Prophets or bad boys?
A second opinion on U2?s spiritual impact
Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2
Steve Stockman
Relevant Books
During an online discussion among U2 fans, one participant said she
recently received a cache of U2 paraphernalia from the 1980s. The
prized vinyl, posters, magazine covers and other items were being
discarded by a former fan who had lost interest in U2 because the
band members, in her opinion, ?no longer believe in God.?
In Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2, first-time author Steve
Stockman offers an apologetic that challenges the disillusioned and
uninformed to take another look at the spiritual impact of the biggest
rock band in the world.
Stockman, an ordained Presbyterian minister and campus
chaplain at Queen?s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has followed
the career of the Dublin quartet from its beginnings and has obviously
taken careful notes along the way. For those acquainted with previous
books on Bono and the boys, Stockman takes the reader through
familiar territory, albeit from a decidedly Irish point of view. It is that Irish
perspective that will help those less familiar with U2’s music, spirituality
and politics to make sense of what has often been dismissed by U2’s
Christian critics as a mass of contradictions.
While not exhaustive in his analysis of U2?s music, Stockman
does a good job of wetting the reader?s appetite for more. You may
find yourself pulling out a dusty copy of War, The Joshua Tree or
Achtung Baby to appreciate the full force of Stockman?s interpretation
of what makes this band tick. Stockman?s look at the songs and faith of
Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry is more than just the insight and
anecdotes of a longtime fan.
Stockman is keenly aware that U2 has been harshly criticized by
many inside the church for what has been perceived as a fall from
grace and an embrace of the more decadent elements of rock
superstardom. But Stockman sees U2’s worldliness as an indictment
of the church, not the band. He asks: Which is more consistent with a
life of discipleship, to erect a separatist subculture complete with its
own music ghetto or to take spiritual and artistic risks that draw the ire
of the church and the world?
Stockman presents U2 as more than just a rock band that makes
occasional references to God and things spiritual. Nor is it enough to
complement the boys for their 20 years of social involvement with
Amnesty International, African famine relief and Jubilee 2000. In
Stockman?s estimation, U2 represents a model for Christian witness in
the postmodern world. Or, as Bono would say, ?Three chords and the
truth.?
- By Tim Adams, a Baptist minister, freelance writer and U2 fan who
works as a caseworker at a halfway house in San Antonio, Texas.
(u2wesley@swbell.net)
- Faithworks.com
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