Aesop, Jesus and How Fables Form the Spiritual Life

Today’s guest is a fable hunter. Fr. Greg Carlson has traveled the world, rummaging through old book stores, flea markets and the like to track down ancient manuscripts, forgotten illustrations and everything in between all for the love of fables. He’s done this for decades, even waging battles at online auctions, to amass a preeminent collection of fables that has become the Carlson Fable Collection at Creighton University. What was once a personal hobby evolved into an academic career. But Aesop isn’t the only wisdom figure with whom Fr. Carlson is well acquainted. Fr. Carlson is a Jesuit priest, and so for him, finding God in fables comes as second nature. He sees Jesus as a master storyteller — and one whom we may better understand after having developed a deeper appreciation for the wonder of fables. As you’ll soon hear, Fr. Carlson defines a fable as a “past-tense short narrative inviting a hearer or reader to perceive something about living life.” That’s not so far off from the sorts of parables Jesus told. In fact, developing our own ability to perceive life more intimately, more deeply, more intentionally — this is a great spiritual gift. And so, we're excited to share today’s conversation. Fr. Greg Carlson is a wonderful storyteller and teacher, and if you’d like to hear more from him, you can visit JesuitMediaLab.org where he’s written a reflection to further illuminate some of the points he makes on this episode. You can also get in touch with him and learn more about the collection and a booklet that he has published on this very topic. The collection is viewable online at both https://creightonarchives.omeka.net/s/carlson-fables-collection/page/home and https://www.creighton.edu/aesop