When the film version of The Philosopher's Stone is released at Halloween, together with an increased range of related products, Harry Potter is going to be everywhere. While some Christians worry about the books' potential for encouraging minors to become involved with the occult, others are concerned about the targeting of children as consumers by marketing wizards. With over forty million copies sold world-wide, a merchandising deal with Coca Cola and a trading card game which is likely to become even bigger than the playground craze for Pokemon cards, families may need to brace themselves for the financial onslaught.
The primary purpose of this paper is to suggest ways in which churches might respond to a literary phenomenon which is widely appreciated by children, parents and teachers. It also seeks to show how connections with the Christian faith may be made in a way that Potter fans will readily understand.
J.K.Rowling's worldview would appear to be neither Christian nor neo-pagan, stemming rather from a secular mind which sees the limitations of materialism and rationalism. Her concerns are contemporary, even politically correct. The wickedness of racial prejudice is exposed, whilst compassion for victims of social oppression and disorder is evoked. Although her characters involve themselves in petty hatreds and rivalries, the values which win through are courage, honesty and loyalty to friends and others on the side of right. In Rowling's counterfactual world good and evil are clearly distinguished but there is no God, though once, when Harry and his companions are in trouble, they pray. When the dramatic form of the novels has been taken into account, the moral and religious universe which the author describes is similar to that inhabited by many in our culture.
Much Christian comment has focused on the ethics of the books. Andrew Goddard argues that their moral focus is rooted in the classical world with its emphasis on friendship, virtues and schooling in character. John Houghton, who takes a moderate anti-Potter stance, laments Joanne Rowling's implicit appeal for a flexible attitude to social rules in favour of a more spontaneous morality. As Goddard points out, however, a degree of acceptance of rule breaking is set within the context of developing a good character: 'We are urged to reject both an unthinking allegiance to moral rules and a dangerous consequentialism in which ends justify means.'
Although Houghton expresses appreciation of the books' comic style and sense of adventure, he interprets them as an essentially sour and sombre account of Harry's journey to face the dark shadow of his parents' murder. He disapproves of Rowling for creating a hero who 'draws no inspiration from God', though literature abounds with such characters, and he accuses her of encouraging elitism and class prejudice, inspite of much evidence to the contrary. The main problem with his analysis, however, is simply that it is unlikely to ring true for the vast majority of Rowling's readers and is therefore missiologically weak. Although church leaders are unlikely to find themselves entirely at home with a world-view which reflects secular culture, Harry Potter represents a mindset with which Christians need to engage.
While Houghton overstates the books' 'pathological bleakness', he unwittingly draws attention to their romanticist resonances which leave room for a spiritual view of life. Harry's desire for his murdered parents, his protests about his lot in life, his feelings of powerlessness in the face of events beyond his understanding, give rise to a sense of longing for what is missing and a picture of life in which striving and struggle play a major part. Yet although Harry occasionally experiences existence as burdensome, the Potter stories are shot through with hope that the forces of darkness will be defeated. From a theological perspective much depends on if or by whom final salvation is eventually achieved. No doubt all will be revealed in volume seven!
HARRY'S HALLOWEEN
As might be expected from essentially secular novels, Halloween, like Christmas, is little more than a seasonal marker, albeit a time for candles in pumpkins and special food. But could tales which include dark magic and 'horror' be the first step on a slippery slope to something more sinister?
Robin Gill, in a different context, points out that if we object to something simply because it might give rise to something else then we are objecting to the 'something else' and not to the original 'something'. Thus while the metaphor of a slippery slope is useful in showing us what to guard against, it is preferable to talk in terms of 'crossing a line' between what is healthy and unhealthy. Certainly it is valid to ask whether exposing children to stories of witches and wizards could encourage interest in the occult, just as the question is often raised as to whether TV violence boosts actual violence. In the latter case research suggests that it mainly does so in situations where other influences have already created an inclination to be aggressive. Such a conclusion is not, however, an excuse for complacency, and special consideration should be given to the small minority of children who are already exploring the fringes of the occult or who are afraid of the supernatural, possibly with good reason.
It is possible that Halloween raises society's occult consciousness, and people who experiment with ouija and tarot may lay themselves open to fear and distress. Yet J.K.Rowling's characters do not contact other worldly powers and are encouraged to resist anyone who attempts mind control. Divination, including the astrological idea that heavenly events are reflected in earthly happenings, is mocked as too imprecise to be useful, though the possibility of occasional genuine predictions is acknowledged. What Warner Brothers make of the books' gothic and occult echoes is another matter. Hollywood's fascination with New Age and the possibility of provoking Christian fundamentalist protest could both be used to increase ratings and profits, though given the popularity of the novels, the atmosphere of the film is unlikely to be markedly different.
Christians who see dangers in Harry Potter need to be consistent if they are to maintain credibility. It could be argued, for example, that since interest in the occult has grown substantially over the last fifty years all fantasy literature, even Cinderella's fairy godmother and Snow White's wicked stepmother, should be discouraged. Mike Hertenstein highlights this problem for those who value the Christian allusions in C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles. Initially children are likely to view The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as simply magical, though if a parent or teacher hints at a parallel with the biblical story this is sufficient for some nine to ten year olds to make the connection. However, it would be fallacious to argue that Narnian magic is acceptable because its' author was a committed Christian whereas Hogwarts' magic should be censured because no such claim is made by J.K. Rowling.
If we are heavy handed over J.K. Rowling's cartoonish sorcery we are likely to reinforce the view that the Church desires to exercise the oppressive authority with which Christendom is commonly associated. There are already a significant number of seekers after some kind of spirituality who have been alienated from Christianity by their perception of clergy attitudes to their values, and some are angry or perplexed. As one New Ager expressed it to me, "My vicar condemned me, and I thought we were friends".
Of course, 'evil' should be revealed for what it is, but we need to be both consistent and wise concerning the targets we choose and how we express ourselves. Christian protests over Harry Potter do not always extend to Channel 5's Robin Hood or to BBC 2's Buffy the Vampire Slayer which both have a strong neo-pagan flavour. David Kettle shows that Philip Pullman, who has reworked Milton's Paradise Lost in the fantasy series His Dark Materials, may prejudice children against Christianity by his picture of Almighty God's authoritarian Church, the great enemy of truth and freedom. Much as we may wish our voice to be heard in the public square we need to balance truth claims and how they are likely to be perceived, with pastoral concern. Unfortunately it is easy to lose relationships with people who have begun to trust us and gain only a reputation for being wacky and intolerant. If a person has slight doubts about something with which they are beginning to become involved, and to them it seems fresh and full of vitality while we may believe it to be demonic in character, it is important that they can talk to us about it without being reproached.
Harry Potter's Halloween has much in common with my memories of the early Sixties, bobbing for apples and then listening to ghost stories over a mug of cocoa in a dimly lit scout hut. Today's trick and treaters, wearing their ghoulish purchases and sometimes appearing vaguely menacing to the frail elderly, might elicit a rebuke from Rowling's 'Ministry of Magic'! Anglican compilers of The Promise of His Glory surely missed a trick when they failed to give any consideration to Halloween, especially in view of recent research by Hay and Hunt in which a quarter of respondents had experienced awareness of the presence both of evil and of the dead. If Christian worship focuses on services of light in a way that excludes all else, we may simply tap into people's desire to feel good rather than help each other to face the unpleasantness and fears inherent in our human situation. At least in its introduction to All Saints Tide The Promise of His Glory reminds us of the dark side to our standing before God and directs us towards 'the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins and the life everlasting'. Where earthly spirits and magical forces are taken seriously the Christian concern is not to stamp out such beliefs, which would suggest an Enlightenment agenda, but to bring them under the lordship of Christ so that he can transform the individuals concerned.
THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS
Folk religionists who believe in magic use chants, amulets or ritual to draw on unseen forces through which they hope to influence events or, more particularly, bring a sense of well being to themselves and others. While Christians commend the desire to be helpful, they do not seek to take charge of the future but are willing to rely on the being and guidance of God and to live by what he decrees to be good and wise. Magic's opposite is thus the kind of prayer which stems from an attitude of trustful worship towards the God who involves himself in human society and individuals for our ultimate good.
Alan Jacobs, among others, views the magic in Harry Potter as a metaphor for technology, not an invocation of supernatural forces. Magic works as reliably in the hands of a practised sorcerer as the experimental science that controls our physical world. Hogwart's school provides training in skills and procedures which parallel those required for techno-wizardry, and it teaches the moral discernment necessary to avoid "evil". In practice, magical expertise cannot be wholly relied upon, for spells can misfire or have unintended effects. J.K.Rowling thus raises questions about power and, for example, medical and genetic technologies. She implies that scientific knowledge is much less important than right choices and loyalty to good people.
There is, of course, more to the magic of Harry Potter than its practical effects in carefully concocted potions or the latest model of flying broom. In contrast to occult arts or conjuring tricks the term 'magic' can simply refer to a sense of wonder or mystery occasioned, for example, by buds breaking in springtime or by a Christmas candle which, for the child who views it, becomes a star.
As the orphaned child of two great magicians Harry is brought up by his relations, the dreary Dursleys, who have no magic in them whatsoever. The Potter novels refer to such people as 'Muggles'. Blind to the enchanted world which is virtually in their face, deaf to poetry and metaphor, they interpret human existence in a strictly literal way. If they followed a path which led past a picturesque ruin with a notice declaring it to be unsafe they would not be tempted to explore it, even in their imagination, but would turn aside without hesitation. Even if Muggles came across evidence for a world beyond the mundane they would refuse to see it.
Mike Hertenstein argues that J.K. Rowling's imaginary world enables children to become more sensitive to the magic of everyday life, and so experience joy and wonder. If, as adults, we have an engineering mentality by which we continually dissect and analyse life we are likely to destroy aspects of it which are vital to our well being. By hinting at an existence which transcends the material and the mundane, fantasy stories play a valuable role in children's lives, enabling them, in their imagination, to construct and believe in a visionary world. Nature and art perform a similar function, arousing stirrings of awe and amazement, thus saving us from becoming Muggles for whom mystery is simply nonsense.
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis described the death and resurrection of Aslan, and all it made possible, as 'deep magic'. Although J.K. Rowling's vision of a surreal boarding school world is essentially secular, there is space within it for mystery. Harry's mother died to save him, and the strong love he received from her is the most potent magic of all for it will always give him some protection from the power of evil. As a mystery, partially understood through experience though in the main beyond the grasp of the rational mind, Harry's sense of being helped points to the love of God. Harry Potter may thus be a valid introductory link to the true 'magic of Christmas': a means of encouraging both an openness to being surprised by joy and also a sense of wonder at the generosity and graciousness of the God revealed in Bethlehem's child. Indeed the value which Rowling gives to love and friendship may be used to suggest a truth of the incarnation, that ultimate reality is personal in nature. Of course, once we have seen the depth of God's love in Jesus we are called not simply to worship, but to share something of what God has given with the communities in which we live and work.
Many may find the transition from an orphan's experience of 'parental love' to Christian worship hard to negotiate. Yet Harry's occasional, intense awareness of ' an other' is spiritual, even though it is interpreted in terms of an ability to find those who have loved us inside ourselves in times of stress: 'Your father is alive in you, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him'. Since encounters of a similar kind are quite widespread in our culture the Church needs to engage with them. If people relate spiritual experiences to ancestors, aliens or angels, beings which are neither transcendent nor empirical, partly because they lack the language or concepts which would help them to think in terms of a Supreme Being, we should at least point them to the God of Jesus and perhaps also encourage them to see their experiences as evidence of God's activity. If we can stretch people's horizons to see 'An Other' more wondrous than anything they have considered before we may encourage faith in the life giving God of Christ's gospel.
LIST OF SOURCES
Bartholomew, C.G. 'Celebrating Harry Potter', The Gospel and Our Culture Network Newsletter 30 (2001)
Gill, R. Moral Leadership in a Postmodern Age (1997)
Goddard,A. 'Harry Potter and the Quest for Virtue', Anvil 18 (2001)
Greenwood, S. 'Gender and Power in Magical Practices' in S. Sutcliffe and M. Bowman, ed. Beyond New Age. Exploring Alternative Spirituality (2000)
Hay, D. and Hunt, K. Understanding the Spirituality of People who don't go to Church (2000)
Hertenstein, M. Harry Potter vs. the Muggles. Myth, Magic and Joy (2001)
Hiebert, P.G., Shaw, R.D. and Tienou, T. Understanding Folk Religion. A Christian Response to Popular Beliefs and Practices (1999)
Houghton, J. A Closer Look at Harry Potter. Bending and Shaping the Minds of our Children (2001)
House of Bishops of the General Synod of the Church of England, commended. The Promise of His Glory. Services and Prayers for the Season from All Saints to Candlemas (1991)
Jacobs, A. 'Harry Potter's Magic', First Things 99 (2000)
Kettle, D. 'Dark Materials', The Gospel and Our Culture Network Newsletter 30 (2001)
Mission Theological Advisory Group. The Search for Faith and the Witness of the Church (1998)
