The Hillbilly Thomists | Purposely Catholic | Ep. 39

About this episode

Bluegrass music and Dominican preaching meet in the work of the Hillbilly Thomists. Fr. Simon Teller, O.P., joins Bobby and Khalil to discuss the band's beginnings, its name, and why the friars use music to connect with people and share the faith.

We ask how touring fits with priestly life and how the band is received in different venues. The conversation also takes up reaching younger listeners, preaching as a Dominican, and the relevance of St. Thomas Aquinas today.

In this episode

• The beginnings and name of the Hillbilly Thomists
• Touring alongside priestly life
• Bluegrass music and Catholic faith
• Reception at different venues and reaching younger listeners
• Dominican preaching and St. Thomas Aquinas

Bobby Fredericksen and Khalil Hattar with Fr. Simon Teller, O.P.

About the guest

Fr. Simon Teller, O.P., is a Dominican friar and a member of the Hillbilly Thomists, a band of friars whose music draws on bluegrass. He grew up in Cincinnati, where he encountered the Dominicans at St. Gertrude Parish. After graduating from the University of Dallas with a degree in English, he entered the Order of Preachers. The band's recordings include Marigold.