Transformational fandom involves reimagining or altering aspects of original texts, while affirmational fandom embraces and celebrates existing texts without significant transformation. Ronald D. Moore, creator of the Battlestar Galactica reimagining, engaged in affirmational fandom by celebrating and participating in the existing Battlestar Galactica franchise without substantially changing it. The document discusses how fandom shares similarities with religion across seven dimensions including narrative, ritual, social structure, and more, and these dimensions can vary significantly between different fandom communities.

1. Fandom
• Briefly explain the difference between
Transformational and Affirmational Fandom.
• How did Moore, creator of the Battles Star Gallactica
reimagining partake in Affirmational Fandom?

2. Fandom is like…
• Interaction with text and
behavior of fans shows
similarities to interaction
with text and behavior of
spiritual and religious
believers
• Functions similarly for
participants

3. 7 Dimensions of Religion
• Ritual: Forms and orders of ceremonies (private
and/or public)

4. • Narrative and Mythic:
stories that work on several
levels; often narrative
provides a complete and
systematic interpretation of
the universe and human's
place in it.

5. Each “fandom” portrays different
orientations/levels of all 7 dimensions
• Experiential and emotional: guilt, awe, mystery, devotion,
liberation,, bliss
• Social and Institutional: belief system is shared; often rules for
identifying community membership and participation
• Ethical and legal: Rules about human behavior
• Doctrinal and philosophical: systematic formulation of teachings
(intellectual)
• Material: ordinary objects or places that symbolize or manifest
the sacred or supernatural

6. Myth, Philosophy, Material, and Ritual differ
greatly from one fandom to the other.

7. Fandom shifts with its contexts

8. Bronies
How do the seven dimensions of
religion apply to the My Little
Pony fandom?