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

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 153688

> >>Cerwiden:
> > It's nice that you can find spiritual confirmation in the        
> > books. If that makes you happy and strengthens your faith, then 
> > be happy and strong.  But there are many reasons to use a name - 
> > Remus Lupin, as you said, being a clue to his alternate nature, 
> > James Potter being 'just an ordinary guy'.  Your interpretation 
> > does not ring true to me at all, and I am rather hypersensitive 
> > to Christian parallels, having been raised in a church where the 
> > parable is the teaching tool of choice.

> >>Leslie41:
> Well, if it doesn't ring true to you, it doesn't ring true.        
> People see different things when they interpret literature, and    
> there are many different ways to find meaning in texts.  

Betsy Hp:
That's very, very true.  The methods I was taught (a long, long time 
ago) ranged from Marxist to Feminist to Post-Modern, to name the few 
I can remember <g>.  To read the Potter books with a Christian slant 
is possible as well.

And of course, any time you have a character sacrificing their lives 
for another a connection can be made to the Crucifixion.  Lily, 
Dumbledore, even Neville (if you stretch it) lay down their lives, 
or offer to, for their friends, or for the greater good.

Personally, I was greatly reminded of the story of Peter with the 
scene between Dumbledore and Draco on the Tower at the end of HBP.  
And it was powerful enough that I suspect JKR may have deliberately 
chosen to make that kind of link.  

However, I don't think it means that Draco is the Apostle Peter, or 
that Dumbledore is Christ.  Just that the same theme was repeated or 
echoed in that one scene between the two characters.

So I can see the link you're making with baptism and Lily's 
protection marking Harry.  But, while I think it can give Lily's 
sacrifice a certain flavor, I don't think there's enough of a 
parallel to make it allegorical in nature.  

(Though, with Harry having been baptized already as per canon, I 
think it gets a bit confusing to have the moment he received his 
scar as a baptizing as well.  Especially with all the death and 
destruction that went along with it.)

> >>Leslie41:
> I personally think that considering the wealth of stuff in the 
> Potter books that contains Christian symbolism, or mention of 
> Christianity, a Christian interpretation is definitely supportable.
> In many ways, more supportable than a Christian interpretation of 
> Tolkien's works, who never mentioned Christianity but who as a 
> devout Catholic put, as he said, "Christ's face on every page".
> 
> People see Beowulf as a Christ figure, for example.  I can see why 
> and they do have a certain amount of evidence for it, but likewise 
> that "doesn't ring true" for me personally.

Betsy Hp:
Well, it's the mythical interpertation, isn't it?  I mean, Beowulf 
was a hero chosen to protect his people against evil, just as Christ 
was.  The Christian story was shaped with such myths in mind, after 
all.  It's part of the reason the important dates were all moved 
around so they could comfortably fit into the old myths.

But I think the Potter books are more note worthy in their *lack* of 
mentioned Christianity (as talked about on an off-shoot of this 
thread) than in the mention of it.  You know the Dursleys attend 
church as their society dictates, and yet we never get a scene of 
them heading off to church.  Some of the children at Hogwarts must 
come from church going people (of whatever religion) but there's no 
mention of how their needs are met.

I think JKR probably has an overarching message of good triumphing 
over evil that can be used in Sunday schools around the world.  But 
I don't see that her books are, in and of themselves, teaching the 
story of Christ.  I don't see how learning about the Marauders will 
teach about the Apostles.  I don't see how listening to Dumbledore 
will stand in for reading, say, the Sermon on the Mount.

Of course, I'm not sure that's what you're even suggesting here.

Betsy Hp