Overview

To the casual observer, similarities between fan communities and religious believers are difficult to find. Religion is traditional, institutional, and serious; whereas fandom is contemporary, individualistic, and fun. Can the robes of nuns and priests be compared to cosplay outfits of Jedi Knights and anime characters? Can travelling to fan conventions be understood as pilgrimages to the shrines of saints? In this book, essayists investigate fan activities connected to books, film, and online games, such as Harry Potter-themed weddings, using The Hobbit as a sacred text, and taking on heroic roles in World of Warcraft. Young Muslim women cosplayers are brought into conversation with Chaos magicians who use pop culture tropes and characters. A range of canonical `texts’— including Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Sherlock—are examined in terms of the pleasure and enchantment of repeated viewing. Popular culture is revealed to be a fertile source of religious and spiritual creativity in the contemporary world.

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9781476670836

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Reviews

The sheer variety of articles in the book, not only in terms of the pop culture covered, but also, more importantly, in terms of the different explorations of approaches to the possible intersections between religion and pop culture, makes this a fine addition to the study of pop culture, religion, and new religious movements, and also a readable volume for a more general public of fans who might want to delve more deeply into their own fandoms. --Numen

Author Information

Carole M. Cusack is professor of religious studies at the University of Sydney, Australia. John W. Morehead of Syracuse, Utah is the editor of a collection of essays on Joss Whedon and religion. Venetia Laura Delano Robertson is a teaching fellow at Victoria University Wellington, New Zealand. She has written about religion and fandom for the International Journal of Cultural Studies and Journal for the Academic Study of Religion.

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