In recent years, there has been an explosion in the market for fiction on religious topics and themes, most notably Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. The variety of contemporary religious fiction
and the publishing phenomenon surrounding it indicate that this literature transcends any overt religious meaning and is significant in its political and social implications; it is emblematic
of the contemporary American Zeitgeist. Traditionally, literature is both "mirror" and "lamp," reflecting the society that produces it and illuminating the values and interests of that society.
Recognizing both of those perspectives, Gandolfo examines Christian literature's place in American culture today and explores the cultural meaning and significance of the wildly popular
Christian fiction now available.
