Is Harry Potter the Son of God?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 171060

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Katie" <anigrrrl2 at ...> wrote:
>
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Janette <jnferr@> wrote:

Abbey:
> > > Is Harry Potter the Son of God?

> > > The article, "Is Harry Potter the Son of God?" is available to read in
> > > the essays section of HP for GrownUPs.
> > > Timed for the release of J.K. Rowling's seventh and final book of 
> > > the Harry Potter series, this article presents persuasive evidence 
> > > from the books and from interviews with Rowling that the Harry 
> > > Potter story is, in fact, an intentional Gospel allegory written with 
> > > evangelistic intention, and that this will become abundantly clear in the 
> > >final book.
 
Katie: 
> I find this idea disturbing, and quite honestly, almost revolting. 
> First of all, in terms of comparing HP to LotR and Narnia, HP is 
> based much more in the reality of the here and now. Itis much 
> less pure fantasy in that aspect. Secondly, in both LotR and
> Narnia, the Christian elements are there from the beginning, and, 
> at least in LotR's case, Tolkien was not TRYING to make a Christian
> story, per se. He was writing a story as a Christian, and that is
> very different than writing a "Christian story".

Geoff:
I feel that there is am element of misunderstanding – possibly 
springing from cultural differences - in the present discussion 
and would like to try to clarify the  matter – at least as I see it. 
In a somewhat similar vein to what I wrote in message 171011, 
long ago in post 112276 which was in a thread about Christianity, 
I wrote:
"Jo Rowling worships at a Church of Scotland church and is on 
record as saying she is a Christian so this is going have some 
influence on her approach. However, like Tolkien, who was also 
a Christian, her  world is not overtly Christian but is you look 
around you, there are evidences of subliminal Christian influence. 
Both she and Tolkien have written books in which Christian 
values and ideals can be seen if you look for them in contrast to 
C.S.Lewis whose "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" is 
openly intended to introduce children to the ideas of Christianity."

I agree with you in totally disagreeing with the theory which has 
caused this thread. Even further back, in message 84881, Ivan 
Vablatsky (who also posted more recently as Hans Andrea) wrote:
"A few months ago there was a big debate in this group about 
whether Harry Potter is everyman or Christ. I say he is both!"

I replied to this in 84552 by writing:
"I feel that I can only disagree with your view on Harry Potter. He
cannot be an everyman or Christ. No person can be a Christ figure
except Christ himself, God in human form. We can be Christ-like; we
are enjoined to imitate Christ – read Philippians 2 for example."

Katie: 
Also, may I beg to point out that Evangelical Christianity is
incredibly different from mainstream Christian religions, and quite
disturbing to a lot of us (Catholic here). I was unaware that JKR WAS
an Evangelical Christian...where is this public knowledge? I would
really be disappointed if 6 wonderful and creative books turned out
to be a vehicle for some kind of religious message. YUCK.

For real, though, has JKR ever said she is an Evangelical Christian?
That doesn't seem to suit her personality to me...Blah. No offense
meant to any Evangelical Christians out there, but I just really hate
the whole relating Harry to religion stuff. Why can't the books just
be great stories and that's all?? 

Geoff:
Now this I where I believe misunderstanding arises because it 
seems that there is a different interpretation placed on the word 
"evangelical" in the US than in the UK. There is no difference in 
the UK between "evangelical Christianity" and "mainstream religion" – 
although the word "faith" would have been the better word. Most 
of the Protestant churches consider themselves to be evangelical 
and counter to your comment I worked some years ago with 
evangelical Catholics. I wonder whether, in the US, the word has 
come to be associated specifically with the so-called "Christian 
right" who do not actually have the monopoly of the use of the 
word. :-)

My dictionary defines "evangelical" as: 1 of or according to the 
teaching of the gospel or the Christian religion. 2 relating to a 
tradition within Protestant Christianity emphasising Biblical 
authority and personal conversion." 

I cannot see any "real" UK Christian of any denomination arguing 
with the first and certainly many Anglican churches would also 
sign up to the second.

Again, I wrote many moons ago that I thought it unlikely that 
anyone with a strong faith would not consciously or 
subconsciously allow that to reflect in some way in the way in 
which their "hero" – for want of a better term – went through life. 
To that end, I wrote in message 111636:

"I have said in the past, probably to the point of boredom to
fellow posters, that Harry is representative of a Christian on life's
journey. He shows many of the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit in
his life, but not all; some need to develop. That is true of us all. 
Harry, like a true Christian or someone aspiring to follow Christ's
teaching, wants deep down to help people around him. He has 
been toldthat the choices he makes will determine the sort of 
guy he will grow up to be (JKR permitting!)."

Katie, 
feeling frustrated that people tend to bring the discussion round 
to religion every few months.

Geoff:
That is strange. I would have thought that as a Catholic, prepared 
to express your views as you did above, you would have wanted to 
see faith expressed in discussion.

I speak as an evangelical Christian and member of a mainstream 
Baptist church although I do not expect other people to necessarily 
accept my point of view.

I think that JKR is to be commended that she has used ideas in 
the books which could prompt readers to give thought to, as 
Douglas Adams put it, "Life, the Universe and Everything", even 
if we do not all reach the same answers.