Thursday, October 11, 2007
Harry Potter
Well, I've eventually finished reading the final Harry Potter book - Harry and the Deathly Hallows. Not going to say too much about it as I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone else. Contrary to some of the popular opinion about it, I think I quite liked it, and didn't predict how it would end up. There were a few deaths, but not as many as I had thought. Such a pity!
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You can hardly have escaped hearing of the Harry Potter mysteries. British author J.K Rowling has produced seven best sellers that have drawn criticism from a wide variety of religious leaders because of their promotion of sorcery and witchcraft. Even the present pope, when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, denounced Rowling's work. Among evangelicals, there has long been a deep unease about the occult themes that Rowling deals with. There has never been any doubt that her books contain religious themes but they have been evidently anti-Christian themes.
ReplyDeleteDespite all the criticism, Rowling's books have been an unparalleled publishing success, with her latest volume that finally brought the curtain down on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry boasting worldwide sales of more than 350 million. Now, after her last book in the series has been published Rowling tells us that she deliberately kept to the end the fact that her work really contains a Christian allegory. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Harry visits his parents' graves at Godric's Hollow and sees two biblical references on his parents' tombstones, reading: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death," and "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." By the end of the book, Harry becomes the "Master of Death" and "resurrects" from the dead the spirits of his parents, his godfather, Sirius Black and his old teacher Remus Lupin.
Rowling explained, "They're very British books, so on a very practical note Harry was going to find biblical quotations on tombstones. [But] I think those two particular quotations he finds on the tombstones at Godric's Hollow, they sum up - they almost epitomize the whole series." Rowling, who was raised an Anglican and now attends the Church of Scotland, rejects criticism that she promotes occultism. She also reveals that she struggles with doubt as to the truth of the Biblical doctrine of life after death. Not much wonder then that her book places pagan and Christian symbols side by side and ends up by giving a pagan twist to the doctrine of the resurrection, even as she includes quotations from the New Testament.
So despite Rowling's protestations Harry Potter is not a Christian allegory. It is anti-Christian. Myths and allegories are as old as humanity. They have their place and can teach wonderful lessons, as is clear from the fact that the Bible uses them (Jotham told a myth and Moses recorded an allegory; see Judges 9:7-20, Galatians 4:22f). John Bunyan's immortal works, Pilgrim's Progress and The Holy War are allegories that are thoroughly Christian. But Rowling-and even C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien-employ and glorify things that God's word denounces as satanic to present supposedly Christian allegories. That is impossible. Satanic themes cannot be the vehicle for divine truth. The only thing that can be expected from such a work is a denial of the truth of Scripture and the elevation of pagan practice as legitimate faith and fun.
One final thought: though J.K. Rowling has received rave reviews for her work, is it not intrinsically immoral and even cruel for her to work through her personal doubt in books aimed at children. What a way to live and die-impressing gloom and doubt in young minds, all in the name of "Christian allegory." I pity J.K. Rowling and fear for her soul.