U2 and the Religious Impulse: Take Me Higher

Description

U2 and the Religious Impulse examines indications in U2's music and performances that the band work at conscious and subconscious levels as artists who focus on matters of the spirit, religious traditions, and a life guided by both belief and doubt. U2 is known for a career of stirring songs, landmark performances and for its interest in connecting with fans to reach a higher power to accomplish greater purposes. Its success as a rock band is unparalleled in the history of rock 'n' roll's greatest acts. In addition to all the thrills one would expect from entertainers at this level, U2 surprises many listeners who examine its lyrics and concert themes by having a depth of interest in matters of human existence more typically found in literature, philosophy and theology. The multi-disciplinary perspectives presented here account for the durability of U2's art and offer informed explanations as to why many fans of popular music who seek a connection with a higher power find U2 to be a kindred spirit. This study will be of interest to scholars and students of religious studies and musicology, interested in religion and popular music, as well as religion and popular culture more broadly.

Scott Calhoun is Professor of English at Cedarville University, USA. He created and directs the U2 Conference and Studies Network. He is a curator for U2: Made in Dublin at The Little Museum of Dublin, and has edited two volumes of scholarly writing about U2. He's been a staff writer since 2004 for @U2, for which he has written numerous articles and interviews about U2.

U2 and the Religious Impulse provides a wide ranging, deep and thoughtful investigation of the relationships between popular music, religion and spirituality. Exploring areas such as music, lyrics, staging and cultures, the writers examine how fans navigate flows of meaning created by and beyond the band, offering considerable insight into the functions of the sacred within popular culture. * Rupert Till, Professor of Music, University of Huddersfield, UK * This truly excellent collection of lively, provocative essays shows that digging into and reflecting on U2's work is well worth the effort. Without constraining the band's output and impact by interpreting their music in any simple, narrowly religious way, these multi-disciplinary investigations reveal U2's importance for spirituality, theology, politics and ethics. The book provides compelling evidence of the profound significance of popular culture. * Clive Marsh, Head of the Vaughan Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Leicester, UK * The relationship of U2 and several western religions has been a topic of debate/discussion since the band's debut album Boy, in 1980. Subsequent releases found the group consistently addressing spiritual and religious themes in an attempt to reconcile faith and ever increasing popular music stardom. Here Calhoun takes on the varied and diverse religious elements in the music of the long-lived, world-renown band. As the band, itself, culls religious influence from a host of sources, so U2 and the Religious Impulse expertly addresses these myriad sacred cues in a measured and thought-provoking volume. * David Moskowitz, Professor of Music History, University of South Dakota, USA *