Occasio

Theology, Culture and U2: Spiritually Significant Songs

The students in my class have the following assignment:

Choose one of the following and write an essay.

1) Discuss five to ten U2 songs and why they are spiritually significant to you personally. Describe how each song has affected you on a theological, spiritual and personal level.

2) Do a narrative interview of two or three individuals who have been following the work of U2 for at least twenty years each. Let them tell stories of how U2 has impacted them spiritually. Discuss their favorite songs and how the songs have been spiritually significant.

I decided that I shouldn't ask the students to do anything I'm not willing to do, so I wrote the same paper they are required to write. My discussion of spiritually significant songs includes "40," "Bad," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "Van Diemen's Land," "Until the End of the World," "Walk On," and others. If you would like to see why these songs are personally relevant on a spiritual level, you can download my paper here.

A couple of notes: I created this document as an example of what I was looking for from the students so it's somewhat formal, though still reflective in nature. Also, I resisted the temptation to rank these songs; they are all so important, and there could be many more. This was a much harder assignment than I thought it would be!

Thanks to Tyler Williams, Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Taylor University. I got the idea from his blog (it was referenced at U2 Sermons).

Please leave comments adding your own spiritually meaningful songs!

Celtic Music in Fresno? Cinnte!

 

Lunasa comes to Fagan's Irish Pub on Tuesday, September 26. This group brings authentic Celtic music direct from Ireland. Lunasa is contemporary yet acoustic; they wander into new territory but stay true to the rhythms and instruments of traditional Irish music. I ran into Carrie Fagan (owner of Fagan's) last week and asked her how she could bring such an internationally known group to Fresno. Her response, "Fagan's is the biggest Irish pub in the valley." Who would have thought! Fagan's seats several hundred around tables for dinner and drinks, all with good views of the intimate stage. I've been a fan of Lunasa since my sister gave me their album, Merry Sisters of Fate. I can't wait!

Since that auspicious beginning, Lúnasa has become one of the most sought-after bands on the international Irish music scene. The band’s inventive arrangements and bass-driven grooves are steering Irish acoustic music into surprising new territory. On their first American visit, word-of-mouth led to sold-out shows and rave reviews. “A standing-room only crowd in New York confirmed Lúnasa’s reputation” … wrote The New York Times. “This is the hottest Irish acoustic group on the planet.” (From the Lunasa website)

Theology, Culture and U2: The Course Begins

Well, I'm four weeks into the new semester and long overdue for the report I promised on my course "Theology, Culture and U2." I'll stick to some of the general details in this post; soon I'll be writing more posts about specific class sessions.

Overall, the class has been wonderful. There are a dozen undergrad students very engaged in the content. We meet once a week for an hour and 45 minutes. It is not nearly enough time, but all I get for a two-unit course.

Here is a summary of the syllabus and course content. Required texts are Michka Assayas' Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas, and Christian Scharen's One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those Seeking God. There are so many other good books to use; it was very tough to decide! Here are some of the other fine texts I considered and use regularly as recommended resources: Whiteley and Maynard's Get Up Off Your Knees: Preaching the U2 Catalog, Steve Stockman's Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2, and Robert Vagacs' Religious Nuts, Political Fanatics: U2 in Theological Perspective.

It goes without saying that this course will require students to do much more than read. Another important required resource is Jann S. Wenner's interviews with Bono for Rolling Stone magazine. I am having students listen to the actual interviews rather than read the article because they are much more extensive (almost four hours) and they are Bono's uninterpreted words. I believe it is important for students to hear the passion in Bono's voice for themselves. I also have them reading and researching on the internet, spending at least an hour a week on Beth Maynard's site, U2 Sermons.

Other assignments include: viewing various concert videos and other documentaries regarding the band; writing a comparative paper on the Rattle and Hum and Vertigo concerts; writing a paper based on either the most significant spiritually themed songs from their own experience or from interviewing others; and a final paper and presentation in which they have the choice of researching a theme, an album, or a biblical genre, integrating the themes of theology, culture and U2. I am also looking for students who will collaborate with me on three separate presentations I will give this semester on our campus. Click here for the complete syllabus in pdf format (includes course reading and listening schedule).

The official class description:

The rock band U2 has delivered a consistent message of Christian faith and social justice since its 1980 debut album. The band members, heavily influenced in their early years by living in war-torn Ireland and belonging to a Christian community called Shalom, fill their music with rich biblical imagery. Lead singer Bono has become a political activist addressing global issues of poverty, inequity, fair trade, AIDS, and debt relief. In this course students will explore how U2's message and theology interact with culture to create a unique expression of Christian faith. The course will critically examine the works of U2 and will challenge students to think theologically about current cultural issues.

Finally, a big thanks to Beth at U2 Sermons and to all the readers that responded to questions we asked this summer (#1, #2, #3, #4). I hope that you will find some of your ideas floating around in the material and in my reflections; your words really pushed me to think through numerous issues in developing this course (especially how to arrange the content!). Please come back often and leave comments. I value all responses! Thanks also goes to the students of the course who have so ably made the classroom a true "learning space."

Love and Peace or Else, Tim