‘Snapewives’ and ‘Snapeism’: A Fiction-Based Religion within the Harry Potter Fandom
1. Introduction
In this article, I explore two main features of the religion ‘Snapeism’1. The first feature is its context within fandom and the negative reception it has received from this group of people. The second is the manner in which the Snapists themselves have articulated their faith structures. When considered together, these elements of Snapeism reveal how online, popular culture-based religions are forming and the strong notions of what is ‘properly religious’, which abound both in fandom more broadly and within the Snapist community itself. Fandom sub-communities like the Snapists are a good case study for the problems of interpretation when facing a faith that seems to be objectively untrue in terms of its historicity and … Continue Reading