Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sunday Reflection: Harry Potter is Not About Jesus
With the last Harry Potter movie coming out, there have been a wealth of articles by people trying to glean Christian themes from the Harry Potter stories. For example, Danielle Tuminnio doesn't see Jesus in the stories, but thinks that Voldemort is an "anti-Christian" (He's anti-everything!), while Baylor Prof. Greg Garrett disagrees with Tuminnio and says that Harry himself is a "Christ figure." Others have gone down the same path for the last few years.
Guys... it's about imaginary witches and wizards. God is never mentioned in the entire series. Not once. This trend toward discerning Christianity in popular culture has now completed the trip from the reasonable (Ralph Wood's inspired treatment of Flannery O'Connor) to the point where we might be losing credibility.
Back in the mid-00's, I wrote for the late, great Wittenburg Door under the pseudonym of Dr. Phyllis N. Lewis. One article drew great theological meaning from "Green Eggs and Ham," while another gave the theologian treatment to "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish." I was making fun of people trying to turn stuff like the Harry Potter books into Christian treatises. It's surprisingly easy,precisely because Biblical themes are so universal. For example, here is a passage from "One Fish, Two Fish, and the Redeemer of Man:"
In a startlingly humble phrase, Seuss answers the question "Why are they sad and glad and bad?" with a call to the eternal designer: "I do not know. Go ask your dad."
Most compelling, however, is Seuss's haunting description of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is shown as a calm man bearing the letters "I.S.H." on his chest (perhaps meaning "In Spirit, Holy" or a similar Latin phrase). I.S.H. synthesizes two Christian themes, the open door of God and the constancy of Christ, in starkly elegant terms. I.S.H. says simply (using the symbol of Christ as a metaphor) "When I wish to make a wish I wave my hand with a big swish swish. Then I say, 'I wish for fish!' And I get fish right on my dish." Through our communication with the holy spirit, in other words, one receives that for which he asks if his faith is true and sure."
Here, I can do one in twenty seconds about this tuna commercial:
The protagonist, Charlie, is longing to be caught by the fishers of men (Christ and the church), but he is not worthy. He is caught up in the shallow didactics of secularism, such as modern art, even as he is aware of that very shallowness. He longs for something he can never have-- that is, not only to be brought into the company of Christ, but to become Christ, and have his own body be given, and eaten, in remembrance of himself. His quest for salvation is futile so long as his own identity occupies the place reserved for the risen Lord, for we cannot simultaneously worship Christ and pretend ourselves to be Him.
Why do we do this? Why do we WANT Harry Potter to be about Christianity?
Because... it would be so easy. If only evil was a tyrant with no nose (could he look more evil?) rather than what dwells in our own hearts; if only cleverness and tenaciousness was enough for eternal victory; and if only Christ were found through spells and magic. All of this, seductively, is so much easier than the sacrifice, humility, and quiet that Christianity embodies.
In the end, it comes down to this: Harry Potter lives in a world where God is not mentioned, and where all magic and mystery are in the hands of (some) people. That is how Atheists see the world. To Christians, that is not our world, one of broken hearts and boundless hope, where the core of the faith is seeing magic and mystery in God and what he has created.
Guys... it's about imaginary witches and wizards. God is never mentioned in the entire series. Not once. This trend toward discerning Christianity in popular culture has now completed the trip from the reasonable (Ralph Wood's inspired treatment of Flannery O'Connor) to the point where we might be losing credibility.
Back in the mid-00's, I wrote for the late, great Wittenburg Door under the pseudonym of Dr. Phyllis N. Lewis. One article drew great theological meaning from "Green Eggs and Ham," while another gave the theologian treatment to "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish." I was making fun of people trying to turn stuff like the Harry Potter books into Christian treatises. It's surprisingly easy,precisely because Biblical themes are so universal. For example, here is a passage from "One Fish, Two Fish, and the Redeemer of Man:"
In a startlingly humble phrase, Seuss answers the question "Why are they sad and glad and bad?" with a call to the eternal designer: "I do not know. Go ask your dad."
Most compelling, however, is Seuss's haunting description of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is shown as a calm man bearing the letters "I.S.H." on his chest (perhaps meaning "In Spirit, Holy" or a similar Latin phrase). I.S.H. synthesizes two Christian themes, the open door of God and the constancy of Christ, in starkly elegant terms. I.S.H. says simply (using the symbol of Christ as a metaphor) "When I wish to make a wish I wave my hand with a big swish swish. Then I say, 'I wish for fish!' And I get fish right on my dish." Through our communication with the holy spirit, in other words, one receives that for which he asks if his faith is true and sure."
Here, I can do one in twenty seconds about this tuna commercial:
The protagonist, Charlie, is longing to be caught by the fishers of men (Christ and the church), but he is not worthy. He is caught up in the shallow didactics of secularism, such as modern art, even as he is aware of that very shallowness. He longs for something he can never have-- that is, not only to be brought into the company of Christ, but to become Christ, and have his own body be given, and eaten, in remembrance of himself. His quest for salvation is futile so long as his own identity occupies the place reserved for the risen Lord, for we cannot simultaneously worship Christ and pretend ourselves to be Him.
Why do we do this? Why do we WANT Harry Potter to be about Christianity?
Because... it would be so easy. If only evil was a tyrant with no nose (could he look more evil?) rather than what dwells in our own hearts; if only cleverness and tenaciousness was enough for eternal victory; and if only Christ were found through spells and magic. All of this, seductively, is so much easier than the sacrifice, humility, and quiet that Christianity embodies.
In the end, it comes down to this: Harry Potter lives in a world where God is not mentioned, and where all magic and mystery are in the hands of (some) people. That is how Atheists see the world. To Christians, that is not our world, one of broken hearts and boundless hope, where the core of the faith is seeing magic and mystery in God and what he has created.
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I always struggled with One Fish Two Fish. Thank you for illuminating it. I always thought there was some kind of numeralogical pattern. Dr. Seuss was Jewish, you know.
Seriously, though, I think there is some debate about how you determine what a work of art is "about." Is it the artist's intention? If so, then Shakespeare probably got really lucky. Not to mention that we all know how terrible moralistic fiction is.
Or is a story "about" the audience's reaction? That seems equally absurd.
Maybe the answer is that there are only half a dozen plots in literature ever, so we see parallels all the time. Maybe a story (or song or painting or movie) is only "about" whatever it is that the audience takes away from it.
My contention is more with writers declaring that they know what anything is "about." But that's just semantics.
Seriously, though, I think there is some debate about how you determine what a work of art is "about." Is it the artist's intention? If so, then Shakespeare probably got really lucky. Not to mention that we all know how terrible moralistic fiction is.
Or is a story "about" the audience's reaction? That seems equally absurd.
Maybe the answer is that there are only half a dozen plots in literature ever, so we see parallels all the time. Maybe a story (or song or painting or movie) is only "about" whatever it is that the audience takes away from it.
My contention is more with writers declaring that they know what anything is "about." But that's just semantics.
I am partially with poet Marianne Moore,who said,"A poem should not mean,but be"...and also of the mind that the beauty of great art ought to be that people can see whatever they want to see...so long as they don't demand that everyone see solely as they see.
Actually, the word god isn't used, but there are references to the afterlife and going to church. Also, I had an interesting conversation with my youth minister about whether or not satan has a nose. My youth minister said that voldemort was based offf the devil, so I asked if all evil things were noseless, or if it was just voldemort.
I guess you missed my Nov. 2010 article in the Wacoan called "All I Really Needed to Know I Learned from Harry Potter: 31 Lessons." I don't Christianize the books, but I think they have great value just as they are.
Megan-- I did miss that! But you make a good point... that there is plenty to appreciate about the books without turning them into a fifth gospel.
I think the impulse to Christianize everything short of Scooby-Doo is often part of a good impulse, which is to make Christianity accessible. I just think that when we stretch it too far, we risk losing credibility.
I think the impulse to Christianize everything short of Scooby-Doo is often part of a good impulse, which is to make Christianity accessible. I just think that when we stretch it too far, we risk losing credibility.
My family is watching the series in a marathon right now, getting ready for the last movie. I have to say, I actually saw some validity to the Christian-theme argument this time, and it was in the theme of good/bad and how each of us is both and is defined by our actions. I know that is a universal theme, but the character of Snape seems so Judas-like (at least according to one possible reading of Judas), so trapped in his innate darkness, forced by fate and circumstances to play the blackest role in the ultimate salvation of wizardry--it seemed very possible to me that Rowling was at least trafficking in the more complicated implications of the Christian narrative.
Although I might agree with you, my only caveat is that the second you start dictating interpretation you are on very thin ice. What makes an interpretation good or bad is highly subjective, and if people want to see a Christian interpretation in the movie, then they will. Doesn't matter a bit that God is not mentioned. Btw, they do celebrate Christmas....
During the hey-day of The Wittenburg Door, we ran similar parody articles on "The Gospel According to The Simpsons," "The Gospel According to Beavis and Butthead," "The Gospel According to Star Wars," "The Gospel According to Popeye," and so on ... There was a real run on those kinds of books in the evangelical Christian bookstore market for a time. Fun times ... Darden
# posted by 
: 6:03 PM
: 6:03 PM
For what it is worth, the Simpsons dealt pretty specifically with religious themes, and had a minister and deacon as regular characters, so that is much less of a stretch!
On a serious note, it seems to me that Christians can find Christ anywhere -- Christianity is so embedded in English literature that even if J.K. Rowling was not trying to write religious themes, there's no way she could avoid their influence.
An English Prof. once told me that every English speaking author is influenced by John Milton whether they know his work, or even his name, or not.
An English Prof. once told me that every English speaking author is influenced by John Milton whether they know his work, or even his name, or not.
--More importantly, Dumbledore is a Gandalf imitator... as Micah and I have previously discussed on his blog.
I thoroughly enjoy keeping up with you via your blog and other online posts now that you're no longer living across the street, Mark!
I have never posted a comment to a blog before; I'm hoping it's not bad form to disagree with you in my commentary. While your suggestion regarding the overreaching of some people in finding Christian allegory where none is intended throughout pop culture has some validity, I think you missed the mark with regard to the Harry Potter series.
The insight that God is not mentioned in the series does not reinforce your premise. Is God actually mentioned at any point in Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia or in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy? Not that I recall, but to claim there is no deliberate Christian inspiration reflected in those works would deny the very foundation of the stories.
Christianity does embody sacrifice, humility, and quiet; it also requires courage, strength, and love, specifically the agape love reflected so profoundly in the Harry Potter series. I believe it would be accurate to claim that all 6 of these qualities are reflected positively throughout the series.
The magic and mystery prevalent in the story of Harry Potter echoes a magic and mystery in the Christian spiritual realm that sometimes seems all but forgotten in our modern society.
J. K. Rowling herself stated that she was disinclined to discuss her Christian faith prior to giving her readers a chance to finish the final installment of the series because "If I talk too freely about that, I think the intelligent reader...will be able to guess what is coming in the books."
I do not believe that the Harry Potter series is allegorical; it is, however, a story which takes place in a setting with a decidedly Christian worldview. Similiar to the unlikely events which comprise the very story of the life of our Savior, I think it is a story which teaches us something about Christianity in the most unlikely guise: one about imaginary witches and wizards.
I have never posted a comment to a blog before; I'm hoping it's not bad form to disagree with you in my commentary. While your suggestion regarding the overreaching of some people in finding Christian allegory where none is intended throughout pop culture has some validity, I think you missed the mark with regard to the Harry Potter series.
The insight that God is not mentioned in the series does not reinforce your premise. Is God actually mentioned at any point in Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia or in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy? Not that I recall, but to claim there is no deliberate Christian inspiration reflected in those works would deny the very foundation of the stories.
Christianity does embody sacrifice, humility, and quiet; it also requires courage, strength, and love, specifically the agape love reflected so profoundly in the Harry Potter series. I believe it would be accurate to claim that all 6 of these qualities are reflected positively throughout the series.
The magic and mystery prevalent in the story of Harry Potter echoes a magic and mystery in the Christian spiritual realm that sometimes seems all but forgotten in our modern society.
J. K. Rowling herself stated that she was disinclined to discuss her Christian faith prior to giving her readers a chance to finish the final installment of the series because "If I talk too freely about that, I think the intelligent reader...will be able to guess what is coming in the books."
I do not believe that the Harry Potter series is allegorical; it is, however, a story which takes place in a setting with a decidedly Christian worldview. Similiar to the unlikely events which comprise the very story of the life of our Savior, I think it is a story which teaches us something about Christianity in the most unlikely guise: one about imaginary witches and wizards.
really - can't we just enjoy them for what they are and stop looking for hidden meaning in everything.
I agree with Jeremy that there are only a half dozen or so plots that most all fiction is derived from.
I agree with Jeremy that there are only a half dozen or so plots that most all fiction is derived from.
Bill--
The reason that I started this blog was to have people disagree with me! I write something provocative and then let all these smart people discuss it...
I agree with much of what you say. However, there is the problem of people making, for example, Harry into a Christ figure. Harry leads a literal army, uses violence as a first resort, and his foil is a single person who personifies evil. In other words, he is a a typical here, and Christ was atypical.
The reason that I started this blog was to have people disagree with me! I write something provocative and then let all these smart people discuss it...
I agree with much of what you say. However, there is the problem of people making, for example, Harry into a Christ figure. Harry leads a literal army, uses violence as a first resort, and his foil is a single person who personifies evil. In other words, he is a a typical here, and Christ was atypical.
There’s a resource on the Mockingbird blog called “The Gospel According to The Office,” which makes a distinction that I think is helpful here. The authors don’t propose a theological game of Twister to see the character of Michael Scott as Jesus. Rather, they use that television program for examples of the human condition and then suggest ways that Christian faith might respond to those examples. Using something that’s familiar to people to make a point about Christian faith sounds to me like the parables of Jesus.
Here’s an interesting quote from the introduction to the resource noted above:
The characters and stories of The Office are fairly universal. There are geeks, heroes, anti-heroes and everyday Joes, all of whom are struggling with things like love, greed, power, and terrifying mediocrity. The show finds much of its humor in the darker aspects of the human condition, and it does so in a way that we hope will make it easier to address serious themes.
One of the dangers in a project like this is that it can suck the fun out of the show. Though The Office is in no way a Christian show, we believe it is funny because in many ways it accurately depicts the truth about human life. And if we believe Christianity is true, it should be able to speak to the issues raised in the show.
Here’s an interesting quote from the introduction to the resource noted above:
The characters and stories of The Office are fairly universal. There are geeks, heroes, anti-heroes and everyday Joes, all of whom are struggling with things like love, greed, power, and terrifying mediocrity. The show finds much of its humor in the darker aspects of the human condition, and it does so in a way that we hope will make it easier to address serious themes.
One of the dangers in a project like this is that it can suck the fun out of the show. Though The Office is in no way a Christian show, we believe it is funny because in many ways it accurately depicts the truth about human life. And if we believe Christianity is true, it should be able to speak to the issues raised in the show.
# posted by : 10:50 PM
: 10:50 PM
Actually, Dumbledore quotes scripture quite a bit in book 7. Start by looking at the tombstones if you don't see it. :)
# posted by : 7:53 PM
: 7:53 PM
First of all, I agree with IPLawGuy about the Dumbledore/Gandalf comparison, but I would also like to add $0.02 to the Christian allegory remarks re: Harry Potter.
Harry he had plenty of flaws (like the rest of us), and when push came to shove, he faced the choice of whether to save his own neck or try to save those around him, even if it meant risking his own life. This poli sci major will defer to the lit & religion majors on whether that makes Harry a Messiah figure or not. I concur that we shouldn't "Christianize" every piece of literature or movie with a hero, but just as we talk about "being in the world but not of it" as believers, I think there is merit in noticing symbolic similarities between life and literature.
Harry he had plenty of flaws (like the rest of us), and when push came to shove, he faced the choice of whether to save his own neck or try to save those around him, even if it meant risking his own life. This poli sci major will defer to the lit & religion majors on whether that makes Harry a Messiah figure or not. I concur that we shouldn't "Christianize" every piece of literature or movie with a hero, but just as we talk about "being in the world but not of it" as believers, I think there is merit in noticing symbolic similarities between life and literature.
Ang, not to give away a spoiler, but Harry doesn't sacrifice himself. He marries Ginny, and they give their kids Slythryn names.
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# posted by : 3:25 PM
: 3:25 PM << Home
