Christians in HP - in a purely historical way(was:Re: Christianity in HP)

[festuco]

No: HPFGUIDX 128505

Tonks: 
> Like the pagans on this list that are amazed at how far the 
> Christians will stretch things to see so many *Christian* symbols in 
> HP, I am also amazed at the lengths folks will go to so as to *not* 
> see the Christian references in HP.  Do you really think that all of 
> these little coincidences that are in the book are just that?  JKR 
> writes like a mystery author, like Dorothy Sayers some say.  Don't 
> you think that maybe, just maybe there really is a message there??  
> How many coincidences can there be in one series before 
 *if it 
> quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, walks like a duck*
 just 
> maybe
   

Gerry: 
I think there are lots of messages there, only I don't think the
messages are specifically Christian. Christianity in many different
forms has been part of the western culture for hundreds of years. I
think a writer has to make a conscious effort to take out all
christian references, because a lot of them are cultural. JKR uses a
lot of symbols and ideas. She obviously reads a lot, and is very
familiar with occult ideas. That does not make her a believer in the
occult. And that an author is a Christian does not mean her purpose in
writing is to bring some kind of holy message to people. She deals
with very profound and interesting human themes, which you find
throughout human history. Rememption is not something specific to
christianity. Why not: because  making mistakes, doing wrong and how
to go from there is not something that happens exclusively to christians. 

But believing a christmas carol is a sign of some deep significant
christian message is i.m.h.o. just as wrong as believing she is pagan
because people have wands that fit the 'celtic' tree calender or
because of all the other references to occult knowledge and magic. 

Analyzing literature is for a huge part what we as readers want to
find. It is just as easy to make a case for the classic hero story you
find in mythologies throughout the world (Joseph Cambell anybody?). 

Gerry