One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those Seeking God - Softcover

Scharen, Christian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1587431696 ISBN 13: 9781587431692

Publisher: Brazos Press, 2006

Synopsis

U2 is widely hailed as the greatest rock and roll band in the world, and lead singer Bono is often seen in the media touting humanitarian goals. Now Christian Scharen provides a thoughtful look at the driving force behind the band. Bono and other band members are marked by the Christian faith of their Irish backgrounds. Scharen reflects on how U2 "fits within the longer Christian tradition of voices that point us to the cross, to Jesus, and to the power of God's ways in the world" as he explores the music's honest spiritual questioning. Music lovers, pastors, and anyone on the path to God will value this book.

About this title

About the Author

Christian Scharen (PhD, Emory University) teaches worship and contemporary culture at Luther Seminary and leads the research project on Learning Pastoral Imagination at Luther's Center for Faith and Life. He has authored a number of books, including Public Worship and Public Work. An ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Scharen has served congregations in California, Georgia, and Connecticut.

Reviews

Perhaps the most popular and influential rock group to espouse Christian ideals without getting sidelined as "Christian rock" is the Irish band U2. Scharen (a Lutheran pastor and instructor of practical theology at Yale) points to the many biblical, theological and spiritual themes found in U2's lyrics to explain why this band "matters to those seeking God." And he does so elegantly, offering the heartfelt and intelligent musings of a fan while also acknowledging the band's wild and worldly bent. He admits U2's lyrics are multivalent, helping the band to attract both religious and nonreligious fans. Scharen is most impressed with U2's emphasis on "the theology of the cross," a theology that accepts both doubts and faith while emphasizing the victory of God's love over the reality of earthly powers. "Despite worldly trappings of wealth and power, in U2 love does get a chance to speak," says Scharen, who calls on Christians to ask themselves what is keeping U2's "God-hungry" fans outside the church's edges. This book will no doubt appeal to the Christian who is a U2 fan, but its higher purpose is to bring the church and U2 fans from a variety of backgrounds closer together. (Apr.)
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Edition details

• Publisher: Brazos Press
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1587431696
• ISBN 13: 9781587431692
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208