HP, the Bible and parallels

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 97953

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "mcdee1980" <mcdee1980 at y...> 
wrote:

Lady McBeth:
> JKR has said that there are Biblical parrelles in her books. Has
> anyone considered that these may not be New Testament alignments.
It
> occurred to me as I was reading the thread about wand order that a
> lot of the things that occur in HP are similar to occurrences in
> Kings I and II. Solomen talking to the spirits for example
> references Harry talking to the wand spirits in the graveyard in
> GOF. Maybe I'm off base here, but perhaps we should take a closer
> look at the OT.

Geoff:
First, I think you are referring to Saul, not Solomon, and the visit
he paid to the Witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28. I would agree with you 
though that many posters have assumed that the parallel reference is 
to the events of Easter and have wondered for myself whether that is 
necessarily so....

Second, it's interesting how many of us get a different spin on a
particular topic. On this subject of Biblical parallels, I re-post
something I wrote in message 78099 (just to save you looking it up
the archive). It was part of a reply (to Kneasy of all people!) about
Tolkien's religious stance and that of JKR.

"I, as an evangelical Christian, was rather cautious about HP to begin
with (mainly because I allowed myself to be influenced by other's
opinions without investigating for myself) but have now taken the
books and films on board and enjoy them and discussion thereof with
great delight.

I have sometimes used references from HP when discussing matters with
my church Youth Group to underline certain aspects of belief and
action and I become increasingly of the opinion that Harry is very
much more like a Christian /believer/ than a /Christ figure/.

For example, in PS, Dumbledore tells him that his mother's sacrifice
left it's own mark – "Not as a scar, no visible sign.... to have been
loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will
give us some protection for ever." This is some ways the Christian
experience. Of course, you have to decide what you mean by Christian.
George Carey, while still Archbishop of Canterbury, chided a TV
announcer gently on one occasion by saying that he was
confusing "Churchianity" with "Christianity" which is what a huge
number of people do. If people say to me "You're religious aren't
you?" my reply is "No, I'm a Christian". True Christianity is
believing that Jesus was God taking on human form and sacrificing
himself to save us to give us "protection for ever." It is more than
rituals and rules, it is more that a set of rules for life or a
religious orthodoxy, it is knowing that God lives within us
personally.

Again, to finish, Dumbledore points out to Harry in COS that what we
are is a result of our choices, not our abilities and this again is
part of the core of real Christian belief. Harry reminds me so much
of myself in many ways when I was at that age, looking for answers,
being impatient, not listening to wiser counsels, making a pig's ear
of things but I believe that I finally reached decisions which have
given me a full and satisfying life because I made the right choices
at the right time. I am sure that many contributors to this group
will snort and say "Rubbish" because they do not share my view of
life - and they have a perfect right to do so. My point is that
people who are at the stage of making choices for themselves at
crucial moments could do far worse than looking at the advice Harry
receives from all directions and the ultimate (and sometimes flawed)
choices he makes."

Harry could certainly be compared with some of the great Christians
who worked to save the world around them and sometimes died as a
result but Christ died and rose again in order to save people
themselves, not the surroundings in which they were.

There are also interesting parallels with Frodo when Gandalf says to
him: "I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was /meant/
to find the Ring and /not/ by its maker. In which case, you also
were /meant/ to have it. And that may be an encouraging thought."