A Christian Harry Potter

HollywoodInvestigator.com ^ | July 24, 2003 | press release

[Commie Basher]

[Hollywood Investigator] Like a cohort of marauding orcs, the fantasy genre has conquered popular culture. With the success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Harry Potter series, the demand for fantastic adventures shows no sign of abating. Yet, though sprung from Christian roots, fantasy today has largely been co-opted by the postmodern, the neo-pagan, and the anti-Christian. And for all its flaws, Harry Potter seems mild compared to the blatant occult-inspired offerings which may be found on the same shelf at the local bookstore.

Emily C. A. Snyder is happy to buck that trend. Her new novel, Niamh and the Hermit, is a wonderfully authentic revival of the classic fairy tale complete with all the imaginative complexity of a Tolkien-esque subcreated world.

What's more, Emily is not shy about her Christian influences

[Commie Basher]

I don't know who to copy the links or the image in this article.

But this is what conservatives should do more of. Instead of complaining of liberal culture, they should create a counter-culture.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

Since when is Harry Potter NOT Christian? The cross is all over the place if you look closely.

Examples: The wizarding world CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS. (In case you hadn't noticed!)

What is the hospital where the magically aflicted are cared for? St. Mungo's.

What is the word of the Curse of Torture? Crucio! -- which is to say, "Suffer as Christ suffered on the Cross!"

What happens when Harry Potter, who is good, attempts to use the Cruciatus Curse against an enemy (in book V)? It fizzles--he doesn't have the evil in him to make someone suffer that way!

The wizarding world is not explicitly Christian--of course, neither is our own--tere are all SORTS of hints here that the wizarding world is as Christ-haunted as is ours. "For those who have ears to hear, hear!"

I shudder at what a Christian Walmart knockoff of Harry Potter would read like.

[Princeliberty]

Putting in a cross does not make it Christian.

More like the Cross is being used as an occult
white magic object hardly Christian at all.

Potter uses the same things as the bad guys
do he uses magic and he is good because he
came form good blood line not because he
is following objective truth.

Potter is not Christian at all.

[Princeliberty]

Why are you even tempted by Potter when
you have the truly Christian Lord of the Rings,
which is written far better than Harry Potter.

Embrace that truth instead Potter's falsehood.

[DallasMike]

Thank you for an intelligent reply to all the people who claim that Potter is anti-Christian. For educated readers, the stories are rich in Christian symbolism. They don't try to be an allegory, but if Rowlings is not a Christian then she's doing a pretty good job of imitating one.

[Arkinsaw]

I shudder at what a Christian Walmart knockoff of Harry Potter would read like.

I love the Potter books as do my kids. Prisoner of Azkaban was without doubt the best. Goblet of Fire was pretty poor. I'm not sure we can judge the Potter books completely until the last volume is out and read.

The book the post is about looks to be real fantasy and not a Wal-Mart knockoff. The author was published by Marion Zimmer Bradley and seems to be hooked into the fantasy network. There are a lot of knock offs out there but I'm not sure this one can be dismissed just because it is Christian based.

[Caipirabob]

Don't us Christians have enough problems? I think we have enough battles to deal with in our Churches and for our very souls before we have to be concerned about Harry Potter. But what if Harry Potter had to deal with the issues faces today's Christians?...

...

Harry trembelled at the site of Hogwarts castle. Usually he thought of it as home, but ever since the "Wizard/Witches Gender-Equality Acts" had been invoked, Harry just wasn't comfortable there. Especially with the new "Defense Against The Dark Arts" professor. Dumbledore had been reluctant to take on the new professor, but apparently had to comply with the new laws enacted by Cornelius Fudge. Harry had never liked Fudge either, but now his darker suspisions about Fudge were quickly becomming confirmed.

The new teacher, Professor Reemer giggled too much and Harry would swear he wore lipgloss, and constantly referred to Harry in class as his "little friend". He also continually asked Harry if he'd like to stay later for "extra help" even thought their current workload was exceedingly light if not insignificant. Reemer seemed to take too much interest in the progress of the boys in class to the exclusion of the girls which irritated Hermione to no end when she tried to answer a question...

[gcruse]

though sprung from Christian roots, fantasy today

To the extent that religion is fantasy?  I have never
heard that fantasy has religious roots any more than
ghost stories do.

[The_Pickle]

LOL GOOD SHOW!!!!!

[r9etb]

if Rowlings is not a Christian then she's doing a pretty good job of imitating one.

She's Church of Scotland, and apparently even goes to church -- which in today's Britain is saying a lot.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

Yes, in all Harry Potter books to date, wizards celebrate Christmas but without any mention of Jesus. And something else I've noticed, words like "Jesus" and "God" are almost never used by any of the characters, not even as exclamation words. Wizards say "Merlin's Beard!" or things like that instead. >>

Interesting point--names are words, magic words, and the wizarding world takes the powers of naming VERY seriously. Prime example is Voldemort, whose name is *never* spoken except by the very brave: Harry, Hagrid (once!), Dumbledore, Hermione (more and more, which is an interesting development) and even Neville Longbottom--a sign that he may be the most important charcter in the story after Harry.

So the refusal to use the name of God or Jesus openly may be an act of respect (by the righteous wizards and of fear (by the unrighteous).

But I don't think that's because J.K.Rowling is not Christian, she said she is a believer herself. IMHO she just didn't want the books to be involved with witchcraft and Christianity discussions.>>

I think she understands that if she'd said either word "Jesus" or "God" in either of the first two books the anti-Christians in the publishing business would have refused to publish her. Heck, the Scottish literature people who granted her her grant would never have even talked to her if they thought she was a Christian.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

Why are you even tempted by Potter when
you have the truly Christian Lord of the Rings,
which is written far better than Harry Potter. >>

I love Lord of the Rings. I can quote whole passages of LOTR from memory. LOTR is a great book.

But LOTR is NOT THE ONLY BOOK OUT THERE. I happen to like Harry, too. I understand the difference between poetry/allegory and reality, which is why I can embrace Harry Potter too.

That's like saying "Why don't you read the Bible instead of literature." I like Harry Potter. I like LOTR. I think it's fairly fascist to force me to choose between them.

[Caipirabob]

*grin*

I couldn't help myself - lol!

[ecurbh]

Potter Ping

[Princeliberty]

Didn't say anything about read one vs. another.

Its about who you embrace. Potter has a pagan
worldview that should not be embraced.
I have read it.

LOTR the rings has a Christian worldview it
worthy of being embraced.

[DallasMike]

Potter has a pagan worldview that should not be embraced. I have read it.

That's funny, because I've read all of the Potter books and find them rich in Christian symbolism.

As for LOTR (which I also love), there are people at FR who argue vociferously that Tolkien was a pagan and that C.S. Lewis openly worshipped the sun as a deity.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

As for LOTR (which I also love), there are people at FR who argue vociferously that Tolkien was a pagan and that C.S. Lewis openly worshipped the sun as a deity.>>

Of course. JRR was Catholic and CSL was almost-if-not-entirely. I would argue that Ms. Rowling is probably of the same species.

[letterman06]

pardon me, but if it wasn't for the movies, nobody would even know about the Lord of the Rings. I have an old as hell copy of the Hobbet and its never been read. Harry potter is always being read in my house and to think that you should even compare it to the lord of the rings is crazy!!

[JenB]

Look what I found! Someone's dug up an oooold thread... should we correct the misinterpretation in post 19?

Only because it's Friday and a good way to start the weekend, you know.