Wands and other things

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 147707

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister"
<gbannister10 at ...> wrote:
>
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "susanbones2003" <rkdas@> 
> wrote:
> Geoff:
> I find it difficult agree with you on your take of John Granger's 
> ideas. I have not read  a lot of his writing but having recently gone 
> through "The Alchemical Keys to the last Harry Potter novel", I found 
> little reference to the Christian faith as I see it; let me add as a 
> disclaimer that this is not a prescriptive view but a personal one.

Renee:

Well, maybe this will make you curious enough to delve a little deeper
into his writings. "The Alchemical Keys" was Granger's first foray
into Potter studies and stressed the alchemical imagery of the books
rather than the Christian interpretation. Below is a quote from one of
Granger's articles on HBP, which is titled "Baptism into a sacrificial
death - Christian keys to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince."  

"The Christian Meaning: The Harry Potter books do not offer a generic
'good over evil' message. Ms. Rowling writes the powerful, spiritual
answer in story form to mankind's larger questions in the only
language even a post Christian culture can understand: she writes in
the symbols and doctrines of the Christian faith. Harry Potter fans
enjoy a resurrection experience in every book and are awash in words,
 pictures and images of Christ and souls in pursuit of perfection in
Him. Without this specific meaning, Rowling could not have achieved
her unprecedented popularity in a culture that only knows of God in
these forms."

Geoff:
> We have had discussions on alchemy on this group on the past and I 
> have remarked on occasion that this view reminds me of the teaching 
> of the Gnostics way back in the 2nd century AD. They put forward the 
> idea that you had to have a secret knowledge (gnosis) in order to 
> experience salvation. Instead of faith being open to anyone, it was 
> blanketed in esoteric mysticism. I believe, as a commited Christian, 
> that to have faith in Christ both simple and difficult; simple 
> because it can be summed up in two comments made by Jesus himself; 
> difficult because you have to move beyond an intellectual belief to a 
> spiritual acceptance as well.

Renee:
Yes, I do remember your exchanges with the chief proponent of the
HP-books-follow-the-way-of-alchemical-liberation theory, and I
completely agree with your diagnosis that it is a form of Gnosticism.
What I tried to say in my previous post, is that John Granger is *not*
an adherent of this theory, but an Orthodox Christian who wouldn't
hesitate to confirm your views of what real Christianity is. I think
it's deplorable that those past discussions have led you to believe
that he is. In fact, I get the distinct impression he's considered
guilty by association. But equating his views with Gnosticism is doing
him an injustice. Hence this rejoinder. 

Geoff: 
> I believe that there is a Christian underpinning of the books if you 
> wish to look for it; I realise that not everyone will want to do that 
> but many folk have pointed out - on this group, in books and in 
> articles - that, in the behaviour of characters such as Dumbledore 
> and Harry himself, many parallels can be drawn with real faith.

Renee:
And that is precisely what Granger says repeatedly in the articles on
his website. (Personally, I even think he's overdoing it and turning
JKR into more of an Inkling like Lewis and Tolkien than she really
is.) He's also hosting articles containing other people's Christian
interprettions of the series, but none on alchemy *as a system of
beliefs*.

Renee