A couple of weeks ago, there was a great discussion on Josh Graves' blog about the Harry Potter series. Should we let our children read them? Should we support it as Christians? My answer has been always been an enthusiastic "YES"! Anyway, this article has been buzzing around blogs and emails, so I thought I'd follow suit and share it as well. Especially now, in light of the press we've read about Dumbledore being gay, this adds yet another layer to the HP series. Quote taken from MTV.com:
That was the plan from the start, Rowling told reporters during a press conference at the beginning of her Open Book Tour on Monday. It wasn't because she was afraid of inserting religion into a children's story. Rather, she was afraid that introducing religion (specifically Christianity) would give too much away to fans who might then see the parallels.
"To me [the religious parallels have] always been obvious," she said. "But I never wanted to talk too openly about it because I thought it might show people who just wanted the story where we were going."
Indeed, at its most simplistic, Harry's final tale can in some respects be boiled down to a resurrection story, with Harry venturing to a heavenly way station of sorts after getting hit with a killing curse in Chapter 35, only to shortly return.
But if she was worried about tipping her hand narratively in the earlier books, she clearly wasn't by the time Harry visits his parents' graves in Chapter 16 of "Deathly Hallows," titled "Godric's Hollow." On his parents' tombstone he reads the quote "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death," while on another tombstone (that of Dumbledore's mother and sister) he reads, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
While Rowling said that "Hogwarts is a multifaith school," these quotes, of course, are distinctly Christian. The second is a direct quote of Jesus from Matthew 6:19, the first from 1 Corinthians 15:26. As Hermione tells Harry shortly after he sees the graves, his parents' message means "living beyond death. Living after death." It is one of the central foundations of resurrection theology.
Are any of these things going to change someone's opinions about reading the series? Likely not. Most people have already made up their minds about them. But I will say that it easily nudges people to engage each other. To talk and interact and wrestle with these themes. It's exactly what the parables and the stories within the Bible challenge us to do.
2 comments:
Chris this is Jarod Stokes, from Monroe, La[discover sound and gofer guy]. I usually don't do this kind of thing but you guys(watershed) have been on my heart lately for no apparent reason. I've been praying for you and asking God to show me what this is about. I hope all is well and goin' great. I'll continue to pray, let me know if you need anything.
Friend-
Consider this verse from Ephesians 5:
5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."
Is witchcraft a fruitless deed of darkness? (knowledge of Hebrew and Greek is not required to do this study) If so have nothing to do with it, but expose it as such.
I truly worry for you. I am the one that left the comment about the office that you deleted. Being a worship minister does not exclude you from standing before Christ one day and hearing the words "depart from me" you worker of iniquity. (lawlesness)
I pray you recall the words I wrote to you previously. As a minister I pray you turn off your television and dig into sound biblical teachings from the first century Church right up to the great awakenings in America.
You can check out this website for more information. I understand that that you will probably delete this post also, if there was a way to email you that I knew I would do that instead. I am just so burdened over this.
www.fleebabylon.com
In Christ - Jim
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