The Role of Religion in the Potterverse

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 186237

No Limberger wrote in <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/186236>:
> 
> A Jewish reader won't associate Harry Potter with the
> Christian Christ.

A Jewish reader who has undergone academic education in English-language literature, especially English literature, may well do so. 

The person who is studying English Literature is compelled to study classic English works of great literature such as Pilgrim's Progress and Paradise Lost and John Donne's religious poem, all of which were written to assert the writer's view of Christian doctrine. To understand what the authors were driving at, the student has to learn about the various flavors of Christian doctrine that were around at the the time.

The person also has to study Shakespeare's plays, which apparently were not written to promote some religious opinion, but nonetheless refer to religious discussions that were common at the time, such as my friend who is ABD in English Literature says it's a cliche that HAMLET is about the Protestant son of a Catholic father -- the alleged ghost of Hamlet's father says his soul is in Purgatory. At that time, Catholics believed in Purgatory and Anglicans believed that Purgatory was a lie. And people, ordinary people, groundlings, were kind of aware of what they did and didn't believe, because a monarch who executed subjects just for being Catholics had been followed by a monarch who executed subjects just for not being Catholics, who was followed by Elizabeth I.