Inside Look @ Harry Potter

by

Mike & Amy Nappa

FAST LOOK:

 Harry Potter is the hero in a series of best-selling fantasy novels about a boy’s experiences at a boarding school for young wizards and witches.

INSIDE SCOOP:

J.K. Rowling was an unemployed single mother when she wrote the book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. In this book, she introduced an orphaned boy (Harry) who discovers his parent had been wizards. He’s then transported to Hogwarts, a secret boarding school where Harry and his new friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, study magic. It’s here that he also begins the long fight against his parents’ murderer, the evil Lord Voldemort.

With four books published in the series so far, Harry Potter has now made Rowling a multimillionaire, selling 40 million copies (and counting) of her books, winning her numerous awards, and appearing on everything from lunch boxes to the silver screen (in the recent blockbuster movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.).

The popularity of Harry Potter has triggered a love-hate relationship among Christians. Critics point out two primary concerns:

1) The books’ heroic endorsement of magical methods desensitizes children to the occult in real life. That, detractors say, leads children into an unhealthy interest in witchcraft and the Wiccan religion. This is easily the most serious, and repeated, warning critics give.

2) Rowling’s books contain violence that’s inappropriate for children. Book 1, for instance, opens with a double-homicide of Harry’s parents. Disturbing scenes in subsequent books include a bloodthirsty giant snake, self-mutilation in an evil witch ceremony, and a friend of Harry’s being murdered.

Still, many people—including Christians, parents, and educators—heartily endorse the books as healthy family reading. They say:

1) Harry Potter is harmless fantasy. Supporters contend the sorcery of Harry Potter is nothing like real-life witchcraft practices (something upon which Wicca adherents agree). Rather, they say, it’s an imaginative and exciting place where anything’s possible. Coupled with Rowling’s gifted writing, that kind of fantasy has turned formerly TV-saturated kids to voracious readers.

2) Fantasy magic has long been a staple of the imagination for children. Magical stories like Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid and the Brother’s Grimm’s Cinderella, as well as recent classics like Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz and Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, have long lined the shelves of family libraries. Harry Potter, supporters say, is just another addition to that honorable tradition.

3) Good wins. In the end, Harry and his friends follow a code of honor, loyalty, bravery, and responsibility. Along the way, the friends must fight difficult battles with serious consequences, and that makes the “goodness” of their ultimate victories even more admirable.

Is Harry Potter a force leading kids away from God? Or an inspiring story that can fuel hours of family entertainment and discussion? You and your family must decide that.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT HARRY POTTER:

“By neutralizing sorcery and the occult in her books, Rowling desensitizes her young readers to accept these supernatural forces as good.”

—John Andrew Murray in Teacher in Focus

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“[Harry and his friends] develop courage, loyalty, and a willingness to sacrifice for one another—even at the risk of their lives. Not bad lessons in a self-centered world.”

—Chuck Colson on BreakPoint

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“Practicing Wiccans think I’m also a witch. I’m not... [but] I am left-wing.”—J.K Rowling, Harry Potter creator.

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“As a Christian mom, the Harry Potter books don’t scare me. I want my children to have wonder and imagination and magic in their lives.”

—Kimberly L. Keith in Parenting of K-6 Children

LOOKING INSIDE…:      

Use these questions to spark family discussion about Harry Potter books and products:

---How do members of your family decide what’s appropriate to read?

---What would you say are the best and worst things about the Harry Potter stories?

---Do you think the fantasy elements of Harry Potter are different from the generally accepted fantasy in books by Christian authors like C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien? Explain.

--Some Christians say Harry Potter is enjoyable family reading—but that parents should preview each book before sharing it with children. Do you agree with that strategy? Why or why not?

--In your opinion, would Jesus condemn, ignore, or support Harry Potter? Defend your answer.

[SIDEBAR]

If members of your family like Harry Potter, then you may want to check out:

---The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (HarperCollins)

Four children (Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy) discover a portal to a miraculous world called Narnia. It’s a place where animals talk, evil queens rule with icy magic, a demon (Tash) pretends to be a god, and Christ is portrayed as a great lion, Aslan. Adventures abound! There are seven books in this classic series, all written with superb skill and imagination.

---Terminal Logic by Jefferson Scott (Multnomah Publishers)

In this cyber-thriller, a Christian father and son (Ethan and Jordan Hamilton) team up to fight the real-life dangers of a virtual-reality fantasy. When a computer program thinks it’s God, the Hamiltons must use faith and wits to overcome. Full of suspense, creativity, and a message of faith, it’s a winner.

---Other options include Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer (Talk Miramax Books), the Passages series by Paul McCusker (Focus on the Family/Tommy Nelson Publishers) and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien (Houghton Mifflin Co.)

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[BIO LINE] Mike & Amy Nappa are renowned cultural commentators, best-selling and award-winning authors, and creators of the Internet magazine for families, www.FamilyFans.com