The Role of Religion in the Potterverse

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 186253


> > Miles:
> > Answering as a Christian myself - they *are* literature. They are more for Christians and Jews, but for others they are "only" that.
> > 
> > If you look at bible exegetics, these scholars work with the same set of analytical instruments as those who work on non-religous texts. They try to find out about the authors of certain parts of the bible, when they lived, what political and cultural background they had. They try to find out when a text is written, whether a text is in it's original state, altered by "mistake" or on purpose. To work on bible texts in this "critical-historical" way (I don't know the terminus technicus in English) is crucial not least for a correct translation.

Potioncat:
But this wasn't exactly what was going on in the lit text book. What you're describing is something I enjoy reading and knowing about. There's some of this in Cahill's "Everlasting Hills." (I should have checked spelling and title before starting the post.)
>
 
> Carol responds: 
> The Bible, particularly the King James version (however flawed the translation may be in some respects) *is* a work of literature as well as a religious document, and examining it in that way (or examining biblical history in connection with anthropology) in no way makes it less sacred. Our literature, including the HP books, would not be what it is today if not for the Bible, and one reason for studying the Bible as literature is to help us discover and recognize biblical motifs and phrasing in other works of literature. 


Potioncat:
I know I should know this, but is history and biography a part of literature? Maybe what I should have said in an earlier post is that a Bible story was presented as fiction. I don't remember enough of the situation now, to recall the details. 

That's a good point about studying the Bible as literature in order to understand motifs in literature. That could be a difficult process as schools present that aspect without being guilty of teaching religion.

I grew up in an area where everyone had a Judeo-Christian background. When action was taken to move religion out of schools, it was by those who had rejected Christianity not wanting it taught to their children. But where I live now, the classrooms are made up of children of many different religions. 

Which reminds me of a situation in canon. In TTOBTB, DD states that Malfoy wanted one of the tales removed because it promoted a point of view not in keeping with proper wizard teaching.

Potioncat, who just offered up the weakest bit of canon to post that she's ever seen on this list--and who thinks that if we continue this particular thread, it should be moved to OT. 

Oh dear, now I've probably upset the elves by doing their work for them......