About Harry Potter

Few literary heroes have stirred up such controversy among believers as Harry Potter. Hailed fervently by fans, this bespectacled wizard-apprentice has caused some Christians to see not only red, but demonic influence at work in teen-age fiction. And they have not shied away from telling the author of the seven books what they feel. Which is why I think it is only fair and proper to voice my own opinion about this pop-culture phenomenon.

I once had a pupil, a girl of 15 og 16. In almost every lesson the name of Harry Potter would come up during our conversations. When talking about this wizard figure, her voice would invariably give away her glowing admiration for all things HP, in particular for the boy himself. This was when "The prisoner of Azkaban", the third book in the series, had been around for a few months. Being a good Christian, I had already been warned about the lurking evil within the pages of J. K. Rowling's works. The Vatican had voiced its grave concerns, and Bible-thumping saints were regularly publicizing their scathing reviews of a book some of them had even dared to read (in order to spare the rest of us from more trash from the Abyss, I guess).

How I became a........fan

Her enthusiasm finally swayed me. I decided very reluctantly to go and buy the book. Reading it myself, I imagined, would at least give me some credibility, if, at the other end of the reading experience; I should decide to side with the 'Cry wolf'-segment of book-loving saints. And guess what happened? I became a fan myself, to some evidence of the power in the books to seduce believers away from the one path of purity (from dangerous wordly influence).

But the only thing I have been seduced by, is a fabulous narrative beautifully worked out inside a universe that is as far removed from the dark domains of demons as are the stories about trolls inhabiting Norwegian forests in hundreds of fairy tales. Yes, there is magic at large on almost every page of the seven books. Yes, there is ample proof of fictional characters attempting to manipulate events and people, using magic, to suit their own ends. And, yes, there are plenty of creepy characters and passages that just may rob the casual reader of his sleep.

But the magic in Harry Potter is a literary device, and not Wiccan-sponsored devilry to beguile the innocent in an attempt to recruit real-life warlock wannabees. Yes, the wiccans may have claimed a convert or two, but is this really in itself evidence of demonic influence? Hardly. It's frighteningly easy to simply make such a claim, and get away with it. But as believers we should not jump to any odd conclusion, even if a respected apostle tells us to do so. Being people of integrity, we should allow ourselves to penetrate the smokescreens to see what is behind all this scare-mongering.

Harry Potter umasked...by me

Here is what I have concluded regarding the 'arch-enemy' HP:

1. Contrary to what many belivers seem to think (who, accidentally, have never bothered to read the books) the HP universe is peopled by e.g. teenagers, who never, at any given point in the story, actually worship the devil - or exhibit unhealthy interest in esoteric knowledge. They are simply not satanists, albeit that some of the creatures the encounter seem to be straight out of a regular horror film.

But, in my view, the inclusion of such beings cannot be construed to be part of a nefarious strategy to claim our minds for satan. The dragon in Scripture may symbolize satan in the context of Revelation, but in HP dragons are not agents of evil. At worst, they are pack animals carrying our heroes from one location to the next. Whatever their contribution to the outcome of any event, it's almost always a positive one. Does this remind you of the devil: the liar, the murderer, the thief?

Love wins - in the end

2. The HP narrative is awash with good, edifying values scarcely hidden beneath each individual confrontation between, say, Voldemort and Harry Potter, or deceptively peaceful Christmas holiday scenes. Take e.g. love. It's the chief motivational force behind much of what Harry and his friends undertake to do, and it is the one quality that makes them never betray their loyalty to each other, or their cause. which to rid the world of the incarnation of evil: Voldemort.

Love in the end even defeats the dark Lord, and the love that conquers throughout the books, but particularly in the great, climactic scene of the seventh book, is a kind of selfless, sacrificial kind that bears striking resemblance to the love that drove Jesus to the Cross. Harry is no Christ, but he is certainly no sinister minister on behalf of the realm of evil spirits.

He evinces the mood swings so common in a teenager, but he is also uncommonly brave, uncommonly loyal to his father-figure, the Principal Dumbledore, uncommonly willing to forgive, uncommonly good at handling responsibility thrust upon him in one crisis after another.

3. We may not like the fact that witches and wizards are left to comnmand the attention of millions of young readers, but, excuse my being frank: evil in the HP story is mostly incidental. Harry Potter, like J. K. Rowling, simply should not have to suffer the innuendo, the name-calling, that a large number of saints are responsible for.