A Defense of Harry Potter

Historically speaking, mainstream Christianity in the world and certainly in America has been the instigator of numerous witch-hunts. In the last decade, the Harry Potter book series has come under fire. It has been accused of being a stepping-stone to paganism, witch-craft, and the occult. It is thought that many of the readers will begin fantasizing about being able to cast spells and possess magical powers. Some Christians have gone after this book series calling it evil and a denial of God. They lash out at any who read it, and many people have written very hateful letters to the author, J.K. Rowling.

I have just finished reading the Harry Potter series. My only intention in reading the story was to be entertained. I needed a break from all the non-fiction books I read and my wife suggested Harry Potter. I came away from each and every book with an absolute amazement of how good they were. Yes, they were entertaining, but what I am talking about are the powerful and yes, Godly messages I saw. I soon came to see that this is a series Christians should have embraced. The series is full of the Gospel story. It is a story of redemption, forgiveness, mercy and so much more. It is a story where the most unlikely and weakest characters are made strong (just like every story in the Bible). Harry Potter is a story of love.

For all those critics of the subject of magic, you miss the point. The main and undeniable thesis statement of the book series is that love is more powerful than the greatest magic of all the greatest wizards. The main villain, Voldemort has magical powers that others have never seen and could never hope to attain, but he has no love. Up against a tiny baby boy protected by the love of his mother, Voldemort’s powers are nothing. (sounds like 1 Corinthians 13 doesn’t it?) The message of “love conquers death” is a focal point of the story. The subject of becoming a “master of death” becomes an obsession of many wizards, but none can attain it. Then the wisest of all wizards (Dumbledore) tells us that “the true master of death accepts that he must die, he does not run away from it.” (sounds like Jesus doesn’t it?)

One of the things I was most impressed with in Rowling’s story telling was her grasp on human nature. Even the most protagonist of characters are shown to be very human with great weaknesses and temptations. Each of the main characters have moments of selfishness, stubbornness, pride, and moments when the say and do very hurtful things to their friends. But the reader gets to see these character’s hearts. We see their remorse, and even better, we see the forgiveness from those who have been hurt.

This series is continually echoing the theme of good vs. evil. But just like in the Bible, it is not so black and white. There is also redemption, mercy, and forgiveness. Some characters in Harry Potter we begin to think are lost and we even begin to hate them. But then when it matters most, they come running back and are forgiven (much like the Prodigal Son).

Besides all the biblical parallels, this story has much to say on subjects with which all Christians should be concerned. True friendship is a constant theme along with unity. Even unity with those who you may not always see eye to eye except that you want “good” to triumph. One of the biggest issues that Rowling takes on in this book is racism. This is a topic addressed in all seven books of the series. There are those in the magical world who believe non-magical people (muggles) are a lesser race along with magical people born to muggles (mudbloods), and non-magical people born to magical people (squibs). Rowling does an excellent job of addressing this issue and does it in a way that I believe will make many young readers think about how they treat others.

I find it amusing that because magic is present in this story, it is seen as a denial of God. But somehow The Lord of the Rings and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe series’ are excused from such criticism. And if Rowling is denying God in this series, then why do all the students take a “Christmas” and “Easter Break” instead of a “Winter” and Spring Break.”

Somehow in America, the message of the Gospel has been greatly skewed. Everywhere we turn, Christians are telling people “don’t do this, and don’t so that.” We begin that Jesus came to put us into bondage rather than set us free. However, Jesus did come to set us free, free from religion. Religion is the greatest enemy of God and it is what drives all witch-hunts. People use religion to try to better society, but all it does is polarize. The only time society is improved is when people admit they have been using religion for themselves and their own causes. Witch-hunts are the furthest thing from what Jesus intended for his followers. If we look back 2000 years, we will find that the Pharisees would have been the ones to go after Harry Potter. But today the Pharisees have been replaced by the “Christian Right”. The same “Christian Right” that has gone after the Teletubbies and Sponge Bob. Through out history there always seems to be a powerful group of misled people like the Pharisees and the “Christian Right.” They seem to think that they are the Word of God and all others are either waiting to be judged, or waiting to hear who to judge.

I think those who criticized Harry Potter without even reading it would be horrified if they were to read it now. Horrified at how wrong they were.