I’ve only skimmed part of the hugely popular “Twilight” series — I already took a bite out of the vampire genre back before Anne Rice was a Christian author, followed up by my “Buffy” years — but I may just have to check out the third film when “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” opens next week, if only because part of it takes place here in Seattle.

Also, religion reporters and bloggers keep finding parallels between the characters and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This makes sense, given that “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer (America’s answer to “Harry Potter” scribe J.K. Rowling) is Mormon, but I’ll leave it to the experts on the series and LDS Church practices to weigh in on whether these similarities seem deliberate or coincidental.

Some links:

• Mormon imagery runs deep in “Twilight” (Religion News Service)
• The Sexy Mormon Vampire: A History (Idol Chatter, on Beliefnet)
• “Twilight” Stars: What Mormon Subtext? (iVillage)
• “Twilight” author’s Mormon faith a big influence in books, film (Religion News Service)

Could any of this give presidential hopeful and (not too shabby looking, if not as “sparkly” as Meyer’s creatures) Mormon Republican Mitt Romney an edge in a 2012 campaign? Stranger things have happened, both in Washington and Hollywood… and hey, both Romney and actor Robert Pattinson, who plays teen vampire hearthrob Edward Cullen, appeared on “The View” recently. More subtle planning, or just coincidence?

Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.

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