JKR a Calvinist?Potterverse Destiny

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 121440


Carol earlier:> 
> >  ...As I understand it, JKR is a member of the Church of 
Scotland, which is Presbyterian (not a branch of the Church of 
England, which is of course Anglican). But does Presbyterianism equate
> >  with Calvinism?
> >
> >  A Calvinist, I would think, would not have much tolerance for 
Christmas celebrations, but JKR's site had an Advent calendar and the
 Christmas decorations... <bit about the Christmas decorations being
taken down on Epiphany, after the Twelve Days of Christmas were over
snipped by Barbara>
> >
> >  Can anyone help me out here without being too OT? It's important
 because of the question of fate and "innate goodness" vs. free will 
and choice in the books. Also I think there's something like a 
Christian view of death in OoP and elsewhere, but it's very ambiguous.
> >
>   
Barbara Roberts responded:         				
> JKR's hasn't been very forthcoming about her religious beliefs.  And
while she seems to write from a generally Christian worldview, I see
no proof that she is overly religious or overtly Presbyterian for that
matter.  I really don't see her as defending Presbyterian orthodoxy.>
Wasn't she raised in England?  And does Wales fit in there somehow? 
> Anyway, I'm not sure how deep her Presbyterian roots.  There are
other examples of CoE practices in her books. The practice of having 
> Godparents, for instance, isn't a Presbyterian practice (at least
not in the US.) <snipped bit on Calvinism> The modern Church of
Scotland is mainstream. 
>   I think only the "free" Presbyterian churches would have problems
with Christmas celebrations.


Carol responds:
For the record, I didn't mean an objection to the Christmas
celebrations per se. I just thought it was odd that if she were a
Calvinist, as some people have suggested, that she would recognize the
Church seasons--Advent (Dec. 1-Dec. 24), Christmas (Dec. 25-Jan. 26),
Epiphany (Jan. 6-?)--that are celebrated in the Anglican, Episcopal,
and (I think) Catholic Churches. I was watching specifically to see
when she would take the decorations down, and she did it when a
traditional Anglican or Episcopalian would, on Epiphany, the day after
the Twelfth Day of Christmas (January 5). I don't know whether a
Presbyterian (Church of Scotland) would follow that tradition. But to
me both the way she celebrates Christmas (as a *season* between Advent
and Epiphany) and the tradition of godfathers (and therefore of
christening, or baptism as it's called in the Episcopal church) in her
books seems CoE to me, with no suggestion of Calvinism.

Geoff, what do you think? Am I way off base here?

Carol, reminding the List Elves that these posts relate to the
depiction of fate vs. free will in the HP books and are not as OT as
they may appear