Harry Potter
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A Cause for Concern?When J K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was first published in 1997 it was an immediate publishing sensation and quickly became a 'must read' for children everywhere. The young at heart, of all ages, found themselves captivated by the fast moving story, magic and varied adventures of Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Three books later, and with a major Hollywood film opening in London on November 4th 2001, the Harry Potter phenomenon shows little sign of abating. However, a number of voices have been raised, asking whether there is more at stake here than just a simple children's story. What are the values and beliefs that underpin the world of Harry Potter and to what extent are these being communicated to our children? The Halloween message from the Reachout Trust in the United Kingdom was 'Witchcraft and the occult can be damaging to your health - treat with extreme caution', and I'd like to make clear at the outset that I fully agree with that statement. However, it is very easy for Christians, and evangelicals in particular, to erect a 'no entry sign' that ignores a very real cultural phenomenon taking place before our eyes. What is it that makes the Harry Potter books so popular? Their success had as much to do with word of mouth recommendation by children themselves as with advertising and the media. Speaking as a Christian who is keen to communicate God's truth to the emerging culture around us I believe it is vital that we try understand the issues involved here, particularly if we are parents. In that way we can help our children to be witnesses to their classmates and friends who are engrossed in the Harry Potter world. Comparisons have been made by some with C. S. Lewis's, 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' and Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. While there is no denying that Harry Potter is a well written and gripping tale any similarity to these works is largely superficial and, at its heart, there is a lack of a redeeming central character such as Lewis's Aslan. What cannot be denied is that Harry Potter does resonate very clearly to our contemporary culture and therefore should not be ignored. It remains to be seen how the series will develop in the final three books but, as Catherine Butcher (a former editor of Renewal Magazine) has pointed out in the December 2001 issue of Christianity and Renewal 'Many won't be able to distinguish between Rowling's 'Old Magic' where Harry's mother's sacrificial death provides the boy with protection against Voldemort's evil magic and Lewis's 'Deep Magic frm the Dawn of Time' which brings about Aslan's resurrection'. It is in this context of living in a culture that is increasingly post-christian that we need to engage. I would recommend that you try to get hold of this article (unfortunately it is not online) which takes the form of a conversation between Butcher and Mark Stibbe, Vicar of St. Andrews Church, Chorley Wood. It is noticeable that, while to begin with the magic in Harry Potter is more of the party-tricks variety, the tone becomes increasingly darker as the series progresses (for instance Voldemort's power to possess his victims in the fourth book). J K Rowling has herself acknowledged that a considerable amount of research went into the books and this is borne out in the text. For instance in the first book she stresses the importance of saying the magic words properly (p.126) and, while the words themselves are made up, this is in fact a key occult principle. Equally concerning is the fact that Harry himself has no qualms abut lying to his teachers or breaking school rules. What kind of role model is this for our children? However, it is important to stress that the books do draw a clear distinction between good and evil and that they are in conflict. My question is can Christians take hold of these elements to tell a bigger story in much the same way that C. S. Lewis and his mentor George MacDonald did in their own work? I do have some question marks but, before condemning too loudly it is worth reminding ourselves that in the New Testament there are three Magi (astrologers) involved in the nativity story and that Daniel, in the Old Testament, is described by King Nebuchadnezzar as the 'chief of the magicians' (Daniel 4:9. Note, however, that chapter 1 makes it clear that Daniel did not study the occult, v.17 tells us that his knowledge and wisdom came directly from God). The point I wish to make is that the tools God employs can sometimes be surprising from our perspective. Contrary to what is sometimes suggested J K Rowling is an essentially moral writer. In her universe evil has consequences and love, friendship, self-sacrifice and courage triumph. Rather than setting out prescriptive do's and don'ts she leads her young (and not so young) readers to consider deceptively simple situations that on closer inspection deal with deep human dilemmas that we all must inevitably face. It should not be forgotten that at the beginning of book one Harry and his friends are eleven years old and preadolescent. As the series continues we are privileged to see the way in which they cease to be infants and slowly become persons in their own right capable of making informed choices in sometimes complex situations. Such is J K Rowling's literary skill that we hardly notice and are certainly never preached at. Children have to deal with the world as it is, and increasingly that reality is pagan and post-christian in outlook. The challenge for us is to equip them to discern what is good and true when facing a multiplicity of choices. Personally, I believe that inoculation is a better guarantee of survival than quarantine but they do need to be helped to see clearly what the issues are and where the dangers lie. A precedent for this approach can be found in Acts 17 where Paul interpreted the legend of an 'Unknown God' to explain the good news of Jesus Christ to the Athenian's. Viewed in that light Harry Potter becomes as much an opportunity as a threat. The Sunday Times described Harry Potter as 'the Child who bewitched 100 million children. Hot on the heels of 'Harry Potter the movie' is the new 'Lord of the Rings' film, arguably a even darker tale. This is the climate of our times but I believe it is possible to use these opportunities to stimulate spiritual discussions. The alternative is to turn our back on an entire generation of children, which to me is unthinkable. Where to start? Well, the obvious place to begin would be to read the books, perhaps with your child. Try talking to them about it and ensure that they feel able to discuss these things openly with you and that everything is out in the light. In many ways books should be treated in much the same way as you would films. What is appropriate for one child might not be right for another or younger child. Parents should use common sense and discernment as always. For parents of older children it might be educational to have a look at their school syllabus where you will probably find a number of works of much more dubious moral value than Harry Potter!
A simple search on the web quickly demonstrates the mass of material that is out there, but sadly not all of it is particularly helpful. I trust, however, that the following links will assist you in formulating answers to such questions for yourself.
The following articles are on the Reachout Trust web site referred to above: The Harry Potter Books and Christians by Peter McCarthy Harry Potter Books - My concerns by Karen Shaw Harry Potter: Sorcery and Fantasy by Marcia Montenegro Fantasia: The Gospel According to C.S. Lewis by Michael Nelson See also the links to recent reviews of Francis Bridger's, A Charmed Life: The Spirituality of Potterworld for an alternative point of view.
For the broader picture you might want to look at: www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/home.asp www.bloomsbury.com/harrypotter Kidspeak!
Fight for Harry Potter The Unofficial Harry Potter Fan Club The Warner Brothers Official Harry Potter Movie Website
While other peoples views can be helpful in forming your own there is really no substitute for actually reading the books yourself. If nothing else, you will then understand what your children are talking about and be able to discuss it intelligently with them. Children, in fact, usually have little difficulty in distinguishing imagination from reality and, as we grow older, we sometimes forget that. In due course I also intend to touch upon Philip Pullman's 'Dark Materials' trilogy which, unlike the Harry Potter series, are much darker in style and do seem to have a genuine philosophical agenda about which readers should be aware. In the meantime you may find the following links informative (and I trust objective): An article by Ed Vulliamy in the Observer on-line.
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