Rowling Discusses Christian Content of Harry Potter!

October 17th, 2007 · 6 Comments · Defense Against the Harry Haters, Hogwarts School of Theology

Well, it’s finally happening: Rowling is specifically discussing the Christian content of the Harry Potter series.

John Granger has got discussion going at HogPro.

I think we’ll interrupt some of the Lovecraft discussion for a few posts on this, given that it’s pretty big news and pertains to what we’ve been discussing here for over two years! My favorite Rowling quote from the article:

“I go to church myself,” she declared. “I don’t take any responsibility for the lunatic fringes of my own religion.”

Tags:

6 responses so far ↓

1 Black Angus // Oct 17, 2007 at 9:05 pm

What a beautiful article.
For those who held on to her Vancouver Sun quote for so long, here is the unequivocal follow up. I wonder if Shawn Adler is aware of the content of the criticisms from the Harry Haters because the article manages to squash nearly everything they say.
It must have been very hard for Rowling to endure such strident criticism for so long, knowing the critics had got it all wrong, but could not speak lest she give the game away. She showed a very gracious patience towards those jerks.
I’m sure we shouldn’t hold our breath waiting for the Harry Haters to publicly recant. They’ve made their money, got their fifteen minutes of fame and moved on.
But I do know a few pastors I can forward the article on to…
2 korg20000bc // Oct 17, 2007 at 9:27 pm

It cannot be put plainer than that!

Read ‘em and weep.

Matthew
3 John Granger // Oct 17, 2007 at 10:25 pm

I think we can expect now that Fandom will as a mass now accept the Christian content of the books as a given that was never in question, something like the arc of scientific paradigm shifts (preposterous! to unproven! to obvious!). What a hoot.

Anyway, Travis and SoG friends, we may never be welcome in the Big House, but we cannot be shut out in the cold as purple prose proselytizers or procrustean projectors any more. Three cheers for Ms. Rowling, a hurrah for the MTV reporter’s story, whatever his motivations may have been, and drinks all around the Hog’s Head pub for the HogPro All Pros and their Sword bearing brethren!
4 reyhan // Oct 17, 2007 at 10:49 pm

John, I’m afraid you’re right. What was ridiculous and inconceivable will become obvious overnight. I doubt (or at least I hope not) that JKR’s works will end up relegated to the religious works section of the library, any more then Graham Greene’s are.

This kind of thing makes me angry, not because it’s based on a superficial reading of the books in the first place (I don’t blame anyone for being stupid, it’s not their fault, obviously), but because the religious critics were so strident and scathing in their certainty. Same for the atheist person, who was crowing about the absence of God in the books.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it, would-be axe-grinders of all ilks.

For all the rest of you, however, I need to point out that we didn’t need the author’s statement to underline what was very clear for us since reading The Deathly Hallows. She didn’t need to say it, because she had already said it clearly, and eloquently, and movingly.
5 John Granger // Oct 17, 2007 at 11:02 pm

My first Hog’s Head pod-cast listen, Travis, and I’m blushing at your several kind comments! I’m grateful you acknowledge so generously what I’ve written but this is certainly a case of the student surpassing the teacher (in short order!) or the younger brother towering over the older. First, we learned about the alchemy comment from 1998 and now the meat of the matter is confirmed. A delightful day topped off by a time in the pub with a good friend; these are memories to save up for leaner times!

Grateful John
6 Eeyore // Oct 18, 2007 at 2:42 am

Well, as soon as I finish this, I’m off to the Hog’s Head Pubcast.

No, she didn’t need to spell it out for many of us, but I’m glad she did so the rest of them will quit saying we’re all crazy and finding something that isn’t there. Hmph!

I’ve already emailed the link to the two pastors at my church. Neither of them are reading the books, but the Associate’s wife has read them all, and is about to start the first one with their nine year old. And our choir director told me that he and his wife are finally reading the books. I think they might be somewhere in the 6th one, but I’m not sure.

I’m going to keep a link to that article handy for future use with people when the subject comes up.

I also really need to visit a forum where I’ve quit going because they saw the Christian themes in the last book (apparently missed it in the first 6, even though I kept pointing it out), and they didn’t like what they were seeing–some of them are arguing that the end of the story was a cop out and because Rowling was tired of writing about Harry. I’m so glad to know that she wrote just what she had planned all along.

And I do love the last quote about the lunatic fringe–very funny and oh, so true!

Pat