I don’t follow the vampire series stuff, but I love the Harry Potter books. One reason I don’t mind my kids reading in the fantasy genre is that usually there is a clear moral compass. Evil is evil, good is good, and the dangers are spelled out. That’s so much better than the shows with sarcastic, sexy teenagers whose parents are somewhere in the background, with their own messed up lives.
In the Harry Potter books, evil is evil and the good that is done is from human acts of will— good moral choices. The magic makes it interesting, but does not really simplify or improve anyone’s life.
I don’t know if it is still active, but there was a Hogwarts Professor website I used to visit, where Christian professors who were Potter fans discussed the morality and philosphy of the Harry Potter world.
I think kids are very interested in moral choices and good and evil. You could look at the interest in this fantasy literature as a backlash from the “everybody’s special; I’m ok, you’re ok” movement, because it makes you want to root for the good guys.
I have a question about Harry Potter. In the books, is Harry evil or good? And by what standard?
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, WITCHCRAFT, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
So again, is Harry Potter good or evil? And by what standard?