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"it is love and only love that can rattle the 'iron cage' of late-modern capitalism"

The most recent issue of the Journal of Religion and Popular Culture features an article called "Burned Over Bono: U2’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Messiah and His Religious Politic." (It would be quite interesting to know what percentage of people recognize the "burned over" allusion in the title before it's explained.) As with many articles, the term "Bono" is unfortunately used in several places to mean "U2," and this slighting of the creative work of the other members of the band is a shame. U2 diehards will also see moments where recourse to books like U2 Live or Bono: In Conversation or U2 by U2 could have been helpful. But overall, interesting and creative thesis argued interestingly and creatively. And hey, our book is namechecked in a footnote.

Abstract:
Within the last decade, many fans and members of the popular press have labeled Bono, lead singer of the band U2, a “Rock ‘n’ Roll Messiah,” because of his global humanitarian efforts and relentless effusion of theological and political messages in song and concert. Focusing on the relationship between religious practice and secular activism, I argue that Bono has performed a secularized soteriology–a public prescription of spiritual and economic salvation unbounded by religious institutions–that conjures an imagined World Polity; and this message has been packaged and delivered in ways that blur distinctions between show business and modern revival techniques.

Welcome Breakpoint readers

Greetings to those visiting from Breakpoint, "the worldview ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries," where we were recently linked in a new online version of a Steve Beard article from 2005.

Masks

Earlier this year Florida pastor Cavman, who was reading through our contributor Steve Stockman's Walk On, posted his own take on U2's various eras as he read about them. As a sample, here's the 90s. I was in my first year of seminary the year Achtung Baby came out too; I relate.

U2 and Newbigin

One of the fun aspects of running this blog is that people send me interesting articles and books in the "theology and U2" realm. I've had the chance recently to look over the draft missiology thesis of a reader from the UK, who is analyzing U2's career in terms of Lesslie Newbigin's concept of "public truth."

One thing the material made me wonder about is the sort of paradoxical way secular fans often say they value the fact that U2 don't demand allegiance to Christianity (and thus, that part of them could be read as "private" if you want) but also say they value U2 because they bring their commitment into the public realm with things like ONE, Amnesty, etc. Thus, you will hear people say both "I'd go to church if church were more like U2 (ethically "public")" or "....if church were more like U2 (doctrinally "private")" What a weird paradox!

Is (RED) doing poorly? The Independent looks at the facts.

Here is a really good article on (RED) in response to the hatchet piece in trade magazine Ad Age depicting it as basically a big scam and saying it wasn't raising any money. As anyone who's followed it knows, (RED) raised more money for Africa in its first 6 months than the entire private sector gave in the previous four years. (There is also a letter up from the head of the Global Fund setting the story about how (RED) benefits the Fund straight.)

The Independent article also does an excellent job of responding to questions like "Shouldn't people just make a charitable donation rather than buying something?" and "Is this essentially a way big companies can look philanthropic while actually giving less?" and "Why do we need (RED) when there are already charities and already a political lobby?"

Interesting comment: "Data collected for RED's chief executive, Bobby Shriver, shows that people who became aware of crises through RED's marketing have increased their charitable giving, rather than thinking they have done enough by buying RED." Not a big surprise, but good news.

I know I have some readers who are highly critical of (RED), and if you're one of them, I hope you'll take a look at this article. I've often said I am not at all the (RED) demographic and am personally fairly unlikely ever to buy a (RED) product, and I don't think anyone who's not part of (RED)'s target audience needs to either - but the article does a good job of summarizing why I completely support this initiative.

the baffled king composing...

U2 connection tenuous here, but this is a must-watch, probably the best version I have ever heard: Over The Rhine performing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"

Bono at the NAACP awards

....What was it I was talking about last night again?


Watch for a subtle evocation of a relevant passage from the epistle of James in there.

"We humbly suggest that you can do both."

I'm surprised this parallel isn't all over the blogosphere... Anyone who has any interest or involvement at all in the ONE campaign, or cares about seeing issues of trade justice, debt cancellation, and more/better aid rise to the level of public consciousness where politicians will have to do something about them, should run to the theatre to see the movie about William Wilberforce, Amazing Grace. Observers will instantly recognize the "Bono" and "Geldof" characters, as well as the Edun/(RED) parallels, and more.