“A hilarious, humbling, and holy ascent to what makes us all human.”
—Dan Allender
“A rare combination of intelligence, quick humor, nuanced feeling, and a generous will to be amused.”
—Marilyn McEntyre
A. R. Stager holds a PhD in divinity and a DMin in writing. A Presbyterian minister, therapist, and fly-fishing guide, he lives in Denver with his family. He writes poetry and memoir, collects books, and obsessively pursues trout in colorful Colorado.
What does faith look like in a world marked by fear, division, and injustice?
In A Verb and Not a Noun: Days of Ash—U2's Lenten Liturgy, Joel S. Kiekintveld and A. R. Stager explore U2's powerful 2026 EP Days of Ash as a modern soundtrack for Lent.
Through six songs filled with prophetic urgency and spiritual longing, U2 invites listeners to confront the realities of suffering, exclusion, violence, and hope.
Drawing on Scripture, theology, and U2's decades-long artistic witness, Kiekintveld and Stager lead readers through reflection, repentance, and renewal. Drawing on Scripture, theology, and U2's decades-long artistic witness, the authors lead readers through reflection, repentance, and renewal. Each chapter meditates on one movement of U2's musical liturgy, revealing how art becomes sacred space and how songs call us toward deeper discipleship.
Part theological reflection, part cultural commentary, part Lenten companion, the book asks readers to move beyond belief: love, justice, repentance, and hope are not ideas to admire but practices to embody.
For U2 fans, spiritual seekers, pastors, and anyone longing for a faith that engages the realities of the world, A Verb and Not a Noun offers a compelling invitation: to live as though faith is a verb.