Page - 195 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 07/01

context, and it is noticeable in this part that Christianity is treated particularly prominently. Not only does Part II begin with Christianity, but four articles are dedicated to this particular tradition (while one of them discusses bibli- cal references in popular music, the New Testament receives more attention than the Hebrew Bible), while the other religious traditions – certainly no less complex – are discussed in one contribution each. One might experiment by reading the contributions in Part II from back to front in order to gain a more unusual view of the interplay between popular music and religious traditions. Part III, “Genres”, is dedicated to different genres and their interrelations with religion: Heavy Metal, Pop and Rock, Punk and Hardcore, Reggae, Folk Music, Country Music, Electronic Dance Music, Blues and Jazz, Psychedelic Music, Rap and Hip Hop, Goth Music, Ambient Music and Film Music (in this order). These very enjoyable articles convey focused and telling information and great examples that allow the reader to connect the thoughts raised in Part I with different genres and to discover similarities as well as differences in the relationships between religion and specific genres. The book ends with notes to every chapter, a collective bibliography (which makes it more challenging to select only one contribution to read with stu- dents), a discography, a filmography and a very helpful index. The Handbook of Religion and Popular Music is a rich resource that explains the complex subject area in a multifaceted way and with the help of gripping examples. As one reads the book from beginning to end, the topic’s complex- ity becomes very clear, but individual articles can also be picked out easily because they are self-contained. Despite their brevity, the individual contri- butions provide an excellent first insight into a specific field of research and offer good starting points for further research. For me, however, the stimu- lating Part I could have been expanded a little more. The body does appear in some contributions within the first part (especially the one on gender), but a separate chapter on the body as the basis of religion and music would have been exciting. I would also have liked to delve more deeply into a transdisci- plinary view of (religious?) values and norms conveyed though music, a topic on which chapter 4 touches, but with a focus on censorship. I recognize, how- ever, that this handbook does not aim to cover every possible topic or angle, but instead provides initial impulses for further research. And it succeeds very well in doing so. The Handbook of Religion and Popular Music is useful reading material for all those interested in music and religion, for example scholars in Religious Studies and Cultural Studies, musicologists, journalists, artists and students Book Review: Bloomsbury Handbook of Religion & Popular Music | 195www.jrfm.eu 2021, 7/1, 193–196