This study explores the construction of false authority within and by contemporary popular fiction, especially within those tales concerned with the creation of texts themselves. This practice represents a return to medieval theories of authority, where the Bible, theology, and the ancient classics represented recourse for the assertions of contemp...more

The book and movie, The Da Vinci Code, are a cultural phenomenon of the early 21st Century. The book occupied bestseller lists for years and Newsweek magazine deemed the 2006 film version "movie of the year" even before its release. The main storyline smeared the Roman Catholic Church with assertions of secrecy, involvement with murder, and a centu...more