We’re often asked about our band name… The short answer is we desired a name that was unique, creative, and pointed to Jesus in some way. Upon a dear friend’s suggestion, we went with ‘Poor Bishop Hooper.’
Bishop John Hooper was an anglican Bishop in the early 1500s. A reformer, he was martyred in 1555 for being involved in the vestment controversy amongst other things. He was imprisoned and asked to recant of his positions numerous times, which he would not do. Finally he was burned at the stake. The event was particularly gruesome, with the fire going out multiple times in the process. It’s said to have taken his executioners far longer than normal to end his life.
We're amazed at his story. His devotion to Jesus and his faithfulness even unto death is extraordinarily admirable. In some small way we wanted to honor this man with our name. But we also desired a moniker that could lead to conversations about the better man, Jesus. Since the beginning, it has certainly done just that.