[HPforGrownups] Re: The Role of Religion in the Potterverse

[No Limberger]

No: HPFGUIDX 186214

>Geoff wrote:
>SNIP<
>I think that some of the problems stem from the fact that a large
>number of group members are not British and not perhaps fully
>conversant with UK culture and ethics. This creates a secondary
>issue – that of the nominal Christianity claimed by many residents.
>SNIP<
>JKR is English. She has grown up in an English
>cultural environment. The majority of people in the UK are still
>from a white Christian background. Much of this background,
>which has formed the foundation of our educational, social and
>legal systems, is not openly displayed in an everyday situation.
>However, if you raise the question of religion, a great majority of
>people will claim that they are Christians – or C of E (Church of
>England).

No.Limberger responds:
I am not British and do not live in Europe. However, I believe the
fact that the majority of Harry Potter readers live outside
of the UK is also being overlooked.  A quick Internet search reveals
that the current total UK population is estimated to be just over
60,000,000.  This is about one fifth of the entire U.S. population.  Thus,
it may be safe to assume that there are more people in the U.S. that
have read Harry Potter than the entire UK population.  Harry Potter
is also very popular in Japan, whose population is slightly more
than double that of the UK.  Given the popularity of Harry Potter in
Japan (a predominantly Shinto/Buddhist country), it is possible
that more people in Japan have read Harry Potter than in the UK.

Thus, while Harry Potter is set mostly in the modern-day UK and
was written by an English author who has been influenced by
personal Christian beliefs to an indeterminate amount, the
vast majority of the people reading it are not in the UK and a sizable
minority of possible majority of the people who have read Harry
Potter are not Christian.

>Geoff wrote:
>SNIP<
>JKR has said that her Christian faith influenced her in the writing
>of the stories and, although Harry claims no Christian link he will
>certainly have come into contact with its cultural claims. As we
>know, he went to a state school until he reached 11. Within that
>school, there would have been mandatory Religious Education
>which would deal with Christianity along with other major beliefs,
>although I must say that all I remember of these lessons as a
>teenager was that teachers often gave them rather cavalier
>treatment.... The children are baptised (if they are C of E) and
>confirmed at about 13.

No.Limberger responds:
While Harry may have been exposed to some religious education
prior to his seven years at Hogwarts, at no time is the content
or his state-school education discussed in Harry Potter. Given
that Hermionie also came from a muggle home, she no doubt
also would have attended a similar state school until she was
accepted at Hogwarts.  Like Harry, she never discusses religion
and for someone as intelligent and studious as she is, religion
does not appear to be a significant matter to her.  Given their
lack of religious interest coupled with lack of significant
evidence that religion plays a major role in the overall WW,
I remain unconvinced that JKR had any intent making religion
a major aspect in Harry Potter.

>Geoff wrote:
>But I maintain that Harry will certainly be at least slightly
>conversant with Christian stories and behaviour from school.
>At Hogwarts, there is again a feel of the traditional British
>approach of understatement and, as Miles has pointed out,
>a reluctance to discuss matters emotional, which would
>include belief.

No.Limberger responds:
Speculative and not substantiated by the Harry Potter books.
When someone dies in Harry Potter, where is the priest
or vicar that overseas the funeral?  Who administers any
religious rites?  No one.  The notion that there is a deliberate
or implied Christian undertone is not supported by the
books themselves.

>Geoff wrote:
>It is believing that Christ has come into our lives, that
>God lives within us in spirit and guides us if we are
>prepared to pay attention.

No.Limberger responds:
Name one character in Harry Potter who asserts this.

>Geoff wrote:
>We do not see Harry and friends when they are on their own;
>we do not know what happens after DH in the wilderness
>years before the epilogue. But I believe that there were
>influences – maybe few and far between - which affected
>Harry as a child and shaped his own disposition.

No.Limberger responds:
There is nothing wrong in having this belief, but it is a
purely personal belief.

>Geoff wrote:
>Hence I can see no problem in JKR sketching out a Christian
>background to her books.

No.Limberger responds:
I see no compelling evidence within the Harry Potter novels
to support the notion that they were based upon Christianity.
C.S. Lewis' Narnia books were.


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