Religious Studies and Popular Fiction: What Does Dan Brown Have to Do With the Ivory Tower?

Abstract

Abstract: In this article the authors discuss the problems and prospects of engaging popular fiction in the academy, particularly in religious studies. Utilizing Dan Brown as the example par excellence, the authors argue that while Brown's novels, particularly The Lost Symbol, appeal to a culture of consumption, they nonetheless afford scholars a valuable opportunity to dialogue with audiences unfamiliar with the academic study of religion. When approached responsibly with the distinctive theories and methods of the discipline, popular fiction has the potential to serve as a productive pedagogical tool to promote religious studies as an intellectually stimulating and culturally relevant enterprise. Rather than ignore or inveigh against popular fiction because of its tendency toward misinformation, sensationalism, and superficiality, scholars of religion should harness the public enthusiasm that these works engender and redirect it toward constructive scholarly ends.