Page - 95 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 06/02

“And God Is Never Far Away” | 95www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/2, 91–102 Madonna’s voice as background choir and then in the last third take over the lead, already point to a mix of musical traditions. Consequently, the burning crosses here are indicative of racist whiteness, as symbols of the crimes of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States, whereas the African American protagonists and the dark-skinned saint are good, with the African American congregation welcoming Madonna with open arms (figs. 2, 3, 4), while her kissing the dark- skinned saint, who comes to life again, is a reference to racial equality.3 On the audio and textual levels “Like a Prayer” provides no evidence for a political statement or criticism. If we hear the song only, we would nev- er think of racism; it’s “just” a love song. The video clip, however, visually promotes what the lyrics say: redemption can be found in the community of caring of others. Skin colour is of no importance. In the music video Ma- donna’s statement against racial discrimination and the representation of the church as an important social actor in racial justice are explicit and highly political, which provoked protests from various parties as soon as the video was published. For fundamental Catholics she was doomed as a blasphemous singer,4 and while a music journalist was stunned that Madonna would profit from showing burning crosses, Madonna’s response was that she had always thought that art should be controversial.5 The interaction between music, lyrics and visual representation in the case of the Like a Prayer video clip therefore plays with aesthetic conventions and references to religious symbols and meaning, and thus not only challenges the socio-political status quo, but also opens the beholder’s eye to potentially less obvious aspects of religious communication. 3 “If any one of the images in the Like a Prayer video blatantly violates so-called racial taboos and potentially offends viewers, it is the depiction of Madonna’s character being kissed by the black male. […] In Like a Prayer, however, Madonna does not allow the viewer to dismiss or ignore the relationship or wish it away. She also does not give in to the racists, whose burning crosses in the background blaze with the rage of fear and hatred that would keep the races polarized. Madonna challenges viewers not by advocating interracial relationships but by presenting images that confront them with their own historically grounded prejudice” (Scott 1993, 66). 4 Romero 2010; Holden 1989. 5 Holden 1989.