Author J.K. Rowling has given some frank new answers about the nature of Christian and religious themes which feature quite heavily in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In a new interview with MTV, Jo discusses her initial reluctance to bring religion in an open manner within the Harry Potter books, however her reasoning for this was that she was afraid that it might give away the plot and ending of the series.Quotage:
“To me [the religious parallels have] always been obvious,” she said. “But I never wanted to talk too openly about it because I thought it might show people who just wanted the story where we were going.”
Stating that she does attend church, Jo continues on to describe her feelings on death and religion as a whole:
“The truth is that, like Graham Greene, my faith is sometimes that my faith will return. It’s something I struggle with a lot,” she revealed. “On any given moment if you asked me [if] I believe in life after death, I think if you polled me regularly through the week, I think I would come down on the side of yes — that I do believe in life after death. [But] it’s something that I wrestle with a lot. It preoccupies me a lot, and I think that’s very obvious within the books.”
While there are extensive SPOILERS contained in the interview, Jo does address some significant (and perhaps controversial) events that happened in “Deathly Hallows” that had strong Christian themes and basis. To read this very good interview, click here.
wonderful, wonderful interview. its like slapping all of the people who contrasted her to narnia right in the face. Jo INTENDED to have that theme of life after death…haha. maybe this sounds immature, but after all of the fights i’ve gotten into with people over this subject, this feels goooood going down. And guys, so what if the book has Christian themes. Jo was never going to write for other people, and certainly not for what people thought of her book. Jo is such a great lady!
Posted by padfootrocksmysocks on October 18, 2007, 02:26 AM
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I agree with Tara completely. I loved the Narnia books when I was young, but was turned off from them when I realized the religious parallels. It kind of ruined the story for me, although I have to admit that the manner in which CS Lewis developed such parallels was very unique and creative, particularly in “The Magician’s Nephew”. I do find, however, the religious connotations in Harry Potter to be a little less creative. That’s just my opinion, of course, but I’m atheist so I get annoyed whenever anyone relates anything to the bible. I don’t beleive in the afterlife and I couldn’t help but grimace when Harry had a sort of afterlife experience. But the upside for me is that JKR doesn’t really shove her beliefs down the readers’ throats, and the series as a whole isn’t based on doctrine. I read HP because it’s a funny, endearing, magical, and exciting story – not because it is trying to comment on Chrisitanity. And thank god that it doesn’t, for the most part. But Jo seems to be to some degree religious, so it is natural that that would come out in the books that she has poured her heart and soul into.
Please forgive some of us for being happy that Jo has confirmed a Christian basis for the arc of her story.
Some of us are confronted with Laura Mallory types in real life on a regular basis. This is a relief to be able to say to them, “See this, the story is Christian influenced. Now shove off, shut up with telling me I’m evil and going to hell for reading it and get a life. In your ignorance you have allowed yourself to miss a great story.”
It is not that we are religious zealots who want to shove the Christian issues down anyone’s throat. We’re just tired of being judged and preached at for our choice in literature.
I’m actually turned off by the blatant religious factors in Narnia. The same people who hate Harry revere Narnia so I have become irritated at Narnia.
I’m glad the Christian influences are so well hidden amongst the pagan that people of all viewpoints can read and enjoy the books. It is just nice the author has confirmed that all these ignoramouses who can’t read something before condemning it or read so superficially, looking for a reason to hate it, should just SHUT UP.
Sorry for my rant. Just wanted some of you to understand why some of us are so happy to see this bit of news. We wouldn’t have been reading these books if we were fundamentalist types who are closed minded and intolerant of atheists, agnostics, Wicca, and practitioners of various “non-politically correct” religions.
We are like Jo and not “responsible for lunatic fringes” of our own religion. We’re tired of getting beat up by them too.
OI, sorry I’m too lazy to read through the comments and check if anyone already said so, but since they mentioned the current Pope’s opinion, I just want to point out that the previous Pope, John Paul, praised the series and said he thought they would help children to tell the difference between good and evil. Just sayin.
And the quote that they keep bringing up is taken out of context. I believe that his concern was for anything that might lead a child away from their faith.
Anyway, I for one, am so pleased with this article. As others have said, those of us who are Christians have found ourselves in the position of defending the Harry Potter books to the point that I quit bringing them up with anyone at church. When I finished Deathly Hallows I had no doubt about the Christian themes I had been seeing in the books early on. It’s just nice to have Rowling spell it out.
For those who haven’t read or listened to all those interviews, Rowling has been saying that she is Christian and she believes in God for a very long time.
That doesn’t mean that other people can’t enjoy the books, but please listen to the author when she tells you plainly what she was writing and stop trying to spin it into something that it’s not.
The symbology, btw, is medieval, with many representations of Christ in the form of the unicorn, the stag, the phoenix, etc. It’s always been part of the story.
Rowling is certainly not the first author to include Christian themes in her books. Try a little Dickens, particularly “A Tale of Two Cities”, “Oliver Twist”, and “Great Expectations”. And then there are all the Jane Austen books, as well as “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte. And anything by Shakespeare, actually.
Sacrificial love, forgiveness, repentence and redemption. It’s all there, and Rowling has it all in the Harry Potter books. Brilliant!
Mrs. Rowling did nothing else than most people do if there are somehow rooted to a religion. She choose a tiny little aspect of the religion which matters for her personally. Since her mother´s death the question about a “life after death” rules her mind more than any other aspect of religion. Her confusion about the issue finds its expression in the HP books. Of course there is nothing wrong with it; but it starts to become problematically if the “overcoming of death” suddenly smothers all other concerns/issues and life on earth is null and void (parents are proud if the child wants to die).
A huge part of Mrs. Rowling´s ideas are of course the exact opposite of Christianity, but Mrs. Rowling does not realise that because there are aspects of Christianity (which includes being called by GOD, equality and charity and forgiveness (while still alive) for EVERYBODY, not just Gryffindors!) which are not of interest for her or maybe just marginal. Mrs. Rowling reduces Christianity to a superstitiously folklore. This is the main reason why I am very sceptically about her ” Christian beliefs”. Even Atheists, Heath, Muslims and Buddhists are capable of to quote the Bible. The quotation of Bible verses from the New Testament is not enough. Now I say (I am Roman Catholic by the way): Jesus Christ is my Redeemer, my Saviour and his death on the cross, his blood, made me pure in the eyes of GOD.
WHY dose everything either have to be Christian or Not? I was following the Christian faith but I found that since the Pagans were here befor the Christians I want to investigate them. Why can’t a story just be a good story? Good versus evil, ok, I can see that. We were raised that way. The Golden Rule. Holidays of the Christians were first Pagan Holidays that were “borrowed” from the Pagans. Are we Bad mouthing the Christians for doing that? Who cares as long as we believe in good or evil (like the good part myself) We all make up this world. I’m rambling but I have so much I want to say and can’t seem to say it in order. A murder mystery is just a story about a murder, good versus evil. Sometimes the good guys find out the bad guys and the bad guys get punished sometimes they don’t but there are no Christian versus everybody else in every story you read. Maybe there is Christian overtones in Harry Potter but I read it because it was a well written story not because it has the overtones. JKR has my loyalty just because she’s a good writer. She’s brave to come out with the fact she put Christian overtones in the books as so many people look down on religion (no matter what kind) I am a Wiccan. I can’t go around saying that as the Christian Lunitics will try to “convert” me back. I am happy I want to live and let live be it religious or otherwise. Don’t get me wrong the laws that govern us are mostly good and just I follow them. I just think that if you are a Christian that’s ok and if you are anything else that’s ok too. Blessed Be one and all
Lady Hawke: I appreciate the sensitivity of your comments and understand the relief it must be for Christian HP fans who want to fight back against Laura Mallory by arguing that the books in fact espouse Christian morals. However, don’t you think that taking up this argument gives Laura M’s argument too much credit? I know it doesn’t get through to her but the point about Laura M’s argument is that book don’t HAVE to have Christian meanings… which makes her argument invalid.
Also agree with Leif that there are many other belief systems that deal with the after-life, re-incarnation etc – Christianity certainly has no monopoly on these ideas. I.e. bits of Christian, pagan, Egyptian, Eur folkloric, Chaucer are all interwoven in the books, allowing for a range of interpretations.
I’m sure it’s been pointed out before, but the stag, the phoenix, etc. may be taken by Christians to be symbols of Christ, but they actually belong to belief systems that pre-date Christianity.
Many spiritual themes were woven through these books. Ms. Rowling quotes from many. Knowing that children from many cultures and religions were reading her books, I’m sure she did not set them down as “One way or the highway” type Christian allegory. Children and adults from all religions can take their own spiritual message from them.
I just cannot see her being like my niece who is currently touring the world with her missionary group trying to convert “the heathens” (anyone non-Christian) to Christianity. I think Jo has more respect for true spirituality than that.
Actually no Pope has commented on the books. Neither John Paul or Benedict (There’s a big difference between something written off-hand when one is not Pope and a Papal pronouncement on matters of faith and morals as part of Magisterial teaching) A lot of the media (and a few very biased Catholics) have taken a letter from Ratzinger out of context. Furthermore, the media’s lack of knowledge of Catholic Theology and teaching regarding the Papal Office has effected how the story was written and misunderstood. MTV’s article is a case in point. Please don’t bring the Pope into this. He really is outside of it. There are plenty of other websites that discuss these complex matters. I would recommend the work of Nancy Brown for those who wish to read more about this.
The great thing about these books is that JK wrote them in a way that you can interpret elements of the story in different ways. Kings Cross chapter is the perfect example. JK said herself , that she does not know for sure where harry is but likes to believe that he is in a limbo place between life and death (forgive me, I forgot her exact words!) but its up to us as readers to decide/speculate. I have no problem readng Harry Potter through a Christian perspective – in fact its a wonderful perspective. I am not a christian but I appreciate the teachings of it as well as other religions. In truth, I am a devout Jedi – if only some stories or films could be written/made through that perspective…
Posted by Professor Potter on October 18, 2007, 02:52 PM
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"Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, sir. They lets Dobby get on with it, sir. Sometimes they reminds me to do extra punishments...."
wonderful, wonderful interview. its like slapping all of the people who contrasted her to narnia right in the face. Jo INTENDED to have that theme of life after death…haha. maybe this sounds immature, but after all of the fights i’ve gotten into with people over this subject, this feels goooood going down. And guys, so what if the book has Christian themes. Jo was never going to write for other people, and certainly not for what people thought of her book. Jo is such a great lady!