Teaching "Theology, Culture and U2" at North Fresno Church

This fall I’ll be teaching the Sunday school class “Theology, Culture and U2” at North Fresno Church. This will be an adaptation of the college class I teach at Fresno Pacific University. I'm looking forward to seeing how the material translates to and is received by people in the congregation (we're even having the high school students join!).

The rock band U2 has delivered a consistent message of biblical 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 songs with rich biblical imagery and address global issues of poverty, inequity, fair trade, AIDS, debt relief and more. In this class we’ll explore how U2’s music, message and theology interact with culture to create a unique yet sometimes controversial expression of Christian faith.

What is theology? What are the pressing issues facing this planet on which we live? How should the church respond to these issues? What could a rock band from Ireland have to teach us about all of this?

If you’re curious and live in the Fresno area, join us every Sunday, starting September 25, 10:00 AM on the third floor at North Fresno Church (5724 N. Fresno St.). Contact me if you have more questions.

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“God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house… God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both of their lives… God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war…” -Bono

“Who knew that some Irish guys who sing about sex, drugs and rock-n-roll would turn out to be some of my favorite theologians?” -Jessica, former student