Publications:


2010   “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Surak: Star Trek :Enterprise , Anti-Catholicism and the Vulcan Reformation,” in Star Trek as Myth: Essays on Symbol and Archetype at the Final Frontier. Ed. Matthew Wilhelm Kapell.   McFarland Publishing, 163-181.

2009   “Implicit Religion In Popular Culture: The Religious Dimensions of Fan Communities.”   Implicit Religion 12(3):271-280.

2007 "On Teaching Implicit Religion at MUN." Implicit Religion 10(1) April 2007.

2007 "All I ever want to be, I learned from Playing Klingon," in Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact. Ed. Diana G. Tumminia. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 217-236.

2006 "'I am a Jedi:' Star Wars Fandom, Religious Belief and the 2001 Census," in Finding the Force of the Star Wars Franchise: Fans, Merchandise, and Critics. Ed. Matthew Wilhelm Kapell and John Shelton Lawrence. New York: Peter Lang, 95-112

2005 "The Spirit(s) of Science: Paradoxical Positivism as Religious Discourse Among Spiritualists." Science as Culture 14(1):1-21.

2004 "Pilgrimage and the IDIC Ethic: Negotiating the Sacred in a Secular Context." In Intersecting Journeys: The Anthropology of Pilgrimage and Tourism. Ed. S. Roseman and E. Badone. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

2003 "Extraterrestrials." In Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements. Ed. Peter Clarke. New York: Routledge.

2003 "Star Trek Conventions." In Encyclopedia of Religious Rituals. Ed. F. Salamone. New York: Berkshire/Routledge.

1999 Star Trek and Sacred Ground: Explorations on Star Trek, Religion, and American Culture. Ed. J. Porter and D. McLaren. Albany: State University of New York. (R)

1999 "To Boldly Go: Star Trek Convention Attendance as Pilgrimage." In Star Trek and Sacred Ground: Essays on Star Trek, Religion and American Culture. Ed. J. Porter and D. McLaren (R)

1999 "(Re)Covering Sacred Ground: New Age Spirituality in Star Trek: Voyager." In Star Trek and Sacred Ground: Essays on Star Trek, Religion and American Culture. Co-author Darcee L. McLaren. Ed. J. Porter and D. McLaren. (R)

1997 "Just Like a Ghost: A Reflexive Analysis of Three Spiritualist Belief Narratives." New York Folklore 23(1-4):1-23. (R)

1996 "Spiritualists, Aliens and UFOs: Extraterrestrials as Spirit Guides." Journal of Contemporary Religion 11(3):339-355. (R)

 


Conference Papers:


“The Ambiguous Captain Jack Sparrow: Myth and Religion in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean. ” Presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, Ottawa, Ontario, May 2009.

“Implicit Religion in Popular Culture: The Religious Dimensions of Fan Communities.”   Paper presented   at the 2008 annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, Vancouver June 2008.

“The Midichlorian Menace: Religion, Science, and the Secularization of Spirituality in the Star Wars Saga.” Paper presented at the 2006 annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, Toronto May 2006.

'Midichlorians are the Force, and the Force is God:' Star Wars Fandom and Religious Belief." Paper presented at the 2004 annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, Winnipeg May 2004.

"Death and Resurrection in Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Paper presented at the 2002 annual meeting of the Popular Culture Association, Toronto March 2002.

"Canon and Ownership in Star Trek." Paper presented at the 2001 annual meeting of the Atlantic Classical Association, St. John's October 2001.

"The Apotheosis of Benjamin Sisko, or How Star Trek Came to Accept Religion at Last." Paper presented at the 2000 annual meeting of the Popular Culture Association, New Orleans April 2000.

"Warriors, Mystics and Other Klingons: Ritual Play, Gender and Cultural Critique in Star Trek Fandom." Paper presented at the 1999 annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Boston November 1999.

"Talking to Trees? Nature Religion in the Spiritualist Context." Paper presented at the 1997 annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, held in conjunction with the Learned Societies Conference, St. John's, May 1997.

"The Spirit(s) of Science: Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Why Things go Bump in the Night." Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science Annual Meeting, held in conjunction with the Learned Societies Conference, St. John's 1997.

"Star Trek, Decentred Space and the Dialogic Centre." Paper presented at the American Anthropological Association annual meeting, San Francisco, November 1996.

"Pilgrimage and the IDIC ethic: Negotiating the Sacred in a Secular Context." Paper presented at the Canadian Anthropology Society annual meeting, held in conjunction with the Learned Societies Conference, St. Catherines, May 1996.

"To Boldly Go: Star Trek Convention Attendance as Pilgrimage." Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion annual meeting held in conjunction with the Learned Societies Conference, St. Catherines, May 1996.

"Spiritualists, "Science," and the New Age." Paper presented at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, Chicago 1994.

"Spiritualists, Aliens and UFOs: Extraterrestrials as Spirit Guides." Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion annual meeting held in conjunction with the Learned Societies Conference, Ottawa 1993.

"Personal Experience Narratives as Proofs: Spiritualist Stories and the Justification of Religious Belief." Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion annual meeting held in conjunction with the Learned Societies Conference, Charlottetown 1992.

"The Medicalization of Spiritualist Language and Concepts of Healing." Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion annual meeting held in conjunction with the Learned Societies Conference, Kingston 1991.