Baptism/Christianity in HP: was Looking for God in Harry Potter

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 153483

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Marion Ros" <mros at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> Ken wrote:
> >>>Tolkien is reported to have told a Bishop once that Lord of the Rings
> is a "very Catholic" story<<<

Marion:
> Yes. But Tolkien also wrote (I paraphrase loosely) "everything I create sprouts from the 
mulch of everything I've experienced"
> A very true thought. And Tolkien *was* a very convinced Catholic. But he was also 
deeply in love with AngloSaxon culture language (as well as Greek and Latin myths and 
language, Gothic, Icelandic etc etc)
> And Tolkien also *detested* the Narnia stories. C.S. Lewis was one of his dearest 
friends, but Tolkien scoffed about the mishmash of magical beings and the anachronisms 
(fauns with umbrellas and beavers making tea etc) and he absolutely *abhorred* allergory, 
christian or otherwise. Stories, according to Tolkien (and I heartily agree with him), have 
merit only as *stories*. Of course, the cultural values of an author will be reflected in his/
her writings, but is it really necessary of proclaiming everything a christian author writes 
as 'inherently christian'? 
> Why?
> What would be the point? 
> Can a story only be relevant if it carries some christian 'message' in the christian mind?

Geoff:

Just a brief quote from something I wrote in message 128453 - in /another/ thread on 
Christianity and HP(!)

<quote>
I note AyanEva's comment that Harry Potter is not strictly a Christian story. It has been 
pointed out on a number of occasions in the past that JK Rowling, like Tolkien, is writing 
from a personal Christian background and the tenets of Christianity can be seen covertly 
in many places. Yes, HP and LOTR can be read in a non-Christian fashion by non-
Christians but I believe that the authors have used their own belief as a springboard for 
their created worlds of fiction.
</quote>