteenth century, a French baron Pierre de Coubertin promoted the idea of a world-embracing sporting contest which could bring nations together and promote internationalism and peace. Coubertin's conviction aligned closely with Bahá'u'lláh's emphasis on the oneness of humanity and the need to eliminate prejudice to achieve world peace. In his new book, Advancing the Oneness of Humanity - The Olympic Games, Kiser Barnes explores how Bahá'u'lláh's vision of the unity and oneness of humanity resonates with the Olympics through their shared emphasis on bringing together the diverse peoples of the world in a spirit of harmony and cooperation. In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast, Kiser Barnes reveals the profound impact of the Olympics on global unity, inspiring generations to embrace these ideals. Purchase Advancing the Oneness of Humanity - The Olympic Games here >Presented and produced by Rob WeinbergThis podcast © 2024 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing sales@grbooks.com

Nothing was easy about transforming the barren and rocky mountainside of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land into the spectacular garden paradise it is today.Its dramatic story began with the secret rescue in 1850 of the sacred remains of the Báb, Prophet-Herald of the Baha’i Faith. For almost 60 years, His casket was hidden in place after place. With infinite difficulty, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá raised up the first simple building to enshrine the Báb’s remains. Then, over successive decades, Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith completed the golden-domed superstructure and extended the gardens around it. In the 1990s, the stairway of 19 garden terraces, envisaged by 'Abdu'l-Bahá was constructed - completing a century of devotion, sacrifice and supreme expertise in architecture, engineering and horticulture.This fascinating history of the Shrine of the Báb and its terraces is compellingly told in a trilogy of three books published by George Ronald - Journey to a Mountain, Coronation on Carmel and Sacred Stairway - written by Michael Day.In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast, Michael Day talks about his own journey to telling the story of the mountain of God.Purchase Journey to a Mountain, here > Purchase Coronation on Carmel here > Purchase Sacred Stairway here >  Presented and produced by Rob WeinbergThis podcast © 2024 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing sales@grbooks.com

The British Bahá’í community has been in existence since 1899 and its National Spiritual Assembly was first elected in 1923. Although a number of monographs, articles and biographies have appeared over the years, no overall survey of the community’s history had yet been published - until very recently. The Bahá’í Community of the British Isles 1844–1963, published in 2023 by George Ronald, is an attempt to fill some of the gap.The project was conceived by the late Adam Thorne, who spent more than two decades collecting material on the history of the Bahá’í community of the British Isles. His work was completed by Dr Moojan Momen, with the assistance of George Ronald authors Earl Redman and Janet Fleming Rose.In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast, Dr Moojan Momen shares more about this magnificent piece of scholarly research and a labour of love.The Bahá'í Community of the British Isles 1844-1963 can be purchased here >Presented and produced by Rob WeinbergThis podcast © 2024 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing sales@grbooks.com

Alma Sedonia Knobloch’s name may not be as well-known as, say, Martha Root’s or May Maxwell’s - yet her pioneering efforts were singled out by ‘Abdu’l-Baha in His Tablets of the Divine Plan.Her 13 years in Germany saw an astonishing growth in its Bahá’í community which became the largest in Europe. After returning to the United States, she dedicated the rest of her life to the cause of race unity, building up communities in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Alma’s fascinating and little-known story is told in full in the recent George Ronald publication, Alma Sedonia Knobloch: Maidservant of the Divine Plan. In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast, Jennifer Redson Wiebers shares more about this inspiring, unsung heroine.Alma Sedonia Knobloch: Maidservant of the Divine Plan is available as a book or electronic publication, here >Presented and produced by Rob WeinbergThis podcast © 2024 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing sales@grbooks.com