"BYU prof says U2 more than musicians, they're philosophers"

I'm hearing that there are some books in the works on U2 and Chistian theology, but here's a new twist: though I can't find it on the Salt Lake Tribune's site, the @U2 mailing list sent out an article they published recently about a new book called U2 and Philosophy. It's coming out in 2006 from Open Court, a publishing house that's also done books on the philosophy of pop culture phenomenons like the Matrix movies and Harry Potter. (In fact, I own their The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer.)

The editor is Brigham Young University professor Mark Wrathall, who makes some interesting comments in the Salt Lake article: "Achtung Baby" through 1997's "Pop" found the band flirting with existential despair; 'Last Night On Earth' is Nietzschean; even the most abstract philosophy can be seen every day in pop culture. So far so good.

However, if the Salt Lake reporter's paraphrases are accurate on Wrathall's comments about U2's theology, I suspect some of the analyses there may be wider of the mark ('Vertigo' "celebrates earthly love as a form of spiritual fulfilment"? The band's early work "reflected traditional Christian pessimism"? 'Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' is about "whether religious faith alone could fulfill a person"?)

Later, the Deseret News published another, different article on the same topic, which explains that there are several professors of philosophy submitting essays. (It also says that U2's Christian material is the topic of Wrathall's.) Fortunately, the Deseret reporter doesn't include as many dodgy comments. Whatever you think of the hints at how U2 will be read in either the Deseret article (online) or the Salt Lake article (on the @U2 list), it'll probably be an interesting collection.
[NB: This post has been edited for clarity, thanks to a commenter voicing confusion about the quotes.]