The Role of Religion in the Potterverse

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 186155

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, No Limberger <no.limberger at ...> wrote:

Potioncat:
> >Over the years many of us have seen evidence of Christian beliefs
> >within the HP story--and we know JKR is Christian, and has
> >admitted to the influence in her writing.
 
No.Limberger:
> From what I have seen, what influenced JKR most are concepts
> that are essentially universal.  Harry Potter evokes Christian
> imagery for some, but also Buddhist imagery, Hindu imagery,
> ancient Egyptian imagery, etc.  Again, unfamiliarity with other
> religions does not mean that no other religion can view
> elements of its beliefs within Harry Potter.

Geoff:
Concepts which, in my eyes as a Christian, originate from God.

I quite agree that other religions can share elements with Christian 
teaching but Christianity is not just a religion, it is a faith. In my 
personal view, religion often contains elements which are man 
made rather than God created - even in Christianity itself. In 
some denominations, believers are expected to attend services, 
pray to the saints, go to confession and so on. None of these are 
specified as essential in the teaching laid down by Christ. Potioncat 
outlined some core beliefs. I have often said that Christian belief 
can be summed up in two statements by Jesus:

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever 
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life 
(John 3:16 New International translation)

I am the way and the truth and the life, No one comes to the Father 
except through me.
(John 14:6)

True Christianity involves having a true belief in Christ being God in 
human form. We believe that coming to faith is more than accepting 
a form of words, of "signing up" to a set of rules. It is rather that we 
accept the love shown by God and return it to him by showing our 
own feeble love in worship and in self-sacrifice by serving others.  

Obviously, adherents of other religions can tap into love and self-
sacrifice because we all get glimpses of God even if we do not claim 
any belief. But I believe - as do millions of fellow Christians throughout 
the world - that we see this as we are meant to when we realise that we 
need God within our hearts and lives; this is the very core of Christian 
faith.

JKR, like Tolkien, does not make her Christianity overt but Harry's "saving 
people hero complex", or whatever you wish to term it, is an outward 
indicator of the way in which JKR's world echoes that of the real world when 
folk see that looking out for others, making sacrifices - of money, of time, of 
effort etc. - is what they feel they must do. They may not be believers but 
this may be a marker on the way to realising the need for moral absolutes 
in their lives as a first step in belief.

I am sure that some fellow members will already be disagreeing with me 
but this is how I see it from a Christian standpoint - which Jo Rowling has 
said she has used in the books.