10.20.2007
What is more important in the church, being “one” or “not the same”?
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Tim from Occasio helped present a workshop called "The Good Samaritan, U2 and Diversity in the Church" for Building a Culture of Peace Week at Fresno Pacific. Here are the notes and materials from that event, which reflected on "One" and "Please."
10.16.2007
"What was lost when the gates slammed shut"
The folks at @U2 weigh in with a duet on the Achtung Baby book -- an interview with the author, and a review from the perspective of a writer unsympathetic to Roman Catholicism (who actually takes the book as rather more specifically denominationally Roman Catholic than it seemed to me.)
The interview, among other things, touches on whether "the personal trumps the political" on Achtung Baby. The review, among other things, applauds a very successful example of how Catanzarite's writing evokes the beginning of "Zoo Station" and uses the interesting image of the songs as "apparitions" in each chapter.
Sidebar: I was a bit mystified by the review's idea that Catanzarite is advancing a sort of personal theory that Achtung Baby is "about the Fall." I thought the book's imaginative narrative was intended more to draw on the way in which Achtung Baby assumes the Fall as a given. And frankly, I can't imagine how anyone could even attempt to make any kind of plausible case that the album doesn't do that. (Or more, that U2 have EVER made ANY album that doesn't assume the Fall as a given.)
Both pieces point out the fact that the book demonstrates no evidence of engagement with women writers as theological or intellectual resources (only works by males are quoted, and the interview's rationale for this made me cringe, unintentionally - I hope! - implying the only reason someone might draw on the work of a woman theologian is because of being obligated to by a "fairness doctrine.") To me, the best answer to why these kind of sweeping omissions can happen is given by Catanzarite himself in an answer to a very different question: "[The Fall is] more than just 'a' relationship in trouble. That's ALL relationships in trouble."
By the way, a reader sent me a link to his own review of the book, too, while we're on this.
The interview, among other things, touches on whether "the personal trumps the political" on Achtung Baby. The review, among other things, applauds a very successful example of how Catanzarite's writing evokes the beginning of "Zoo Station" and uses the interesting image of the songs as "apparitions" in each chapter.
Sidebar: I was a bit mystified by the review's idea that Catanzarite is advancing a sort of personal theory that Achtung Baby is "about the Fall." I thought the book's imaginative narrative was intended more to draw on the way in which Achtung Baby assumes the Fall as a given. And frankly, I can't imagine how anyone could even attempt to make any kind of plausible case that the album doesn't do that. (Or more, that U2 have EVER made ANY album that doesn't assume the Fall as a given.)
Both pieces point out the fact that the book demonstrates no evidence of engagement with women writers as theological or intellectual resources (only works by males are quoted, and the interview's rationale for this made me cringe, unintentionally - I hope! - implying the only reason someone might draw on the work of a woman theologian is because of being obligated to by a "fairness doctrine.") To me, the best answer to why these kind of sweeping omissions can happen is given by Catanzarite himself in an answer to a very different question: "[The Fall is] more than just 'a' relationship in trouble. That's ALL relationships in trouble."
By the way, a reader sent me a link to his own review of the book, too, while we're on this.
10.12.2007
U2 at "Genesis"
HT to Tim at Occasio for sending me a link to some notes and handouts from a U2 course that was held this fall by a 30s/40s group at a Methodist church in Austin TX. Follow the links on their blog and you'll find material from all the various sessions.
10.05.2007
Too many choices
I happened on this post from The Dubliner today - it's an excerpt from a book that asked a lot of famous people the same questions about spirituality - and I was struck by a sequence of ideas in this answer (What is your code, in relation to right and wrong? "You know instinctively, always, what’s the right thing to do. And the greatest enemy of that instinct is the din of too many choices. Noise. I think of that story in the Bible of Elijah who was told he should go up a hill and wait to hear from God. A mighty wind springs up and he thinks: 'Here it comes, God’s on his way.' Then there’s an earthquake, but no word from God. Then comes a great fire and he thinks that God will speak from the fires, but no. The wind calms down and in the stillness he hears God’s voice. Sometimes you have to quiet your life to hear what is the right thing to do.")
What struck me was that this is the same coupling sketched in the lyrics to "New York":
In New York freedom feels like too many choices
In New York I found a friend to drown out the other voices
And hey, the end of the song (In the stillness of the evening/ when the sun has had its day/
I heard your voice whispering/ 'come away child') I'd always thought had a mixture of Elijah and Song of Solomon overtones anyway.
What struck me was that this is the same coupling sketched in the lyrics to "New York":
In New York freedom feels like too many choices
In New York I found a friend to drown out the other voices
And hey, the end of the song (In the stillness of the evening/ when the sun has had its day/
I heard your voice whispering/ 'come away child') I'd always thought had a mixture of Elijah and Song of Solomon overtones anyway.
10.04.2007
Free Burma
International Bloggers Day For Burma
Bloggers are preparing an action to support the peaceful revolution in Burma. We want to set a sign for freedom and show our sympathy for these people who are fighting their cruel regime without weapons. These Bloggers are planning to refrain from posting to their blogs on October 4 and just put up one Banner then, underlined with the words "Free Burma!" Click the banner to find out more.
Bloggers are preparing an action to support the peaceful revolution in Burma. We want to set a sign for freedom and show our sympathy for these people who are fighting their cruel regime without weapons. These Bloggers are planning to refrain from posting to their blogs on October 4 and just put up one Banner then, underlined with the words "Free Burma!" Click the banner to find out more.
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