Between Glitter and Salvation

Exploring the Sacramental Logic of Fan Communities through the Example of Harry Styles

Zusammenfassung

Can a fandom be understood as of sacramental significance? Using the Harry Styles fandom as a case study, this article explores how contemporary fan communities can be interpreted through the lens of sacramental theology. Rather than equating fandom with religion, it argues that fan practices reveal patterns of community, resonance, gift and transformation that resonate with sacramental logic.

Combining participant observation with pastoral-theological reflection, the article engages concepts such as resonance (Hartmut Rosa), communitas (Victor Turner), participatory culture (Henry Jenkins) and convivial sacramental theology (Wolfgang Beck). It argues that the Harry Styles fandom constitutes a meaningful space in which experiences of belonging, recognition and transformation become possible.

The article concludes that fandom is not a sacrament or a substitute for the Church. Instead, it offers a valuable perspective for understanding how people experience meaning and community today. In doing so, it invites pastoral theology to engage contemporary fan cultures as places of theological learning and reflection.