Catholic newspaper publishes debate about HP - what do people think?

[Tonks]

> Geoff:
> Sorry, but I'm going to disagree with you.
> 
> As a Christian, I have argued on many occasions that Harry is a 
Everyman. He is like a Christian on his or her journey through life. 
> I believe as an evangelical that no mortal person can be Christ or 
a Christ figure. Jesus is God in human form. He alone is immortal 
and can forgive sin. We, as believers, can be Christ-like as we try 
to live according to what Jesus taught. We will be transformed only 
when we leave his life.


Tonks:
That is part of what I am saying. Harry is Everyman on his journey, 
yes. And the journey for each Christian is to "become Christ". That 
is not the same as the Gnostic ideas. Christian Monasticism has 
always had as the goal for the individual to become so united to God 
as to become like Christ. Some call that “becoming Christ”. 

If you read very careful in the last part of DH, you will see that 
happening to Harry. Harry makes the choice to die. (The Christian 
monk is told to die to self, the ego.)If you read on in DH you see 
Hagrid carrying Harry as if the scene were a Pieta. And later Hagrid 
(the Keeper of the Keys) is the one who says "where is Harry?" (Like 
the people at the tomb) and later everyone screams "He’s alive!" 
This is a death and resurrection scene. And throughout the books we 
see the step by step way in which Harry is transformed 
(transfigured) into Christ. Harry is not THE Christ. (Jesus is THE 
Christ, and only Jesus.) Harry is what every Christian is to become. 
The classic progression in the spiritual life is to go through 
different stages until ones comes to what is called the mystical 
marriage. (No, this is not Gnosticism.) At this point the person is 
one with God and their behavior looks a lot like that of Jesus. The 
Saints of the church were the ones who arrived at this point in this 
life. The progress in the spiritual life is not completed in this 
life, even for them. This is what is meant by becoming Christ. Call 
it being like Christ if you wish, means the same to most of us. 

Tonks_op