Another interesting text that refers to the Christian values found in the Harry Potter
series is John Granger’s book, The hidden key to Harry Potter: Understanding the meaning,
genius and popularity of Joanne Rowling’s Harry Potter novels (2002). Granger, a
committed Christian, also sees the Harry Potter books as profoundly Christian books that
draw on “classical philosophy, medieval and patristic theology, and the esoteric symbolist
tradition of the East and West” (p. xiii). He views them as being very similar to the Christian
morality plays of the middle-ages (pp. 196-200). He never states that Rowling sets out to
write Christian books, as Rowling herself has never stated this, but he competently shows
how Rowling draws on a predominantly Christian tradition in her writing especially through
her interest in writers such as C. S. Lewis and the other “Inkling” writers (pp. 82-83).
Granger makes a number of somewhat tenuous assertions, such as that Rowling
characters Albus Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel created the Philosopher’s Stone for “the
purification, illumination, and salvation or perfection of their souls” (2002, p. 97), or that
Rowling uses her conceited character, Gilderoy Lockhart, as an attack on her fellow writer,
Philip Pullman (pp. 192-196), but overall his book is particularly informative on the subject.
He provides great insight into many areas, especially on the Christian and Platonic
symbolism within the books, the Aristotelian scholastic model of the soul and its relevance to
the series, and alchemy and its spiritual importance.
Lisa Cherrett has produced The triumph of goodness: Biblical themes in the Harry
Potter stories (2003), a work that is very similar to those described above. It concentrates on
making observations on the suitability of the Harry Potter series for children. Cherrett
provides a number of instances where she shows connections between what occurs in the
Harry Potter stories and stories in the Bible. Her book is centred on her belief that “the Harry
Potter stories have the potential to produce ‘a body of people familiarized with certain ideas’
that can re-lay a foundation for Christian faith” (p. 11). Burkart (2005) follows a similar line of argument stressing the importance of fantasy works like the Harry Potter novels, in
helping children to work “out their unconscious struggles and conflicts” (p. 39).
Another critical text which discusses the Harry Potter books in relation to
religion/morality is Edmund Kern’s book, The wisdom of Harry Potter: what our favorite
hero teaches us about moral choices (2003). This book is similar to Bridger’s book in that it
closely considers the morality illustrated in the Harry Potter series as well as themes that are
apparent in the books. Kern rejects the books as being religious because they do not offer a
message of transcendence through religious beliefs yet he acknowledges, as Bridger does,
that they provide an ethical system consistent with many belief systems, including
Christianity (pp. 158-177). The central concern of the book is to explore Kern’s view that
Rowling offers modern readers, through the actions undertaken by the characters of Harry
Potter and others, an updated version of Stoicism (p. 19), which he then explains and
provides examples of in the series. It is both impressively researched and very persuasive,
providing much information on the history of stoicism and the moral development that occurs
in the character of Harry Potter throughout the books. Kern also highlights the point that
Abanes (2001) and some other critics, including Jack Zipes (2002), fail to notice, which is
that:
Rowling’s books do not offer children a utopian vision of the way things should be.
Instead, to some extent, they reflect the way things are, and by doing so, they address
some of the issues valued by proponents of social realism in children’s literature. The
books may not have the gritty texture of other works for adolescents, but they hardly
return kids to the days of greater cultural conformity or overt bigotry and the nuclear
family ruled by the stern paterfamilias. They also put on display the effects of economic
disparity and a moribund self-satisfied political administration. (Kern, 2003, p. 209) Many of the critics mentioned previously comment on the Harry Potter series and its
importance as a Christian text. They view the series as important in the values and attitudes
which it may instruct/educate its readers consciously or unconsciously in. All these critics
seem to come from a viewpoint where they understand the importance of Harry Potter as an
instructional hero and the Harry Potter series as an instructional resource. Most view the
Harry Potter series as being of value in Religious Education. In this sense they all place Harry
Potter within the traditional “hero” model, perhaps best explained by Campbell (1949/1993).
It is possible to see the critics interpreting Harry on the same levels as those outlined by
Stephens and McCallum, (1998) in their discussion of the hero Beowulf:
At one level, this involves depictions of qualities popularly associated with the heroic:
courage, loyalty, strength, endurance, passionate attachment to causes and a
willingness to sacrifice oneself for them, an altruistic concern for the well being of
independents, and a strong feeling of obligation towards anyone who has acted in such
a way as to further the hero’s cause. When this is put together with the idea of myth,
the meaning of the text moves into that space where heroes exemplify a particular
human role within a permanent cosmic struggle between good and evil (p.93).
series is John Granger’s book, The hidden key to Harry Potter: Understanding the meaning,
genius and popularity of Joanne Rowling’s Harry Potter novels (2002). Granger, a
committed Christian, also sees the Harry Potter books as profoundly Christian books that
draw on “classical philosophy, medieval and patristic theology, and the esoteric symbolist
tradition of the East and West” (p. xiii). He views them as being very similar to the Christian
morality plays of the middle-ages (pp. 196-200). He never states that Rowling sets out to
write Christian books, as Rowling herself has never stated this, but he competently shows
how Rowling draws on a predominantly Christian tradition in her writing especially through
her interest in writers such as C. S. Lewis and the other “Inkling” writers (pp. 82-83).
Granger makes a number of somewhat tenuous assertions, such as that Rowling
characters Albus Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel created the Philosopher’s Stone for “the
purification, illumination, and salvation or perfection of their souls” (2002, p. 97), or that
Rowling uses her conceited character, Gilderoy Lockhart, as an attack on her fellow writer,
Philip Pullman (pp. 192-196), but overall his book is particularly informative on the subject.
He provides great insight into many areas, especially on the Christian and Platonic
symbolism within the books, the Aristotelian scholastic model of the soul and its relevance to
the series, and alchemy and its spiritual importance.
Lisa Cherrett has produced The triumph of goodness: Biblical themes in the Harry
Potter stories (2003), a work that is very similar to those described above. It concentrates on
making observations on the suitability of the Harry Potter series for children. Cherrett
provides a number of instances where she shows connections between what occurs in the
Harry Potter stories and stories in the Bible. Her book is centred on her belief that “the Harry
Potter stories have the potential to produce ‘a body of people familiarized with certain ideas’
that can re-lay a foundation for Christian faith” (p. 11). Burkart (2005) follows a similar line of argument stressing the importance of fantasy works like the Harry Potter novels, in
helping children to work “out their unconscious struggles and conflicts” (p. 39).
Another critical text which discusses the Harry Potter books in relation to
religion/morality is Edmund Kern’s book, The wisdom of Harry Potter: what our favorite
hero teaches us about moral choices (2003). This book is similar to Bridger’s book in that it
closely considers the morality illustrated in the Harry Potter series as well as themes that are
apparent in the books. Kern rejects the books as being religious because they do not offer a
message of transcendence through religious beliefs yet he acknowledges, as Bridger does,
that they provide an ethical system consistent with many belief systems, including
Christianity (pp. 158-177). The central concern of the book is to explore Kern’s view that
Rowling offers modern readers, through the actions undertaken by the characters of Harry
Potter and others, an updated version of Stoicism (p. 19), which he then explains and
provides examples of in the series. It is both impressively researched and very persuasive,
providing much information on the history of stoicism and the moral development that occurs
in the character of Harry Potter throughout the books. Kern also highlights the point that
Abanes (2001) and some other critics, including Jack Zipes (2002), fail to notice, which is
that:
Rowling’s books do not offer children a utopian vision of the way things should be.
Instead, to some extent, they reflect the way things are, and by doing so, they address
some of the issues valued by proponents of social realism in children’s literature. The
books may not have the gritty texture of other works for adolescents, but they hardly
return kids to the days of greater cultural conformity or overt bigotry and the nuclear
family ruled by the stern paterfamilias. They also put on display the effects of economic
disparity and a moribund self-satisfied political administration. (Kern, 2003, p. 209) Many of the critics mentioned previously comment on the Harry Potter series and its
importance as a Christian text. They view the series as important in the values and attitudes
which it may instruct/educate its readers consciously or unconsciously in. All these critics
seem to come from a viewpoint where they understand the importance of Harry Potter as an
instructional hero and the Harry Potter series as an instructional resource. Most view the
Harry Potter series as being of value in Religious Education. In this sense they all place Harry
Potter within the traditional “hero” model, perhaps best explained by Campbell (1949/1993).
It is possible to see the critics interpreting Harry on the same levels as those outlined by
Stephens and McCallum, (1998) in their discussion of the hero Beowulf:
At one level, this involves depictions of qualities popularly associated with the heroic:
courage, loyalty, strength, endurance, passionate attachment to causes and a
willingness to sacrifice oneself for them, an altruistic concern for the well being of
independents, and a strong feeling of obligation towards anyone who has acted in such
a way as to further the hero’s cause. When this is put together with the idea of myth,
the meaning of the text moves into that space where heroes exemplify a particular
human role within a permanent cosmic struggle between good and evil (p.93).
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