Grace Takes the Blame: U2's Approach to the Gospel

Aug. 24, 2009

By Andrew Roberts
Contributor

As someone who came to U2 first as a music lover and not as a Christian, I initially ignored the way that they immersed their message in the Christian Gospel. I saw it mainly as a tool of convenience. It added to the epic feel of it all. Eventually, though, I found something else ­-- something I had missed before.

In his new book, We Get to Carry Each Other: The Gospel According to U2, Greg Garrett, a Baylor professor offers an analysis of the band's spiritual message.

In his Introduction (don't skip it), he gives a short history of the quartet from Dublin. Garrett does an admirable job of putting U2's relationship with Christianity in context, which is no simple task. Their road with Jesus appears marred with contradictions and missteps, but the author contends that they have all pointed in the same direction.

Before continuing, a few caveats. First, this book was written for U2 fans. It does not pose as a defense of U2, and believe me, if you hate Bono, this book will not change your mind.

While it isn't necessary to be a card-carrying member of the U2 fan club to enjoy this book, a basic appreciation of the band's music is recommended.

Also, while I won't say one must be a Christian to take something away from this book, a working understanding of Christian doctrine is necessary. The author assumes his readers have a certain level of spiritual comprehension.

With that, here are my thoughts on the book.

The Gospel According to U2 is primarily an attempt to put the many-pronged message of U2 in one place. Garrett is a very adept synthesizer of information, seemingly connecting Bono's lyrics with passages from scripture and Church fathers. With plenty of references to the likes of N.T. Wright, Anne Lamott, and even a Forward by Brian McClaren, the book will appeal especially to Emergent types -- alas, I am not one of you. The multitude of quotes may overwhelm some readers at first, but it gets easier as the book goes on.

The book is divided into three chapters, each taking on U2's spiritual message from a different angle. The first juxtaposes U2's brand of spirituality with Orthodox Christianity, and puts the words of songs like "Yahweh" and "40" side by side with the words of the Psalmists and St. Augustine.

The second and strongest section of the book deals with U2's ecclesiology. More cohesive and single-minded than the others, it shows U2's message to be primarily one of redemption. The last chapter is on social justice - but more on that later.

Garrett's thesis is summed up in the title. Taken from "One," the words, "We get to carry each other" form the centerpiece of the book. As he puts it in the book's final pages, this shared responsibility among humans is a Christian's way of participating "in the life of God." The final few pages were easily the most powerful in the book.

There was another message, however, that rang hollow for me. For Garrett, much of his love for U2 comes from their commendable commitment to social justice. Throughout the last chapter, I often found myself thinking "yes, but..." and I'm not sure why.

I think it has something to do with the reasons I came to love U2. It wasn't my flirtation with liberation theology or exposure to the great suffering in the world that did it for me. It was the song "Grace" and a dark, empty highway.

I think that's why this book didn't resonate with me as much as it could have. Garrett and I love the same thing for different reasons. It's no fault of Garrett's. In fact, it says a lot about why U2 matters to so many people.

Fans of U2's music and message will enjoy Garrett's book. Whether you agree with every point he makes or not, it will be sure to get you pulling out your old records and experiencing them like new once again.

Grade: B+

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