AND RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY

An Introduction

The Harry Potter Saga

•  Story of young boy who discovers he is a wizard, destined to fight evil, covering the seven years (age 11-18) that he spends at Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

•  Best-selling book series of all time – 400 million copies sold

•  The seven books: –  Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s

(Sorcerer’s) Stone -1997 –  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

- 1998 –  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

- 1999 –  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire -

2000 –  Harry Potter and the Order of the

Phoenix - 2003 –  Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince -

2005 –  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows –

2007 (sold more than 11 million copies on first day of release!)

J.K. Rowling •  J.K. Rowling (b. 1965) •  In 2004, became a US dollar

billionaire (1st person ever to become a billionaire by writing books).

•  Degree in Classics and French, worked for Amnesty International, later unemployed.

•  Single mother •  Idea for Harry Potter came to her on

a train, she wrote first book on lunch breaks and while unemployed.

J.K. Rowling on religion: “I go to church myself… [but] I don’t take any responsibility for the lunatic fringes of my own religion”.

Harry Potter and Religious Communities - polarized views

Harry Potter Book Burning •  Some conservative Christian denominations in the U.S. react to the success of Harry Potter with concern and sometimes fear…

•  Some conservative Christian denominations and most liberal denominations welcome Harry Potter - some churches hold “Harry Potter Bible Study” sessions…

Harry Potter and Religious Communities - the controversy

•  The main issue: the books deal with magic and witchcraft, which are forbidden in the Bible - for example, Deuteronomy 18:10-11: (American Standard Bible Translation):

•  “There shall not be found with thee any one...that uses divination, one that practices augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer.”

•  Does reading a book about wizards = what is being prohibited above?

•  Does the presence of magic and witchcraft in the HP books mean that they are advocating the practice of magic by Christian children?

•  Debate on this question often takes three main forms…

Harry Potter and Religious Communities - Issue #1: ���

Fantasy vs Reality? •  Is the world of Harry Potter presented as a

fantasy world, or as a “real” world? •  Is it different from The Chronicles of Narnia

in this way? •  If a fantasy world, (read: “completely

fictional, imaginative, no connection to real world”) - does the challenge of Harry Potter in terms of religious response go away?

•  If the world of Harry Potter is presented as a “real” world, what “threat” might Harry Potter present?

•  Can children tell the difference between “fantasy” and “reality”?

Fantasy vs Reality •  The “slippery slope”

argument - admiring witches and wizards in fiction leads to admiring them in real life?

•  The “quacks like a duck” argument - if its called witchcraft, involves spells and potions, and talking to ghosts, it is exactly what God has forbidden, no matter what context it is found in…?

Fantasy vs Reality

•  The Satanism argument - If Satan is a real force, out to snare unwary minds with all tools at his disposal, wouldn’t this include fantasy novels… (especially ones that idealize witchcraft?) - Fantasy novels as tools of Satan?

Issue #2 - Good vs Evil

•  Is Harry Potter really a “good” guy? Is Harry Potter a role model to follow, or one to avoid at all costs?

•  If he’s a role model to follow, what characteristics does he display that are admirable?

•  If he’s not, what characteristics does he display that make him a bad role model to be avoided?

Good vs Evil

•  WWHPD? Can you (should you) use Harry Potter as a guide for making life choices?

•  Harry Potter as a modern-day “Grimm’s Fairy Tale”? •  Cosmic good vs evil, vs everyday good & evil - lack of

black and white boundaries on everyday level undermine boundaries on cosmic level?

Issue #3 Secular vs Religious? •  Are the Harry Potter novels,

(and Harry Potter’s world) secular or religious?

•  Most challenged books three years running (1999-2001), over 400 challenges on religious grounds.

•  Can any set of books that can be seen as both a set of guidelines for Christian children to follow, AND a slippery slope down to Satanism and the Occult, NOT have some religious dimensions?

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone

•  Plot: Harry discovers he’s a wizard; goes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; makes friends and enemies; thwarts Voldemort’s plan to return to power; is saved from death by power of Mother’s Love.

•  Religious Themes: special birth, marked destiny, good vs evil, sacrificial love, trial by fire (purification of the soul)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

•  Plot: Harry returns to Hogwarts, discovers the Chamber of Secrets, battles Tom Riddle/Voldemort, is saved by Ffawkes (phoenix)

•  Religious Themes: good vs evil, demonic possession, sacrificial love, death/resurrection symbolism…

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

•  Plot: Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban, hunts Harry; Dementors hunt Black (and Harry); true traitor is revealed

•  Religious Themes: good vs evil, dangers of doing/using evil for “good” purposes, spiritual defense against “demons” of hopelessness, despair…

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

•  Plot: Voldemort has returned, Death Eaters grow in power, Harry’s name entered into TriWizard Tournament, battles Voldemort in graveyard, saved by ghosts of parents.

•  Religious themes: good vs evil, spiritual champion, sacrificial love, grace...

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

•  Plot: The Order of the Phoenix resists Lord Voldemort, Harry is tormented at school, takes occlumency lessons from Snape, is lured into trap trying to save Sirius; battles death eaters and Voldemort, Sirius is killed; Dumbledore reveals a Prophesy

•  Religious Themes: good vs evil, prophesy, predestination, Dark night of the soul…

Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince

•  Plot: Potter uses a potions textbook owned by “half-blood Prince” to excel at potions; suspects Draco of being a death eater; learns about Voldemort’s early years; discovers Voldemort has split his soul into seven pieces; works with Dumbledore to retrieve pieces; commits to leave school to pursue quest after Dumbledore’s fall.

•  Religious Themes: good vs evil, sacrificial love, faith…

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

•  Plot: Harry, Ron and Hermione set out on a quest to find and destroy the “horcruxes” within which Voldemort has hidden pieces of his soul. This is a difficult quest, with many obstacles. Harry finally realizes where the final Horcrux is hidden, and comes to accept the final task set for him by Dumbledore.

•  Religious Themes: good vs evil, love, sacrifice, faith, afterlife, resurrection, redemption