One of my favorite podcasts is Dancing with Elephants produced by Greg, Tonya, Nick, and Caleb from Chicago. In a recent listener feedback show, Greg was commenting on a story where a Conference of the Church of England was using Dr. Who episodes to study particular Christian themes.
Greg called this usage of Dr. Who a parable but wasn’t sure of the terminology. The following is part of an email that I sent him.
Hi Greg and Tonya,
Regarding using Dr. Who used in a Church settings, here’s a quote from a previous MythShow’s transcript:
Fables Defined:
A fable is a short story with a very definite moral or principle that is being taught. Like fairy tales, extraordinary characters are used in the story. One example is the tortoise who raced the hare. Unlike fairy tales, a fable is told in a very conversational manner where both the story teller and audience knows that the tale is fictitious. The main purpose of the fable is not to entertain but to educate the listener using the fable as an example.
Parables Defined:
The close cousin to the fable is the parable. A parable is also used as a teaching tool for morals and principles. The difference between fables and parables is that a parable does not contain any of the fantastical elements found in the fairy tales or fables. The parable uses very real settings and real people to convey the message.
So here’s the breakdown:
Dr. Who on TV could be loosely defined as a “Fairy Tale” as it is pure entertainment. But using it in a Church lecture, both the lecturer and audience know Dr. Who is not real (Tonya, Sorry if this last statement comes as a shock 
). Because of this common understanding between the lecturer and audience, and the “fantastical” elements of Dr. Who, the correct term would be a “Fable”. The same could be said for me when I used “Harry Potter” and “Chronicle of Narnia” examples in my Sunday School Lessons.
An example of a Parable in a church lesson would be like using a movie or TV show that could of really happened, like the popular crime/police/forensic dramas. Technically they could happen but the audience and TV Producer know that they are fiction.
Hope this helps to clarify the issue.
Thanks, Greg
I love seeing the use of stories and how they help!
Now, Go Share a Story!
I was informed by a listener that the Myth Show feed in iTunes is not working. I corrected some of the issues that I found in my Podpress installation and I hope that the situation will resolve itself in a couple of days.
Until then, I would highly recommend you listen to a new podcast from the same kind listener who alerted me to the iTunes problem. The listener is Jennifer Lockett, an instructor in Anthropology & Classics at TCU. Her podcast is on Roman Culture from her Spring 2008 Course: “Greek & Roman Archaeology” offered at Texas Christian University.
I frequently mention that I am not a professional in this subject. Here is an opportunity to listen to a professor. I have listened to the first couple of shows (recording of class room lectures) and found them fascinating! I highly recommend them!
I am editing an interview show for the Myth Show and I hope to have it done this week. Hopefully by the time the feed is fixed in iTunes. Until then,
Go share a story!
UPDATE: 5/16/2008 - 1
I released a new Myth Show today (shocking, I know) and my libsyn stats say that over 50 iTunes users have downloaded the show. I’m guessing that iTunes users are still going to be able to receive the show, even though the episodes are not listed on in the iTunes Directory.
I hope that the show feed gets fixed. The weird thing is that I do the same things on Myth Show as I do for Myth Minute, but one works and the other doesn’t.
Gotta love computers!
UPDATE: 5/16/2008 - 2
A warning to “Juice” users, you may download all of the shows on the feed. Juice is my primary podcatcher but I use iTunes for testing purposes. Hopefully this will all be worked out soon. It will be interesting to see if there is a spike in the stats in the older shows.
UPDATE: 5/17/2008: They’re Back!
I just checked iTunes and it seems that the shows are back in the directory. Huzzah!!
Recently I was priviledged to be interviewed on Shirley Paulson’s podcast, Spirituality and Christianity: Interfaith Conversations on the topic of “Technology’s influence on religion and vice versa“. It was a fun conversation as we talked about different aspects of technology and religion. It ended up being a conversation about the question if technology will replace religion. (Short Answer: NO!). While there was no mythology, it turned out to be a really interesting conversation. (I look forward to hearing the final version soon.)
Jump over to her web site or the direct podcast page and take a listen and let me know what you think. There is even a picture of me at my computer/microphone for those who are curious to see what I look like. 
Tomorrow, I start a new job. My last contract is ending (along with the overtime) and I’m moving onto different assignments. I’ll miss the group of people I’ve worked with for the past six months.
I’m excited about the new opportunity and the possibilities and potentials. One thing is that I will have more time to pursue podcasting. I did release the one Myth Minute episode, but hopefully more will come soon.
I’m still wrapping things up at the other contract for the next two weeks while ramping up at the new contract. So I hope to have new shows (both podcasts) coming in April.
Until then, enjoy some photos from the recent OC Podcasters meeting. (Just in case you wanted to see what I look like)
Group Photo Listening to Dan Klass of the Bitterest Pill. (I’m on the far right wearing a tie)
Me talking with another podcaster (Again on the right wearing a tie)
Was this intentional?? - At 6 foot 3 inches, no one can see you going bald….unless you sit down.
Oh well, now go share a story!
Season 2 begins at MythMinute.com.
I finally got a show up! Thanks for everyones patience as I was dealing with work and personal issues.
Unfortunately these issues will continue through March. Depending on what happens in the next week will determine what the remainder of the year will be like. It’s kind of scary being at this pivotal point in my life and career but it is a good kind of scary. I have many friends losing jobs and unable to find work, I am blessed because of the amount of work that I am able to have at this time.
The reason for the “Season 2″ in the title is because of the slight format changes that are in the show. I optimized the show so that many of the segments that are said each time are produced once and used many times. Hopefully this will speed up the podcast post-production in the future.
Let me know what you think!
- Now go share a story!
January 25, 2008 – 11:40 pm
Tonight I was able to spend some time working on the podcasts. I’ve been able to compile four scripts for the Myth Minute Podcast and one script for the Myth Show Podcast. While the day job is still taking a lot of (over) time, I’ve enjoyed the couple of hours of studying the old stories that I’ve been able read tonight.
Once the voice feels up to it (thank you winter flu) and time permitting, I’ll get these recorded and posted. Until then…
Go Share a Story!
December 27, 2007 – 11:53 am
I hope that everyone has had a joyous holiday season and is looking forward to the new year.
For Christmas, I was given a couple of collections of Dr. Seuss stories. The three oldest kids each received a Disney bedtime story collection. I’ve had a lot of fun reading these stories to the kids the past couple of nights. I don’t need to worry about what to read for bedtime for a couple of months now!
A while back, I set up some Google Searches to look for interesting items on mythology, folk lore, and fairy tales. This was in hopes to find some good stuff for the blog. While I did find some interesting things, the ratio of noise to good info was too great. I deleted those feeds from my RSS reader. It is amazing how many time authors use these terms without actually talking about actual mythology or fairy tales.
The forced “podcasting hiatus” continues and will continue into the new year. Now that the holidays are over, I hope to be able to clear out more time for new media. If the plans fall into place, the relaunched shows will be easier to produce and released more frequently.
Until then… Go Share a Story!
December 11, 2007 – 10:11 pm
Today, I received my copy of “Expert Podcasting Practices for Dummies” written by Tee Morris, Evo Terra, and Ryan Williams. At the Podcast Expo, Tee mentioned that my podcast was mentioned in his new book. So I was excited to find where the podcast was mentioned.
The Myth Minute Podcast is mentioned as an example of a five-to-ten minute quickcast (page 256) along with Aliens You Will Meet, and The Podcast For Dummies: The Companion Podcast.
That is SO awesome! Thanks Tee!
As my thanks to him, please go enjoy Tee’s podcast MOREVI: Remastered or any of his other fun podcasts.
December 11, 2007 – 12:05 pm
It has been too long since I have been behind the microphone and I’m really missing it. The past three weeks where I’ve been on this overtime schedule has been a marathon. I hope that I don’t end up like Pheidippides at the end.
I have some great ideas that I’ve been jotting down and I hope to get back to it at the beginning of the year. Something sooner if the moons align correctly.
Until then, “Go share a story!”
