Sunday, October 04, 2009

u2 conference: Bono, Nick Cave on Jesus

I don’t believe in an interventionist God – Nick Cave. How does Christ figure in the two artists – Bono and Cave?

The Flesh made Word. Cave’s Christ embodied a move from self-loathing to self-divinising. Cave receives the Biblical story as “creative.” Contrast with Bono. His reply to journalist. Variant on CS Lewis. Bono receives the Biblical story as “glorification.”

Jesus as son: Both have in common – Christ as liberator, exemplar, admirer. Both young men lost parents. Both sort solace of rock music. Jesus as “son.” Cave’s The Mercy Seat. Christ writes the wrongs (a modern day Marcion). A Good Son track. Jesus doubles for wayward son.

Christ taking on flesh increasingly satisfying for Bono. (A more accessible version of Richard Swinburne). Lyrics from The first time, “For the first time I feel love.”

Jesus as teacher: Modern secular societies still use Jesus words. Cave quotes Jesus as “salve for longing.” Any true love song is a song for God. Artists create, in example of Christ.

Bono. Magnificent. Not “theo vox” but an address to God. Allusions to Magnificant. Crumbs on table as allusion to Canaanite woman.

Christ as man of sorrows: Cave strongly identifies with this theme. Sorrow, death and violence. Bono different. Waves of sorrow. Hope in new set of beautitudes.

Christ and cross: For Cave, Cross as punishment cf Bono cross as love.

No personal encounter for Cave. In his art exhibition John 17: why is faith essential to eternal love? cf Bono, personal encounter Unknown caller. Offer of a fresh start for a digital age. “Known when we pick up the phone.”

For other posts on U2 conference go here.

Posted by steve at 04:06 AM

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