HP-Positive Christianity (was Magic and the Bible)

Fri May 4 01:15:14 UTC 2001

No: HPFGUIDX 18107

Hello list:

I was going to post this to HP4GU Announcements, but thought it'd be just as 
well to add it to the main list in light of the recent HP/Bible/Magic 
discussions.

Today at Borders I got my hands on the book I've been waiting for ever since 
I first began reading Harry Potter, and I am excited about it.  This book, 
"What's A Christian To Do With Harry Potter", is the first tome by a notable 
evangelical writer that is "HP-positive".

The author, Connie Neal, is well-respected amongst the Religious Right... 
she's affiliated with highly respected Christian organizations and media 
outlets like Today's Christian Woman, Promise Keepers, New Life Clinics, the 
700 Club, and (one of my *favorites*) Women of Faith.  The book isn't 
published by a mom-and-pop press, either... it's published by WaterBrook 
Press, the Christian religious/inspirational division of Random House.

Neal has not only read all four books of canon, she also engages all of the 
current factors of the huge controversy amongst Christians quite 
comprehensively.  Her book is so positive about the series that on the back 
cover, there is a disclaimer:  "This book has not been prepared, approved, 
or licensed by any person or entity that prepared, created, published, or 
produced the Harry Potter books or related entities."  ;-)

To pique your interest, here's the table of contents.  Please keep in mind 
Neal's audience... the topics address concerns specific to Christianity in 
general and the most conservative groups in particular.

Intro--Harry Potter is Here, and He's Not Going Away!
       (Preparing for the Cultural and Spiritual Impact)
Chapter One--Mad About Harry
       (Controversy in the Christian Community)
Chapter Two--Harry Potter 101
       (What Are the Stories All About, Anyway?)
Chapter Three--Classic Fantasy or Blatant Witchcraft?
       (Why Christians Categorize These Books As We Do)
Chapter Four--Why Kids (and Kids at Heart) Love Harry
       (How These Stories Meet Specific Heartfelt Needs)
Chapter Five--What *Would* Jesus Do With Harry Potter?
       (Decide For Yourself)
Chapter Six--Beware the Dangers of the Debate
       (Subtle Snares All Christians Need to Avoid)
Chapter Seven--Protecting Kids from Real-World Occult
       (Vital Information and Instruction Kids Need to Stay Safe)
Chapter Eight--Be *in* the World but not *of* the World
       (Engaging in Our Culture Without Disobeying God)
Chapter Nine--Harry Potter and the Judeo-Christian Ethic
       (Do Rowling's Books Really Promote Secularism and Worldly Values?)
Chapter Ten--Use Harry Potter to Help Kids Grow in Goodness
       (An Important Scriptural Pattern of Moral Development)
Chapter Eleven--Using Harry Potter to Preach the Gospel
       (Turning Stories Into Evangelistic Tools)

Here's the Amazon.com link (you might want to cut and paste):
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578564719/qid%3D988938314/107-8305377-5406917
(Note:  It's $2 less at Amazon than I paid at Borders this evening!  But the 
Amazon release date isn't until May 15th, 2001, so...)

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to read/research further into the 
ongoing Harry Potter Christian debate.  Also a must read for those of us who 
are practicing Christians and avid Harry Potter fans... if you're an 
evangelical, I'm sure you've had to defend your enjoyment of the books at 
least once by now.  ;-)  I enjoyed it very much, and plan to recommend it to 
my friends of the faith who are refusing to read the series on religious 
grounds.

As one professor of Christian philosophy wrote in the advance praise 
section, "(This)is an extremely helpful book for all of the folks these days 
who are wondering whether it's okay to love Jesus and like Harry Potter, 
too.  Connie Neal offers much wisdom on an important subject."

Agreed.  I've always said that Lewis and Tolkien, if alive today, would have 
made Rowling an honorary Inkling.  ;-)

Best,

Ebony (who just finished re-reading C. S. Lewis' *The Four Loves*, and wants 
to someday write a series of essays on Lewis' definitions of Affection, 
Friendship, Eros (Romance), and Charity as applied to the Harry Potter 
books...)

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Ebony AKA AngieJ
ebonyink at hotmail.com

Come join us in Paradise!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HP_Paradise

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"The night whose sable breast relieves the stark,
White stars is no less lovely being dark,
And there are buds that cannot bloom at all
In light, but crumble, piteous, and fall;
So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds,
And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds."

--Countee Cullen, Harlem Renaissance poet (c. 1927)

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