I noticed that in the most recent Christian Week there are two opposing pieces about Harry Potter in the entertainment section. I was mildly intrigued, because I’d assumed the Harry Potter debate had mostly dried up with lots of people simply agreeing to disagree.

Neither piece was actually a column. One posed as a movie review for Prisoner of Azkaban, and the other as a review of a scholarly book on the topic.

The book, entitled Looking For God in Harry Potter apparently makes a case that the Potter books are so popular because they share so many themes with the story we’re all programmed to recieve — that of Christ. Interesting premise, but on the facing page, the film commentary warns that the wild popularity might be a sign of the devil at work. Of course, the writer massages the message lots so it’s not quite so witch-burning-ish, but it’s the thought that counts.

I’d be a little more concerned about Buffy than Harry Potter… but I guess the argument there would be that Buffy is very overt, while Potter poses as children’s literature.

He also pulls up the business about witchcraft being fundamentally wrong, but that’s a fine line to walk since Tolkien and Lewis used lots of magic in their stories. Of course, magic in there never had practical uses as it does in HP, only for making fireworks and cracking stone tables. But then is Star Wars out too? Maybe it’s just the name ‘witchcraft’ that’s objectionable… perhaps if Hermione was a wizardess, there wouldn’t be any discussion.

I dunno. It’s a prickly ground to end up on. Ultimately, people will read them no matter how many the zealots burn in churchyards. And it sends a lousy message to be so overtly xenophobic about something. I think the best policy is to simply proceed with caution… realising, if you believe it, that (a) it’s just a fantasy, (b) the supernatural does exist in our world, and (c) the only part of it you want to be talking with isn’t manipulated to do magic, and doesn’t want you trying.

All that said, it’s a good subway read.

Mike

← Earlier Later → Posted at 2:58 am to Literature.

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