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How do fairy stories prepare children for a world of suffering, courage, beauty, and surprise? And what happens when adults lose the imagination to see rain, trees, music, and ordinary acts of making as anything more than useful resources? Dr. Junius Johnson joins Brian Williams to explore how fantasy gives us categories for facing real danger, recognizing evil, practicing courage, and remaining open to wonder. Drawing from Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, George MacDonald, The Neverending Story, and his own life as a musician and father, Junius argues that good stories do more than entertain us. They train our affections and help us become the kind of people who can enter the world with wisdom, desire, and hope.
Their conversation moves from dragons and unicorns to grief, beauty, friendship, music, and the work of making. Along the way, Junius offers a practical invitation: read stories that enlarge your moral imagination, make something beautiful even when no one is watching, and resist the habit of calling the world “merely” ordinary.
About the Guest
Junius Johnson is a writer, teacher, speaker, independent scholar, and musician. His work focuses on beauty, imagination, and wonder in the Christian and Classical intellectual traditions. He is the executive director of Junius Johnson Academics and holds a BA from Oral Roberts University (English Lit), an MAR from Yale Divinity School (Historical Theology), and an MA, two MPhils, and a PhD (Philosophical Theology) from Yale University. He is the author of 5 books and is a contributing writer for the Humanitas textbooks with Classical Academic Press. He is co-host of The Classical Mind, a podcast discussing the great books of the Western tradition.
Guest Links
Junius Johnson Academics | https://academics.juniusjohnson.com/
Junius Johnson Publications | https://www.juniusjohnson.com/
The Classical Mind Podcast | https://www.theclassicalmind.com/
On Teaching Fairy Stories | https://www.amazon.com/dp/1600514928/
Father of Lights | https://www.amazon.com/Father-Lights-Theology-Life-World/dp/1540964892/
Junius Johnson on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/junius_johnson/
Junius Johnson on X | https://x.com/DrJuniusJohnson
Junius Johnson Academics on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/JuniusJohnsonAcademics
Junius Johnson Academics on YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@juniusjohnsonacademics
Connect with the Humanitas Institute
Humanitas Institute | https://humanitasinstitute.org
X | https://x.com/HIClassicalEd
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/humanitas_institute/
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@humanitas_institute
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588606585070
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@TheHumanitasInstitute
