In the study of the New Testament and Christian origins, analyses of rewriting texts and stories and assessing their authoritative status (or lack thereof) are long established. Yet modern scholarship has an insular tendency, avoiding discussions across the broader humanities, not least in fan studies. Tom de Bruin has shown how much of a loss this has been by providing a well-informed and sophisticated comparison between fan fiction and early Christian writings. This vital contribution pushes forward key critical questions in new directions. Why did people expand inherited stories? What were their goals? How were they received? Were they perceived to be authoritative or dangerous frauds?

James Crossley, Academic Director of CenSAMM, University of Cambridge, UK, Professor of Bible and Society, MF Oslo, Norway and Visiting Senior Research Fellow, King's College London, UK

As an introduction of fan studies to biblical scholars and a demonstration of its usefulness, de Bruin's monograph succeeds powerfully.… I was impressed by their command of the growing field. It is rare to find a scholar of ancient religion who demonstrates such broad proficiency with an entirely distinct field of modern media studies, and I would wholeheartedly recommend the monograph to anyone interested in the intersection of these disciplines.

Esther Brownsmith, University of Dayton, USA, Bible and Critical Theory Journal