Is Bono a Prophet?

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<img src="http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee136/anuransol/bono-sml.jpg" alt="" width="101" height="75" />

<strong>By Laurie Britt-Smith</strong>

<strong>August 26, 2008</strong>
Note: The editorial staff of Interference is pleased to present an exclusive series of articles that examine Bono?s prophetic tendencies?lyrically, spiritually, musically, politically. In the coming weeks and days before the release of the band?s twelfth studio album, we will post excerpts from the May 2008 dissertation in Composition and Rhetoric of Dr. Laurie Britt-Smith, graduate of St. Louis University.

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Recently hired to direct the Writing Program at the University of Detroit, Smith examines Bono?s unique theological sensibilities alongside his boundary-crossing social justice activism. Of interest to U2 fans, scholars, and activist Christians of all political persuasions, this writing continues the to give academic quality to the amazing quantity of serious prose devoted to studying the greatest rock band of the late 20th century. To set the stage, this first installment presents an excerpt from Smith?s larger work. In particular, we offer the section where she defines a ?prophet? based on the work of Walter Brueggemann. ?Ed.

Walter Brueggemann?s text, The Prophetic Imagination, provides the framework for examining the actual rhetoric of what he identifies as a prophet. The prophet in this sense is not one who foretells the future, but one who is concerned with provoking ?elemental changes in human society? based on his/her understanding of the ?strange incongruence between public conviction and personal yearning? and ?the distinctive power of language.? In short, (s)he provides a new word, or rhetoric, to replace what has been the language of power. Brueggemann states, ?The evocation of an alternative reality consists at least in part in the battle for language and the legitimization of a new rhetoric.?

<img src="http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee136/anuransol/Bono_p1.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="555" />

Brueggemann discusses the characteristic of the prophet as being one who can present an ?alternative consciousness? by criticizing the dominant culture ? which is a liberal tendency ? while also energizing the community to move toward a promise of a better time and situation ? which is a conservative idea that is part of the fabric of American society. The conservative faction withstands criticism of the status quo without the real promise or hope of some sort of improvement over the current situation being offered by the new vision; the liberal faction resists talk of promises and hope in the new vision being offered without criticism of what is occurring in the status quo. The prophet?s rhetoric captures the motives of both sides and provides a way for them to work together.
Using the Mosaic covenant tradition found in the book of Exodus as a model, he also establishes criteria for prophetic rhetoric based on justice and compassion. The rhetoric is political and social, as well as spiritual in nature. This rhetorical tradition is one that must present an alternative to the ?theology of God?s enslavement? ? the promotion of the belief that a community?s current situation is the result of God?s disfavor of the oppressed and a sign of favor for those in power, and a ?sociology of human enslavement.? Moving beyond social theory and righteous indignation, prophetic rhetoric begins with discerning an alternative vision of Yahweh based in justice and compassion. It is the presentation of that alternative vision of ?God?s freedom? that energizes the community.
 
Wow - my two favorite theologians! Brueggemann and Bono! I would say that Bono is a true prophetic voice in the Biblical tradition.

Even in the basest pop-cultural understanding of a "prophet" - I always thought it was profound that ATYCLB drew from airplanes and airport imagery and New York so much. Hmmm.
 
This kind of "rhetoric" is actually pretty frightening. Bono is using his fame to do some admirable things. But, by using the term "prophet", you unavoidably meld the actions of an ordinary human being with those of a divine being in the minds of those who view that as a key component in "prophecy". Bono is not a divine being - he is just a man. Describing him as a "prophet" is, in the broadest sense of the term, abjectly false, and I'd like to think that Bono himself would reject such a notion if he heard about it.
 
Relax, we're talking prophets in the biblical tradition, not pop-spirituality. Nobody in the biblical tradition sees prophets as "divine beings" - they were all VERY human and had their own flaws and hang-ups to deal with. They didn't make predictions as much as they opened the collective eyes of the prevailing power structures to a much larger reality and hope.
 
My point is that many - if not most - people who hear the word "prophet" won't make the academic distinction that you and the writer are making, here. It has a mystical, metaphysical ring to it that you'll never be rid of.
 
words fail me.

i mean... wow. i think i should probably laugh at this, but i'm still a bit stunned by how ridiculous this is.
 
It isn't ridiculous - Bruggemann is an Old Testament scholar who is intimately familiar with the text and tradition of the prophetic stream of Hebrew culture. MLK would be another example of a "prophet" in the Biblical tradition; speaking truth to power and giving new vision to the disenfrancised. Whenever these things happen; you have a prophetic event. MLK also was aware of this: evoking Moses himself; thus placing himself firmly in this prophetic stream.

But biblically speaking (not woo-woo spirituality) whenever truth is spoken to power and the marginalized are energized with hope - that is prophecy. And BOTH have to happen.

I'm sorry our culture is so ignorant we can't tell the difference between crystal-power, David Koresh and MLK. One of those is clearly in the Biblical tradition; 2 are not. But this conversation isn't about which is better, but what the Biblical definition of a prophet is, all cultural hang-ups aside.
 
huh

Prothets foretell the future, right? What kind of predictions he told? Did these predictions came truth? Seriously, people ,stop this madness!! He is just a sweet blabber with nice voice!
 
read the excerpt!

In the author's definition (which IS the Jewish/Christian understanding of the term) a prophet is neither a divine being nor someone who has magical power to predict the future.

From a sociological perspective, a "prophet" is an agent of social change. As the excerpt describes, a prophet presents a vision of a better society and criticizes the shortcomings of the status quo.

By that definition, Bono undoubtedly fits the prophetic mold, as do countless other contemporary and historical figures. To affirm this does not mean to suggest he is on par with Jesus, the Buddha, or the "official" Biblical prophets.
 
Wow - my two favorite theologians! Brueggemann and Bono! I would say that Bono is a true prophetic voice in the Biblical tradition.

Even in the basest pop-cultural understanding of a "prophet" - I always thought it was profound that ATYCLB drew from airplanes and airport imagery and New York so much. Hmmm.

now that you mention it, ATYCLB had the song "new york" on it and the video for "elevation" (which was supposed to take place in new york) featured evil u2 in a battle with good u2. Also a very low flying airplane at the end of it. Not to sure what to think of the elephants though, hmmm...
 
NO, Prophets in the Biblical tradition don't "tell the future" - they lay out future scenerios that may come to pass if a given culture continues down a self-destructive path. They also lay out visions of hope so that cultures, people-groups and human systems can see beyond their cultural blindness. I really think the people that are calling this article ridiculous are just using the shallow, pop-culture understanding of what a prophetic voice is. You guys should really read what Bruggemann is saying, and get in touch with some actual Biblical theology. It's not right-wing christian fundamentalism, nor is it "spirituality" or "predicting the future." It is saying the Biblically speaking, God is interested in social change (as well as personal change) and whoever enters into the laboring of it is helping him out. It's very easy to be a prophetic voice in the Biblical tradition. There's no nefarious "special-connection" to the divine involved, other than what is offered to all.
 
The author clarifies the question

This extremely short cut is pulled from a very serious and well received academic project and is about RHETORIC - the ability through appeals to logic, emotions, and the credibility of the speaker to persuade others to move toward a cause. It is about language choice, cultural literacy practices, and forms of social discourse.

I was worried when approached to post this that there would be misunderstanding of what it was because of the word "prophet". You can only put so much of the original writing online because the intended audience was a very specific panel of academics/theologians. (By the way – Is Bono a Prophet? – is not my title. The editor did that because my title is alas, dry and rather academic.)

My thanks to those of you who are familiar with Walter Brueggemann and the theological tradition he is writing from in which the prophet is neither divine nor mystical, but a very specific type of human social critic interacting with very specific human communities. Apologies to those who were thrown off by the sudden use of such a loaded term. I hope this will clarify what the project is about and you can get past whatever cultural literacy has taught you to define the word “prophet” as you do.

As it says very clearly even in this shortest of cuts - this type of prophet DOES NOT predict the future in some sort of new age-drippy-flakey way, nor is he or she acting as a mystic or a divine. Those drawing from what Brueggemann identifies as the “prophetic” tradition discuss what has gone wrong in the current social political circumstance, what COULD happen if things do not change, and what COULD happen if the community changes how they think and act about their cause. They encourage and promote change for the social good. They remind people that they are better than what is currently going on. They as Brueggemann states - change the language of power by introducing an alternative rhetoric.

MLK is an example of this type of speaker/writer, as is Dorothy Day. No, I am not saying Bono is Dorothy Day or MLK - different times, different needs, different speakers, same tradition though. He has THE POTENTIAL to be what they are - iconic agents of social change based in the language and ideas of a significant spiritual and speaking tradition.

This cut doesn't even begin to discuss Bono, and so I am also puzzled by those who are so quick to dismiss what hasn't been provided yet - that would be the analysis of his cultural literacy and a break-down of his performance rhetoric during his appeal for the One Campaign in the Chicago and St. Louis Vertigo Tour performances.

All I ask it that you actually read before you attack. If you don't understand, be patient or ask questions that show you've actually read the cut.
 
Button Bono’s Lip

Bono should stick to singing. His advice is even worse than that being offered by the hapless Cruise. While he pays lip service to the problem of foreign corruption, Bono's prescription is still the same—throw more good money—ours—after bad. Yet a comprehensive new study concludes that foreign aid has mostly been counterproductive because it crowds out private sector investment, undermines democracy, and perpetuates poverty. When foreign aid rises, economic growth falls.

A familiar paradox about leftist celebrities in the entertainment industry is that their embrace of progressivism almost never includes a wholehearted embrace of progressive taxation, i.e., the principle that the richer you get, the larger the percentage of your income you ought to pay in taxes. The latest example is U2's Bono, a committed and unusually sophisticated anti-poverty crusader who is taking surprisingly little heat for the decision by his band, U2, to relocate its music-publishing business from Ireland to the Netherlands in order to shelter its songwriting royalties from taxation.
The irony was stated in admirably stark terms by Bloomberg's Fergal O'Brien, who reported on Oct. 16:

Bono, the rock star and campaigner against Third World debt, is asking the Irish government to contribute more to Africa. At the same time, he's reducing tax payments that could help fund that aid.

Maybe your prophet is;):bono::combust::dance::lmao::beer::angel::whistle::yes: more after profit.:applaud:
 
Umm...is the formatting of the original post fucked up for anyone else? Makes it a pain to read.
 
Prophet for profit

I absolutely agree that one of the problematic issues with Bono how his finances play out. There is a disconnect between speaking and doing in this area. It will be addressed in another segment.

One of the things to remember though is that no one is going to behave in a perfect manner. All the "prophets" in this tradition have flaws. That's why it's important to make the distinction between the definition of prophet that assumes divinity and this tradition wherein the speaker is just a person - subject to all the same issues, weaknesses and contradictions that the rest of us are.
 
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