Sacred in Fantastic Fandom

Carole M. Cusack is a professor of religious studies at the University of Sydney, Australia. John W. Morehead is an independent scholar who specializes in new religious movements, the intersection of religion and popular culture, and interreligious conflict. He lives in Syracuse, Utah. 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.

• Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Study of Fandom and Religion (Carole M. Cusack and Venetia Laura Delano Robertson)Part 1. Sacred Reading: Analyzing the TextHarry Potter and the Sacred Text: Fiction, Reading and ­Meaning-Making (Carole M. Cusack)15Doctrine and Fanon: George Lindbeck, Han’s Gun and Sherlock’s Gay Wedding (Rhiannon Grant)Supernatural’s Winchester Gospel: A Fantastic Midrash (Linda Howell)“Seizing the Means of Perception”: The Use of Fiction in Chaos Magic and Occultural Fandom (Greg Conley)Part 2. Sacred Viewing: Watching the TextCinephany, the Affective Experience of the Fan: A Typology (Marc ­Joly-Corcoran)Experiencing the Sacred: The Hobbit as a Holy Text (Jyrki Korpua, Maria Ruotsalainen, Minna Siikilä-Laitila, Tanja Välisalo and Irma Hirsjärvi)Transformative Souls and Transformed Selves: Buffy, Angel and the Daimonic Tale (James Reynolds)Part 3. Sacred Play: Performing the TextUntil the End of the World: Fans as Messianic Heroes in World of Warcraft (Jovi L. Geraci)Muslim Women Cosplayers: Intersecting Religious, Cultural and Fan Identities (Juli L. Gittinger)Magical Matrimony: Romance and Enchantment in Harry Potter–Themed Weddings (Venetia Laura Delano Robertson)Afterword: Fantastic Fan Conventions and Transformational Festivals (John W. Morehead)About the ContributorsIndex

“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