The Harry Potter Controversy : Research Resources

The new Harry Potter movie heading to theaters next week has enflamed a small legion of conservative Christian critics who claim the boy wizard is a tool leading children to witchcraft and sin.

But as anticipation grows for ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,'' other Christians insist the stories are harmless fantasies about magic and morals.

''I'm so tired of people saying he's evil,'' says Connie Neal, a Christian author who has investigated the Potter claims. ''They're choosing to interpret the books in a very selective way.''

Neal - a mother of three and author of ''What's a Christian to do with Harry Potter?'' - characterized herself as a ''discreet fan.''

Yet other authors maintain reservations about the mysticism of Harry's world, in which magical people predict the future, change shapes and communicate with ghosts.

''Although the story is fictional, Harry Potter has real-world occult parallels,'' said Richard Abanes, author of ''Harry Potter and the Bible: The Menace Behind the Magick.''

''The books present astrology, numerology mediumship, crystal gazing,'' he said. ''Kids are enthralled with it. And kids like to copy.''
[...]

''There's a real religious concern,'' observes Jana Riess of Publishers Weekly, who moderated an Abanes-Neal debate at a July convention of Christian retailers. ''Evangelical Christians believe that witchcraft is real.''

But, she said, witchcraft in the Potter novels ''is not a worldview in the way evangelicals would think of it.'' She likens the fuss to parallel complaints when ''The Wizard of Oz'' was published a century ago.

Scottish author J.K. Rowling calls the accusations ''absurd,'' saying Harry Potter's world is entirely imaginary.

''I have met thousands of children now, and not even one time has a child come up to me and said, 'Ms. Rowling, I'm so glad I've read these books because now I want to be a witch,''' the author has said.

Though more than 50 million copies are in print worldwide, there has been no evidence of widespread conversions to paganism or witchcraft.

Andy Norfolk of the London-based Pagan Federation, said the youth-aimed Potter books have created no serious interest in his movement because they don't appeal to older people seeking spiritual options who ''see them as rather uncool.''

Enemies of Pottermania abound, nonetheless.
[...more...]

''I absolutely did not start writing these books to encourage any child into witchcraft,'' she says with an uncomfortable chuckle. ''I'm laughing slightly because to me, the idea is absurd.''

''I have met thousands of children now, and not even one time has a child come up to me and said, 'Ms. Rowling, I'm so glad I've read these books because now I want to be a witch.' They see it for what it is,'' she emphasized. ''It is a fantasy world and they understand that completely.

''I don't believe in magic, either,'' she said.

Christian conservatives have made headlines by attacking the Harry Potter adventure books as violent, death-obsessed and Satanic. But Christian opinion on the skinny kid with glasses turns out to be far more charitable and not so monolithic.

J.K. Rowling's three books about the young wizard-in-the-making have sold more than 13 million hardback copies, and many of those readers are Christians who view Potter as a near-messianic paragon of humility, courage and self-sacrifice.

''There are some distinctly Christian themes in those books, so much so that I'd like to preach a sermon on Harry Potter,'' says the Rev. John Kraps, a Methodist in Cupertino, Calif., who dressed up as Potter for Halloween and is ''frosted'' over criticisms of Rowling's series. ''We love Harry Potter, and our whole family is outraged by the opposition of the Christian right.''

Contrary to what some news reports have implied, Christians who admire Rowling's fiction turn out to cut across denominational and political lines.

The questing adventures of Potter and his friends at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have inspired liberal Episcopalians as well as more than a few conservative Evangelicals.

Why?
Many clerics and theologians extract explicitly Christian themes from the books: Potter's mother is a Christ figure, hovering over the stories, who died so that her son might live; Potter has a special destiny that he is not fully aware of, much like numerous biblical prophets and perhaps even Jesus himself.

Looked at from this point of view, Rowling's books are not so much anti-Christian as they are fully Christian, drawing on the legacy of fellow British writers C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, whose popular children's tales about the magical lands of Narnia and Middle Earth were written as Christian allegory.

When Connie Neal settled onto a sofa in her family room with a copy of ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' on her lap, the Christian author and lecturer steeled herself for the plunge into a world of mysticism and magic she was certain would clash with her beliefs.

Three "Harry Potter" books later, Neal adores the bespectacled kid wizard -- and he has become one of her greatest evangelization tools.

"I thought I was reading the book to explain to my kids why they shouldn't read it," said Neal, author of the new "What's a Christian to Do With Harry Potter?" (Waterbrook Press). "Once I had made [the] distinction for my kids about the fantasy world versus our real world, I realized these books were so rich and really had lessons that directly connected to the Bible."

Christian fans of Harry Potter insist that the series is no different than C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, a series that many Christian parents accept.

It is true that both authors create fantasy parallel worlds involving young British children who encounter magical creatures. Both develop admirable characters and evil villains. But this is where the comparison ends.

The difference between the two hinges on the concept of authority. From a Christian perspective, authority and supernatural power are linked.

Take a look at Mark 2, where Jesus heals a paralytic. When Jesus first sees the paralytic, He says, ''Son, your sins are forgiven.'' This sets up the following scene:

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ''Why does this fellow teach like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?'' Immediately Jesus knew . . . that this was what they were thinking . . . and He said to them, ''Why are you thinking such things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . .'' He said to the paralytic, ''I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.'' He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. (Mark 2:6-12a)

Christ's power flows from His authority. That's the nature of all legitimate power–it is granted and guided by authority.

When we read Rowling's series, we find that she effectively divorces power from authority. There is no sovereign person or principle governing the use of the supernatural.

Magical power is gained through inheritance and learning. It is not granted by a higher authority, because there is no Higher Authority–at least none higher than Harry's mentor, Albus Dumbledore, and the evil Lord Voldemort. The two are equal, antagonistic and unaccountable to a higher authority.

In C.S. Lewis' Narnia, power and authority are welded together. That authority is Jesus, in the character of the great lion Aslan–creator and sovereign ruler of Narnia, son of the Emperor Beyond the Sea. Good power is power that is bestowed by Aslan and exercised in accordance with his will. This good power is at work when the children Peter, Susan and Lucy use gifts bestowed on them by an agent of Aslan.

Evil power, on the other hand, is power that is seized or conjured–rather than bestowed–and exercised for selfish ends. Those who resist the temptation to use such power are commended, as was Digory, in The Magician's Nephew. But those who wield it (such as Jadis, also in The Magician's Nephew) and the White Witch (in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) are eventually vanquished by Aslan.

Despite superficial similarities, Rowling's and Lewis' worlds are as far apart as east is from west. Rowling's work invites children to a world where witchcraft is ''neutral'' and where authority is determined solely by one's cleverness. Lewis invites readers to a world where God's authority is not only recognized, but celebrated–a world that resounds with His goodness and care.

It's a difference no Christian should ignore.

To be on the offensive, we need to raise up more Christian thinkers who can enter the realm of entertainment armed with a critical knowledge of both the Scripture and the false world views they’re combating. One father I've spoken with has decided to read and discuss Harry Potter with his daughter because, ''She's a bit more mature than most 11-year-olds, powerfully grounded in the Christian perspective for her age, a careful and thoughtful child who loves both to read and write for the glory of God, and whose motivation, beyond being entertained, is to be 'salt and light' to the many friends, both Christian and non-Christian, who are reading the series.'' Indeed, it is these Christians who will have a redemptive effect on society, making positive changes for the long run.

Addicted fans who have gobbled up J.K. Rowling's three bestsellers about the young wizard have been appalled to learn that the next instalment, Harry Potter and the Doomspell Tournament, will not be out until September. As a substitute, booksellers are cashing in on America's new-found obsession for children's fantasy by recommending ''Potteresque'' alternatives - spurring a mini-boom in works such as The Hobbit and the Narnia series.
(...)

The American Booksellers' Association's Book Sense marketing campaign recently polled its 1,200 affiliates for suggested alternatives. The group's ''Potteresque Top Ten'' features such staples of British children's literature as The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

Still not convinced? I will leave you with something to let you make up your own mind. First the URL to read some background of what I have given you: http://theonion.com/onion3625/harry_potter.html ( Harry Potter Books Spark Rise In Satanism Among Children   [sic]

The Onion® is a satirical newspaper published by Onion, Inc.

The Onion® uses invented names in all its stories, except in cases when public figures are being satirized. Any other use of real names is accidental and coincidental.
(...)

The Onion® is not intended for readers under 18 years of age.

Thank you for your email about the alleged quote from The London Times which appeared in an article in The Onion. http://www.theonion.com/onion3625/harry_potter.html)

We are looking into this as it appears to have caused confusion amongst some readers, which is, of course, a matter of concern to us.

In the meantime I would remind you that The Onion is renowned as an amusing and jokey site which publishes spoof articles - not to be taken seriously. The quote attributed by them to J K Rowling and The Times is, of course, not a true quote.

Thank you again for your email and please feel free to forward this to any of your friends and colleagues who are experiencing the same concerns as yourself. We have replied to over 300 readers e-mails so far.

J. K. Rowling is an Inkling. That's the well-argued thesis of John Granger's fine book The Hidden Key to Harry Potter. Granger demonstrates the absurdity of the claim that Harry Potter is anti-Christian. And even if you've never worried about charges brought by misguided fundamentalists, The Hidden Key will substantially augment your understanding of what's really at stake in Harry's adventures.

The Inklings were originally a group of Oxford dons who wrote Christian fiction. The most famous of them are J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. Lord of the Rings and the Narnia series never mention Christianity overtly, and in Tolkien's books, religion itself is absent from the plot. Yet these mythopoeic books aim to "baptize the imagination" of the reader — to teach her the importance of fighting for the right, no matter how powerful the forces of evil may appear.

J. K. Rowling is an Inkling. That's the well-argued thesis of John Granger's fine book The Hidden Key to Harry Potter. Granger demonstrates the absurdity of the claim that Harry Potter is anti-Christian. And even if you've never worried about charges brought by misguided fundamentalists, The Hidden Key will substantially augment your understanding of what's really at stake in Harry's adventures.

The Inklings were originally a group of Oxford dons who wrote Christian fiction. The most famous of them are J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. Lord of the Rings and the Narnia series never mention Christianity overtly, and in Tolkien's books, religion itself is absent from the plot. Yet these mythopoeic books aim to "baptize the imagination" of the reader — to teach her the importance of fighting for the right, no matter how powerful the forces of evil may appear.

Any parents questioning the appropriateness of the Harry Potter books should get a hold of Connie Neal's book. Not only does she answer all the questions with clarity and depth, but she also provides a model for how to discern all such issues. Christian discourse would dramatically improve if we followed her example.

In January, this column panned a Harry-bashing evangelical book called Harry Potter and the Bible, from Christian Publications. Now, PW is happy to point to a much more thoughtful Christian take on the young wizard phenom: Connie Neal's What's a Christian to Do with Harry Potter? In the storm of controversy, Neal navigates a via media by offering support to Christians who have decided to boycott the series, but also giving suggestions to parents who wish to read and discuss the books with their children. Spiritual discernment, Neal says, is the key for any Christian and an important quality to help children develop.

The only book to rival the Harry Potter series for impact, prominence and reach is the Bible. That is where the comparison stops but the comparison there is interesting enough - that this story of escape and significance, of good and evil, about self-discovery and the search for understanding of why the world is as it is, should be so popular and so prominent in an age where we are told that the Biblical story is defunct. We are told, from within and without the Church, that the Bible's narrative of rescue and salvation (the One True God who is wholly good dealing with the reality of evil internal and external to the human heart, where the nature of things is explained and where who we truly are is revealed and where real hope is delivered and real justice promised) is unreal in our sceptical world. Harry Potter causes those who have given up on the Bible to think again.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, the leading nutrition-advocacy organization in North America, is spearheading a global campaign to urge the author of "Harry Potter" to end the agreement with Coca-Cola Co., Warner Brothers (part of AOL Time Warner) and herself... and to donate the royalties from the deal to fund nutrition campaigns. We also want her to stop all future sponsorship by Coca-Cola. Over 30 organizations in ten countries are supporting the campaign, the latest in the efforts of scientists, policy advocates, parents and teachers worldwide to protect children from aggressive advertising, especially of soft drinks.

People say, ''I don't go to Bible studies because they never deal with the issues that friends are talking about at the pub or in the office.''

Connect Bible studies enable Christians to discover what the Bible says about the issues raised by the latest popular secular books, films, television programmes and music.

Connect Bible studies bring an exciting and innovative approach to studying the Bible together. Produced by Damaris Trust, Scripture Union and Premier Media Group, the studies link a passion for the Bible to a desire to be relevant to today's society. The material is produced in sets of four studies, each set based on a secular book, film or song etc, which is attracting popular attention. The topical issues raised by these are explored from a Biblical perspective and group members encouraged to link God's Word to the world.