2) Religious/spiritual debate/comment over the Harry Potter series
This was one of the most prominent discussion areas regarding the Harry Potter
series. Many and various books and articles have been written regarding the Harry Potter
books and their relevance or lack of relevance to religious groups, specifically Christians
(Abanes, Bridger, Cherrett, Furst & Heilmann, Granger, Houghton, Killinger, Neal and
Plyming). It is important to note that in these books the authors approach the novels
predominantly based on their relevance to children’s Religious Education/Instruction. They
view children’s literature as a means of instructing children in relevant Christian values and
they interpret the relevance of the books on this premise. These books are all written by
Christians but draw on a variety of Christian ideologies in their analysis of the novels
The critics mentioned in this section study the Harry Potter series from a Christian
viewpoint, but one that varies from fundamentalist to liberal. Edmund Kern (2003) is most
noticeable in this area as he justifies the series as being non-Christian but he also has no
objection to the books being read “as a form of Christian allegory” (p. 219). The works cited
in this section tend towards three main views which are based on the interpretation of the
Harry Potter series by the different critics. The main views expressed in these works are:
a) That all Harry Potter books should be avoided, where possible, as they encourage
children to join in satanic forms of witchcraft and they present an un-Christian worldview
which is unsuitable for children to read about.
b) That the Harry Potter series, while presenting a non-Christian world view in a
number of areas, are suitable literature for children provided that the young readers are
supervised and guided by responsible adults to ensure Christian guidance.
c) That the second view, stated above, is acceptable but that people should also
seriously encourage the reading and study of the novels because of the spiritual and religious values that may be found within. This view sees the series as valuable educational resources
for the spiritual and religious development of young students.
The majority of these critics believe the Harry Potter series itself draws strongly from
a Christian viewpoint in the values and morals common to the stories. Rowling was raised in
a Christian family and a predominantly Christian society, and still considers herself a
Christian (Granger, 2002, p. x). Therefore, it is not surprising that the books might draw
strongly from Christian beliefs and traditions. The series also expresses societal values that
Rowling feels are relevant and they may work to encourage children’s unconscious
agreement with these values (Nodelman, 1996, p. xii). Critics recognise this and express
agreement with the primary views detailed above, and expanded on below.
a) Harry Potter is dangerous to our youth.
Some critics have the perception that the Harry Potter books are dangerous to
children. These critics feel that the books encourage children to participate in satanic forms of
witchcraft and that the books offer a non-Christian view of the world which is unacceptable.
Richard Abanes in his book, Harry Potter and the Bible: The menace behind the magick
(2001) is strongly of these views. Abanes appears to come from a religious tradition that
views the use or advocation of magic as leading directly to occultism, Satanism and anti-
Christian beliefs. His book is primarily occupied with attacking the Harry Potter series as
containing dangerous messages that will corrupt our young people. It takes an extremely
fundamentalist Christian perspective. Abanes seems to view all books as of little value unless
they espouse a fundamentalist Christian world view including detailing the existence of the
one true God. He also misconstrues the Harry Potter books because he tends to see them as
being a false truth rather than works of fiction. Abanes also seems to misunderstand that the Bible is itself not the literal word of God but a narrative compiled by a group of authors
based on human resources and cultural traditions.
Perhaps an even more disturbing attack on the series comes from Stephen Dollins’
publication, Under the spell of Harry Potter (2002). Dollins informs us that he was himself a
former Satanic High Priest who was saved by the Lord and then given a mission to tell others
of his experiences, (Dollins at http://www. Hollywood California.com/TheOccult03.htm). He
is fundamentalist in his viewpoint and holds that involvement in magic will lead to Satanism.
His book is simply a continuous attack on the Harry Potter novels because he sees the books
as teaching children to be occultists. This book is particularly persistent in pushing his
perspective that it is very easy for our youth to become occultists.
b) The Harry Potter series is suitable for reading under adult guidance.
In Hogwarts or hogwash, authors Peter Furst and Craig Heilmann (2001), accept this
view. They appear to be fundamentalist Christians in their views, and criticise the Harry
Potter series because the worldview in the books is contrary to that of the Bible (pp. 9-10), as
they include references to magic, divination and witchcraft. This is also Abanes’ (2001) main
argument against the series. He is concerned that the books include no explanation of where
we come from (p. 17), no mention of God (pp. 20-26), and no suggestion on where we go
after death. It is important to remember that when Abanes’ book was published the character
Sirius Black had not been killed and had not moved through the mysterious archway in the
Department of Mysteries (OoP, pp. 710-711). Abanes also makes mention of the fact that no
acknowledgement of the supernatural powers of God is mentioned in the series (p. 95). It
appears that Furst and Heilmann, and Abanes would find little literature completely suitable
because most literature would have a non-Christian view of the world based on their criteria.
Connie Neal, a fundamentalist Christian, also raised the same concerns as Furst and Heilmann in her book, What’s a Christian to do with Harry Potter? (2001) but she is less
judgemental in her outlook. John Houghton, in his book, A closer look at Harry Potter:
Bending and shaping the minds of our children (2001), also raises such concerns. However,
Houghton’s book is predominantly about children, religion and fantasy fiction rather than the
Harry Potter series.
Furst and Heilmann (2001), Houghton (2001) and Neal (2001) do realise that one
need not always have recourse to Gospel stories in order to teach Christian values and that
the Harry Potter series of books might assist in teaching Gospel values (Furst & Heilmann,
Houghton, Neal). Houghton (2001), in a very limited section, finds useful comparisons
between Christian practices and beliefs and aspects of the Harry Potter novels. Neal was so
taken with the need to relate non-Gospel stories to Gospel messages that she then published a
second book, The Gospel according to Harry Potter: Spirituality in the stories of the world’s
most famous seeker (2002), specifically designed to assist people in teaching Gospel values
through values that arise in the Harry Potter novels.
Many critics (Furst & Heilmann, Houghton, Neal) categorise themes raised in the
series that can be used to assist with a person’s Christian education. Neal, drawing on Internet
research, mentions many values in the Harry Potter books (2001, pp. 15-27). Values found in
the Harry Potter series which Furst and Heilmann mention specifically include sacrificial
love (pp. 104-05), grace (p. 108), death (p. 136), suffering (pp. 138-40), relationships and
friendships (pp. 142-144), betrayal (p. 111), salvation (p. 119), the need to be good (pp. 119-
12) and how not to live as a Christian (pp. 129-131). Neal (2002), in her book, The Gospel
according to Harry Potter: Spirituality in the stories of the world’s most famous seeker, more
fully covers these themes and others and how they can specifically be used to explain Gospel
themes/values. A strength of Furst and Heilmann’s (2001) book is its comments on magic. While the
authors state that the Bible is against magic (p. 91), they stress that the magic in the Harry
Potter series is not the same as that mentioned in the Bible. It differs from the magic
mentioned in the Bible because Harry’s magic does not draw on a supernatural force. It is a
natural thing in Harry’s world (Furst & Heilmann, pp. 92-93). Abanes (2001) feels that the
magic is occultist, which is why he calls it “Magick” after the Wicca term, (p. 96).
Houghton (2001) also fails to separate the magic in Harry Potter from occultism
(Houghton, p. 55). How any person interprets the magic in the Harry Potter novels will have
an important bearing on how they interpret the text. Furst and Heilmann (2001), Abanes
(2001) and Houghton do emphasise the danger that children may become interested in the
occult after reading these books and therefore suitable adult guidance should be available for
the children (Furst & Heilmann, p. 95, p. 103, Abanes, p. 173, p. 271, Houghton, p. 56,
p. 87). Neal (2001) also states the need for adult guidance for any book children are reading
(p. 20, p. 97) and Houghton specifically calls on parents and guardians to ensure that their
children are thoroughly versed in “the Christian Gospel and the worldview that flows from it”
(p. 87).
Furst and Heilmann (2001) also attack Harry and his peer group for often doing
wrong for the right reasons (p. 132-135). An example of this is when Harry, Ron and
Hermione enter a forbidden part of the Hogwarts building in their quest to protect the
Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling, 1997, pp. 196-200). Furst and Heilmann feel children
believing in this will have no moral difficulty sinning (p. 135). Neal (2001) takes a more
reasoned approach to this by stating that doing wrong for the right reasons follows Christian-
Judeo ethics as Jesus performed unlawful actions (Mark 2:23-28) (p. 167).
c) The Harry Potter books should be read because of their moral and spiritual values,
preferably with adult supervision. This view is held by numerous authors including Neal in her second book, The Gospel
according to Harry Potter: Spirituality in the stories of the world’s most famous seeker
(2002), which specifically promotes the Harry Potter series as a valuable teaching aid to
teach Christian-based morals and values. Francis Bridger’s book, A charmed life: The
spirituality of Potterworld (2001), John Killinger’s book, God, the Devil & Harry Potter: A
Christian’s minister’s defense of the beloved novels (2002), Philip Plyming’s book, Harry
Potter and the meaning of life (2001) Di Archer, Caroline Puntis and Tony Watkins book,
What does the Bible say about Harry Potter (2001), and Burkart’s book, A parent’s [sic]
guide to Harry Potter (2005), all provide a variety of guidance and discussion on the value of
the Harry Potter books in both religious and spiritual development. They also provide a more
balanced view of Christianity and its beliefs as well as providing a defence against some of
the attacks that have been made on the novels.
Some publications, including What does the Bible say about Harry Potter (Archer,
Puntis & Watkins, 2001), offer specific lessons and how to teach them while others provide
more general information. Archer, Puntis and Watkins, Bridger, Killinger, Plyming and Neal
note that the Harry Potter books are not “specific Christian” books but they are books that
contain consistencies with a Christian understanding of the world. Killinger (2002) states:
“the world of Harry Potter would be inconceivable apart from the structures of Judeo-
Christian theology and a very traditional Christian conceptualisation of human existence and
the way it should be approached by every follower of Jesus” (p. 14). Bridger (2001) also
states that the series “while not overtly Christian, the values it espouses resonate at critical
points with Christian morality…The Christian belief in the vindication of the Good finds
itself reflected, albeit in non-religious terms” (pp. 83-84). Killinger makes a point of
emphasising the similarity between Christ and Harry (p. 16).
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