As of: March 15, 2024, 11:59 a.m
By: Magnus Reitinger
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The award-winning songwriter duo “Carolin No”, with whom Rainer Oberthür performs in Weilheim, has released fourteen albums together since 2007.
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A renowned theologian and two highly acclaimed pop musicians will appear together at the “Weilheim Faith Questions” on March 20th – and promote “a hope with open eyes”.
Weilheim – “What do you believe?” asks a very special event on March 20th as part of the “Weilheim Questions of Faith”.
The Aachen religious educator Rainer Oberthür (62) and the Würzburg singer/songwriter duo “Carolin No” (the married couple Carolin and Andreas Obieglo) present “Songs and words for a hope with open eyes” in the city theater under this title.
Oberthür explains in the interview what we can look forward to, how his collaboration with the successful musician couple came about and what gives him hope in troubled times.
A renowned theologian in his early 60s and two highly acclaimed pop musicians in their mid-40s go on stage together - how did they find each other?
Rainer Oberthür: The story began with a CD that my brother gave our daughter.
That was in 2013, namely the CD “Loveland” by “Carolin No”, which I didn’t know until then.
I heard the first song back then and was blown away.
Shortly afterwards I ordered all of their CDs from their homepage and soon asked by email whether they would like to perform in Aachen.
They came to Aachen for the first time in 2014 and had two sold-out concerts... And then this joint project came about in 2017, which resulted in a book.
The three of us were so consistent that we said: “Let’s do a live program too!” At first we thought there would be maybe three or four performances with it, but then more and more requests came.
Weilheim is now our 36th concert reading.
Rainer Oberthür is a lecturer in religious education and a sought-after author.
© private
What excites you so much about “Carolin No”?
Your presence on stage, this genuineness, closeness, authenticity, which was also confirmed in our direct contact.
You don't often experience that to this extent at concerts: that you just sit there and marvel - and the whole thing still has an impact a few weeks later.
I think Caro and Andi's songs are often religiously based, they contain the big questions of life - without being as striking as some religious songwriters.
“There is a longing for religion in the guise of culture,” you quote this sentence from the writer Navid Kermani to describe your concert readings. How much religion is in your program?
In my passages a lot.
It's about the central questions about God and the world, about faith and meaning, i.e. about the big questions of human beings.
My texts are very personal answers to fictional letters from children aged 9 to 13, and they are definitely confessions.
My own spirituality is very much a spirituality of questioning and searching - with the realization: "Whoever believes does not have more answers, but more questions."
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The title of the concert reading is “What do you think?” What is your personal answer to this question?
I am influenced by the Christian message of faith, which in turn is always influenced by the Jewish tradition.
For me, faith means that there is more than material things.
We believers have a sense of the meaning behind all meaning.
And for me it is the Christian faith, with all the critical awareness and critical view of the church, that sometimes causes me great suffering.
This year, the “Weilheim Questions of Faith” series deliberately focuses on hope in a time of crisis. What gives you hope in these troubled times?
In the song “Loveland” by “Carolin No” it says “The best is yet to come”.
For me, that actually describes Christian hope.
I live strongly from this basic hope, which in no way closes my eyes to the problems.
As we put it in the subtitle of the concert reading, it is about “hope with open eyes”.
I am already worried about many issues, currently especially wars and populism, I also address this in my work - but with a basic attitude, a hope that I draw from faith.
As a religious educator and primary school teacher, you particularly have younger children in mind. What do you think children of primary school age need these days?
First and foremost, space to express your questions and discuss what concerns you - not just what makes you happy, but also what worries you.
I myself currently often work with Psalm words.
And notice that children can do a lot with the fact that they relate the imagery of the Psalms to their own lives.
First of all, giving space to express our concerns and then also inspiring confidence that we are not alone, not helpless and that God needs us to solve the problems - that is a lot.
Back to the concert reading in Weilheim: Who shouldn’t miss your performance with “Carolin No”?
Anyone who deals with the big questions facing people and wants to experience a special kind of perspective.
Here songs and words come together, meet each other, stimulate wonder and thought - regardless of the question of whether you believe in God or not.
The concert reading
by Rainer Oberthür and “Carolin No” begins on Wednesday, March 20th at 7 p.m. in the Weilheim City Theater.
Admission is free (donations requested).
Seat tickets will be issued upon entry from 6:30 p.m., then there is free choice of seating, but it is not possible to reserve with jackets or similar.
Further information: www.weilheimer- Glaubensfragen.de
Rainer Oberthür: Enthusiastic about “philosophizing with children”
Rainer Oberthür, born in 1961, lives with his wife in Aachen and has two adult children.
The theologian and primary school teacher turned to “philosophizing with children” early on.
Since 1989 he has been a lecturer in religious education at the Catechetical Institute of the Diocese of Aachen and is active in further training courses nationwide.
Oberthür wrote numerous successful books for children and adults, most recently “The God Seekers.
24 ways on the trail of the hidden” published by Kösel-Verlag.
With the award-winning singer/songwriter duo “Carolin No” he published the book (with music CD) “What do you think?”, from which the joint concert readings emerged.
The program is now also available as an audio book.
Info: www.rainer-oberthuer.de, www.carolin.no