Page - 18 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 06/02

18 | Natalie Fritz and Anna-Katharina Höpflinger www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/2, 7–20 them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done” (Matt. 21:21). These verbal references to the Bible provoke specific images in the minds of the audience, intensifying the vision of a double female emancipation – eman- cipation from the pain caused by rejection by an “other”, and emancipation from the idea of needing an “other”, whether transcendent or human, to feel whole and “filled” with love. Florence has survived the trauma with an intact body and although she still feels vulnerable, she is stronger than before, knowing now what she is able to endure and that she can find strength in herself. Religious Imaginary and Popular Music Planning this issue was a fascinating multimedia experience. Questions ranged across how music can be adequately presented in an open access on- line journal and how “popular music” can be defined. The issue also explores diverse music genres, from Christian rock to metal and flamenco, all of which in some way interact with religion. We were surprised to receive no articles on religiously charged opera libretti, but integrate this last genre of popular music in structuring this issue as an online-journal libretto. Right now, you are reading the Prelude, which introduces some of the main arguments. Each Act, or thematic article, is followed by an Interlude, a short music video review by a younger scholar which focuses on a specific religious aspect in a music video. The section concludes with a Postlude, which offers a short synthesis and considers where we might go next. Act One, Angela Sue Sawyer’s article “Comfort the Waste Places, Defend the Violated Earth”, opens the issue with a ecofeminist interpretation of Tracy Chapman’s song “The Rape of the World” and the biblical passage at Isaiah 52:1–52:6. Sawyer shows how in the song lyrics and the scriptural text, over- lapping metaphorical references to motherhood, sexual violence and environ- mental consequences of human actions are developed, encouraging us con- sider ecological questions, theology and the power of women. Act Two, with the title “What makes Popular Christian Music ‘Popular’?”, by Reinhard Kopanski, compares two successful projects in Christian popular music: one by the US-American artist Lauren Daigle and one by the German music group Koenige & Priester. Kopanski explores how religious worldviews