Father Damian Ference, a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Cleveland, joins Chris to discuss his new book, Understanding the Hillbilly Thomist: The Philosophical Foundations of Flannery O’Connor’s Narrative Art.

What did the great American novelist and short-story writer mean when she called herself a “hillbilly Thomist”—how did the thirteenth-century Catholic philosopher shape her art?

Father Damian and Chris also discuss a compelling new movie about Flannery O’Connor, as well as a recent letter from Pope Francis about the moral value of reading literature. 

Understanding the Hillbilly Thomist | Fr. Damian Ference | Word on Fire 
Flannery for the Faithful and the Unfamiliar | Chris Scalia | Washington Free Beacon
Capturing a Misfit: A Review of “Wildcat” | Fr. Damian Ference | Word on Fire 
The Presence of Grace and Other Book Reviews by Flannery O'Connor | University of Georgia Press 
Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis on the Role of Literature in Formation 
Pope Francis's Apologia for Literature | Chris Scalia | National Review Online

Opening and closing music: “Spit It Out” by Brendan Benson, used with permission from the artist.