For those who are looking for something more than the typically trite "christian" music, this will feed your need. Deeply spiritual, moving, and more "faith-filled" than all the syrupy crap I find at the christian book store.

COuld only get this CD from Amazon. Not available in Aus. Hauntingly beautiful music - I love it.

Of course, Sinead has always been nothing if not daring. Still, a life journey that includes tearing up the Pope on SNL, "Black Boys on Mopeds" and comes round to "I Don't Know How to Love Him" and "Rivers of Babylon" here is a life journey of considerable interest. Interesting too that three of the most distinctive and stylistically unpredictable female singers of the last couple decades -- O'Connor, Michelle Shocked, and Rickie Lee Jones -- have each released a CD imbued with spirituality in the last year or two. All three have value, but are really erratic. On Theology, you definitely don't need both versions of all songs. As many have noted, the Dublin set is acoustic, the London includes a band, but is still not especially loud. I took both versions of Something Beautiful, because it is flat-out beautiful as the title promises, and Rivers of Babylon, because I'd probably like that song even if Jim Nabors sung it. My other downloads were If You Had a Vineyard and The Glory of Jah from Dublin and Out of the Depths, Dark Am I Yet Lonely, and (cheesy though it may be) I Don't Know How to Love Him from London. Others will make different choices, but if you like Sinead O'Connor, you will certainly find something. Even if you haven't previously been impressed there are things of interest here. Still, it will be a rare person who buys the whole CD, I think.

In 2005 Sinead O'Connor came roaring back (as if she really ever was gone!) with the outstanding all-out reggae album "Throw Down Your Arms", which was one of the best albums of the year for me. As it turns out, it was regretfully only a one-time diversion, as Sinead went on her merry way after that to the next project.

"Theology" (2 CDs, 22 tracks, 91 min.) essentially brings a two-fer album. On CD1 "Dublin Sessions" (11 tracks, 41 min.) Sinead O'Connor brings all of the songs in an intimate setting, just acoustic guitar and vocals. One might almost be tempted to say those are the demos from which CD2 would come, but that's doing injustice to the intimate songs of CD1. The best song for me on CD1 is "Rivers of Babylon", one of the few traditional songs (arranged by Sinead), and almost unrecognisably so, but very beautifully. I rate the first CD 4 stars. On CD2 "London Sessions" (11 tracks, 50 min.). the same songs (but in a slightly different running order) are brought with a full band, and some songs are better than others. I liked the very different sounding "We People Who Are Darker Than Blue" (with drum machine, no less), as well as "Whomsoever Dwells" with the long intsrumental intro. CD2 has an extra song, a truly dreadful cover of "I Don't Know How to Love Him", what was Sinead thinking on this one? I rate the second CD 3 stars.

In all, "Theology" is ambitious and sprawling (not unlike Sinead's earlier "She Who Dwells" double album), but there is no denying the beautiful voice that Sinead continues to showcase. From that angle, CD1 works better for me than CD2. I had the good fortune of catching Sinead on tour last Fall in Chicago in support of this album, and it being my first time seeing her live, I enjoyed it from start to finish. She played a number of songs from "Theology", but also a number of her classics including of course "Nothing Compares to U". An unforgettable evening of music!

Sinead O'Connor's "Theology" is such a treasure. I've played it over and over, given it as gifts, used it for my own meditation and even arranged some of her selections for harp. She sings her reverent settings for (her own versions ) of the Old Testament psalms using her rich voice and two entirely different sets of accompaniment. The interviews shed light on the changes she has gone through--as well as giving us a wonderful insight into her sense of humor.