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Warning: I’ve tried to be vague and keep spoilers at a minimum, but if you don’t want to know ANYTHING about the plot, be warned that this post contains allusions to themes and plot events.
Confession: I have loved the Potter series since I was 12 years old. I grew up with Rowling’s books and they continue to delight me. I cannot wait until my children are old enough to delve into the enchanting world of Harry Potter. Now, I know some folks take issue with the idea that the characters are wizards. Particularly in conservative Christian circles, the Harry Potter books have been maligned and enraged parents have demanded they be banned from school libraries. This is hard for me to understand. Few modern fictional works are built upon such a strong Christian philosophical framework as Rowling’s books. Your kids need to read them. For the sake of their souls (and I’m only being slightly hyperbolic.)
First, let’s get something out of the way. The main characters are described as wizards. True. And the school they attend is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That’s enough for some folks to throw them in the fire right then and there. But, an important distinction needs to be made. Sorcery in these books is not the sort of witchcraft forbidden in Holy Scripture. The wizards in Harry Potter do not invoke evil spirits or dark forces in order to change the physical world. Rather, they possess a genetic capability, like a superpower. No one seems to have objections to Tolkien’s Gandalf although he is a self-described wizard. For a more in depth explanation of the differences between witchcraft as defined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the sort of magic in Harry Potter, please read Karen Edmisten’s excellent post.
Now that that’s out of the way, why is it so important that your children read this series? The Harry Potter books have many virtues including a high view of the family, strong female characters, and an Aristotelian view of friendship, but I want my children to read them because as humans we learn through stories. And these stories reveal an exaltation of virtue, an orthodox view of evil, a courageous view of self-sacrificial death, and a portrayal of the beauty and strength of love.
Themes of Christian virtue carry Rowling’s characters through the tale. Bravery, loyalty, self-sacrifice, compassion; these are all presented as important traits to be sought after. Now, that’s not to say that the characters never make mistakes. Indeed, the main characters lie, abandon friends in need, and neglect their families among other grave errors. But, it is clear when they transgress that they have done wrong and they suffer the consequences. There are no morally ambiguous or warped characters that you find yourself rooting for. This is where the Potter books differ greatly from some other fantasy works such as the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. Lyra, the main character of Pullman’s books, has an extraordinary ability to lie without detection, a skill from which she benefits and which is viewed as a positive trait. Rowling’s series has you cheering her characters on toward virtue. No one can help loving Ron and when he really fails his friends in The Deathly Hallows, it truly breaks your heart because you so dearly wanted him to do the right thing. When he makes amends, his redemption is splendid. The characters may be flawed, but the stories make the path of virtue clear.
Like Tolkien, Rowling’s depiction of evil is incredibly Augustinian. Early Church father St. Augustine defines evil as a perversion of the good. He also emphasizes that evil is not an equal match of the Good, but far weaker. As something good becomes twisted and warped, it moves closer to nonbeing. Lord Voldemort is really a perfect example of this. As he becomes more deeply entrenched in evil, he becomes less and less human, less and less alive. The acts of murder and cruelty he carries out literally tear apart his soul making his being less whole. He is a shadow of a man. The quest for power without goodness is truly a journey toward pathetic and grotesque brokenness as is portrayed in the King’s Cross chapter in The Deathly Hallows when Harry is face to face with a visual depiction of Voldemort’s soul. Like the White Witch in Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, evil according to the Potter books cannot even comprehend the great strength of love and is ultimately destroyed by it.
Indeed, Rowling’s works understand that love is the strongest magic of all and evil crumbles before it. Harry’s headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, explains this truth repeatedly. We can only be truly human and truly ourselves if we love, the story teaches. If we can live out self-sacrificial love, like Harry’s parents Lily and James, Harry himself, Dumbledore, and the numerous other characters willing to give their lives for those they love, we have already overcome. Sound familiar? Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).
And that brings us to a theme that Rowling returns to again and again: death. Rowling began writing the Harry Potter books as a way to process her own mother’s death and the very first chapter of the book reveals that Harry’s mother and father have been murdered, leaving him an orphan. The way Rowling deals with death in the series is just so….well, Christian. Firstly, the tales emphasizes that death is not the end. No, indeed. In fact, on Harry’s parents tombstone is the verse, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26). Also, although death is a complex and difficult reality, it is not presented as something to fear. There are worse things than dying, the story shows us, such as destroying one’s soul through submission to evil. Giving up your life in order to save those you love is an unbeatable “magic “of incalculable power. In the end, evil is conquered by an act of ultimate sacrifice. Love and death are intricately connected. But love, as Rowling’s story shows us, is stronger than death.
I firmly believe that every parent should be closely involved with the books and ideas their children are presented with. So read the Harry Potter books. And if you find them as compelling as I do, share them with your kids.
If you enjoyed this post you might also enjoy: 10 Books You Must Read to Your Daughter (Or, How to Keep Your Daughter from Ending Up Like that Horrid Girl in Twilight). This post may contain Amazon affiliate links.
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Excellent book review!
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing. I COMPLETELY agree!
Thanks, Christine
Agree, we’ve been listening to the audio books at home since Henry was brand new and I can’t wait to start reading them in earnest again when he’s older!
I looooove the audiobooks. Jim Dale is the best reader ever.
I can’t believe I’ve found a community of people who know who Jim Dale is and are fans!
He’s practically a member of our family now that we’ve listed (repeatedly) to all the Harry Potter books and the Peter and the Starcatchers books.
You’ve made me want to go and re-read these (again!) right now!
I don’t even know how many times I’ve read them! And we always listen to the audiobooks on road trips
I love this. Thanks for such an articulate, inspiring post. “Rowling’s works understand that love is the strongest magic of all and evil crumbles before it.” That part makes me want to stand up and cheer…and then go read all the books again.
Thank you, Abbey! High praise!
Thank you so, SO much for this! I am a 35 year old, self-confessed Harry Potter fanatic (and shameless Ron Weasley fangirl!). I’m also mother to a 6 year old daughter. Also, and most importantly, I’m a Christ-follower. (I’ve grown to identify more with that title than simply Christian, but that too.)
I have read the first 2 HP books to my daughter and she loved them. I know she is too young to really “get” all the gooey goodness they hold, but I hope by instilling a love for them early, that she’ll want to read them again for herself when she gets older.
When discussing the objections some Christians have to the series, a pastor friend of mine put it better than I had ever heard it before: “The Harry Potter series is all about the power of love versus the love of power.” Take it a step further, that’s essentially what the Gospel is about too….
Can’t wait til my kids are old enough for HP read aloud time!
Thanks for stopping by, Misty!
What an excellent synopsis of the virtues of the HP series! I had to be harassed into reading this series because, frankly, I had heard “evil” ideas about them. I just simply didn’t think it was necessary to “go there”. I finally caved and read the first book. I was sold. Hook, line and sinker! Since then, my children and I have read the series an number of times (actually, an embarrassing number of times!), and listened to the series on audio. I have personally come under fire from others in our christian circle that live in fear of the unknown of what these books are truly about and I love to have an excellent resource, so eloquently written, to direct people to for an understanding of what the series is about. So, Thank You for such insight
Tammy
Thank you, Tammy! That’s so kind. I am in love with the audiobooks. The guy who reads them is so wonderful!
This is a fantastic post! I’m a baptist pastor, and a huge fan of HP. I’m teaching a HP class at my homeschool group this year. I have had people “confront” me because of my public appreciation for this series. My response to their objection regarding magic has always been that magic is not glorified in HP, but rather virtues. I love your point about the genetic aspect of being a magic-wielder, and will add it to my arsenal.
Blessings,
Sam
An HP class! How fun! I think you’re right that the real themes in the story are about virtue.
LOVE THIS! I too deeply love Harry Potter. Years ago, when the books were still new and the movies hadn’t come out yet, I did a book study in my classroom using the first 3 books in the series. The students I had in my class at that time were very far below grade level in reading and struggled. In the end we laughed, cried, and learned so much. Most importantly, my students developed a love for reading that couldn’t have happened without Harry Potter. It was a public school, so there weren’t discussions about the spiritual meaning in the text, but maybe the students did that kind of thinking on their own. Years later I still reread these books regularly and never fail to be amazed at the skill Rowling uses to show love in so many ways.
I am SO happy that I found your review. Many of these things I’ve thought to myself, but haven’t been able to articulate quite so well! I’m a serious Potterhead, and my children (4 yr old daughter and 7 yr old son) LOVE the series. So far they’ve only watched the movies, but I look forward to the days when I’ll be able to read the books to them.
I can’t wait til our kids are ready to read them! I’m so excited to share it with them
I didn’t read the whole article yet. I’ve only read the first paragraph so far, and I LOVE what I’ve read so far. My best friend wasn’t allowed to read the books when they first came out, because of what her mom heard. There is good news, though. My friend’s mom only told her she couldn’t read the books until after the mother had had a chance to read them. She did, and came to the EXACT same conclusion as you. THANK YOU for this. God bless and I look forward to reading much more from you!
Thanks, Halli!
Beautifully put, I couldn’t agree with you more. I dont have any children of my own, but I encourage parents I know to read these books to their kids. I’ve always felt it that Harry Potter told a great story of friendship and love. It’s real for us.
I have been searching and searching for a response to the people that say the HP books are “unchristian” and now I have found it! I didn’t start reading the books until about a month before the 7th one came out. I devoured them and still had 2 weeks until Deathly Hallows was released! Needless to say, my heart swelled when my 8-year-old asked to start the series.
I came across a link for you blog today and I am so glad I found it!
Thank you, Randi! I started reading them just after the 3rd book came out so the wait for each one was torture!
I think HP books are bad. I would never read them myself,. I would never read them to my children, and have discouraged my kids from reading Rowlings books. We are free to do what we wish, but children have innocence that has been diminished at an earlier age because we want to excite them and indulge them. I take seriously the acountability I have for them before God.
Well, Tanya, I think every parent has the right to make those sort of decisions for their children. I’m not sure why you think the HP books are “bad” since you didn’t elaborate, although it might be due to the fact that you haven’t actually read them. Again, it’s every parent’s job to decide what they deem appropriate and edifying for their own children.
Haley, thank you so much for writing this. I could not agree more. We are Greek Orthodox and constantly speak about how orthodox the books are on so many different levels. My son is only 9 months old but I’ve already started reading the books to him. I have read them all a truly embarrassing number of times and cannot wait until he is old enough to discuss them with me. Love in and of itself is the greatest magic (as Dumbledore himself says) and it is wonderful to give our children stories of love and sacrifice triumphing over evil, fear and hate. I don’t read a lot of blogs but I have truly enjoyed every post of yours that I have read. Thank you so much for sharing yourself and your life with us.
Thanks, Madji! We feel the same way. I can’t wait til our 3-year-old is ready for HP as a read aloud. We are committed to now showing him any of the movies until he’s read the books (and of course, until he’s ready for them because the later ones are pretty scary) but it’s hard to wait!
LOVE this article. In most ways, my husband and I are conservative Christian, but not when it comes to Harry Potter. I read each of the books before my children were allowed to read them and those who speak of sorcery and devil worship have clearly not read the books. Thank you for summing up so succinctly why these are good books for kids to read. I could not agree more.
Thank you, Becca!
I absolutely LOVE Harry Potter. I just had a baby girl on November 2nd and I’ve been reading her a chapter a night already. I can’t wait until she’s old enough to read them herself.
It’s seriously like you have been reading my thoughts for every single time I’ve defended this series! Thank you so much for posting this- people, conservative Christians especially, need to hear this.
I also enjoyed reading the Harry Potter stories, and love finding books with strong themes of true heroism. However, I find the Harry Potter series to be a mixed blessing. Though loving someone to the point of giving your life for that person is considered the greatest good, yet again and again there is an ends-justifies-the-means ethical system underlying the main characters’ actions. When Hermione petrifies Neville in the first book and leaves him laying trapped on the floor by the door for hours in the middle of the night, Neville’s heroism is rewarded, but the horrible thing Hermione just did to a friend was considered necessary and therefore excusable. Always the characters are breaking laws and rules because they want something and therefore the book justifies using magic to overhear private conversations, sneaking out at night, etc. If this were a situation of double-effect, where the non-intrinsically evil actions bring about a greater good immediately, it could be justified. But usually they are not, and certainly the characters don’t know that what they’re doing will end up for the greater good at least half of the time.
I’m not saying not to read the Harry Potter books, but they are definitely books that I would like my children to wait to read until they are a little older, and that I will discuss with my children as presenting a wrong and problematic worldview.
I think this is a valid criticism, CR. I would point to (SPOILER…..stop reading anyone who hasn’t finished the series!) Snape and Dumbledore’s decision that murdering him is the only option. That is the most problematic scene for me because it seems to say that the end justifies the evil of the act, which simply isn’t true. But that is the primary issue I have with the series. I think it’s reasonable for characters, even good ones, to make mistakes (otherwise you can’t really have a story, and it certainly wouldn’t be a very compelling one). In my opinion, it’s quite clear in most cases that a character has done something wrong and that wrongdoing is not glorified. It seems realistic that each act of wrongdoing isn’t followed by immediate and obvious negative consequences. But I don’t think that vice is ever promoted.
This is an excellent post! Thank you for taking the time to so eloquently & succinctly express the importance of this series. I arrived at this post after following a rabbit hole of links off pinterest about books our daughters should read…landing first on your letter to your daughter about Twilight. Everything you have said resounds so vibrantly with me as a reader and as a teacher at a classical Christian school. Well done and thank you!
Thanks, Mindy!
I really enjoyed this post! It brought to mind another defense of HP that you may enjoy reading: http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2007/09/harry-potter-and-the-christian
I loved it and wish I could get all of the naysayers to read it & yours.
Last year in homeschool for a Latin project we made spell books. We used some of Rowling’s and made up some of our own. It was a really fun way to learn the Latin vocab.
That sounds so fun! I can’t wait til my kiddos are old enough to enjoy the series. Great idea in tying it into learning classical languages.
I really appreciated reading this because you so eloquently articulated why I love the HP series and why naysayers should probably give it another look. I was one of the people who, when the series first came out, poo pooed it for all the glorification of magic and such. Then when I finally read it, I realized how inaccurate my opinion had been. As others have stated, I do take issue with the “ends justify the means” aspect of certain storylines and do think that parents should determine if their young readers are mature enough to understand that that’s not acceptable. That said, when those situations come up, I discuss them with my boys (11yo & 8yo). We are listening to the books while they both read along (thank God for library books!).
By the way, this isn’t the first time I’ve had my kids listen while they read. My older son’s reading level needs improvement. He seems to retain info and comprehend info better if he receives it by hearing, seeing, and touching, so I would check out two copies of books – one for him to read and one for me to read aloud to him. Listening to the books while reading allows him to enjoys stories that might have otherwise been too difficult (in his mind) for him.
Great points about the need for discussion and help with interpretation. And love your ideas about supplementing visual learning with audio books!
I forgot to say that, upon finishing each book, we watch the movie. We are currently listening to The Goblet of Fire. When we get close to the end, I’ll place the movie on hold at the library. I love libraries, though truth be told, I’ve been keeping my eyes open at thrift stores for the books and have gotten some of them for super cheap!
Delightful article; really well written. You should really consider writing your own fiction… perhaps you already have?
I completely agree with your assesment of the good points of the HP series. I did, however, have one reservation about it (no, not the wizardy) along with the caveat that is waits to an appropriate age. The issue I see is that the lying and sneaking out (disobeying the rules) is not shown as wrong. Harry, Ron, and Hermione rarely get in trouble for it and are usually let off if they are caught despite Hermione’s warnings. It does seem to give the impression that those things are okay if you are the “good guy” or you are doing them for the right reasons. We had a friend whose 8 year old was reading them and when we brought that concern up to her father he questioned her on it. Sure enough, she said it was okay that Harry lied and disobeyed the rules because he was trying to do the right thing. I still intend to read them with my kids, but that will be one point we will discuss–along with all the good themes!
Patricia, I’m glad you brought that up and I think you are absolutely right that those situations in the series merit discussion with the child reading the books. And it would be crucial to discuss the ends justify the means issues. I think it’s important to note, though, that disobeying the rules in real life doesn’t always result in obvious negative consequences (of course, sin always has consequences but they might not include “getting caught” or the plan failing.) That would be an important discussion to have! I think explaining that Dumbledore shouldn’t always be interpreted as the moral compass (as Rowling makes clear in the 7th book) would also be a critical theme to discuss with young readers. Thanks for chiming in!
Let me preface this by saying that I love the Harry Potter books and have read them all multiple times. I love the themes of friendship and sacrifice set in this magical new world. Yet I also have problems with the “end justifies the means” attitude that occurs throughout the story. The children usually end up being praised for it! Several times the children are told that they have broken school rules, but then are rewarded school points because something good just happened to come of it.
Jenny, I agree that the “end justifies the means” attitude is definitely a feature of the books that would merit discussion with a child. A few ideas though: first of all, the children often do suffer consequences for breaking the rules. As you said, sometimes they don’t and the end result is positive. Sometimes breaking the rules are not immoral (training in defense against the dark arts against the wishes of the headmistress, Umbridge, etc.) Also, as I mentioned in the comment above, if every time poor judgement or character were punished by an obvious negative consequence, the stories would be very unbelievable. It’s simply not so in real life. Personally, I think the most confusing aspect of the books would be in explaining that Dumbledore is not always meant to be the moral compass. Although this becomes clear in Book 7, it would be important to consider that with a child while addresses the problems with what Dumbledore asks Snape to do in Book 6 (I don’t want to leave any major spoilers, so I hope that’s vague enough!). But yes, I think that’s an important feature of the books that would need to be discussed! Thanks for chiming in
GIRL, I completely hear what you’re saying and I agree and I absolutely love Harry and everything, BUT how can you be biased against Twilight and say it’s got bad morals when the HP series also has ground for heresy and anti-Christianity? You left out a big reason why many Christians, particularly us CATHOLICS, condemn Harry: in the Harry Potter universe, witches and wizards get their power from an un-named source and yet they still live in *this* world amongst “Muggles” who don’t have superhuman godlike powers… for no reason. This is unlike LotR and Narnia, because in those books the characters are strictly encountering a different world. Middle Earth is not this world. Narnia is not this world, though the Pevensies come from this world. But, the world Harry and his friends inhabit is *this* world where God is supreme ruler, and yet no mention of God is mentioned and “wizardry” is not attributed to any supreme ruler. How unfair is that, c’mon. Even Philip Pullman had the decency to use another world to tell his story but Rowling is clearly ignoring the issue of God and grace. Why should Tom Riddle or Sirius Black or Hermione have been born with godlike powers, like telekinesis and teleportation and possess potion-making and flying skills, and others not? How does that fit into God’s plan?
…I would really like your opinion on that, and I’d also like to reiterate that I have no problem with the Harry books but I also don’t have a problem with Twilight either and you can look at the comments of that thread for why. Bella and Edward are just as magical as Harry and they are just as moral. I mean, Edward admits he is a Christian and talks about how he feels he is in Hell because of his urges to hunt humans, but that he has faith in God and he pushes Bella to do the same. Bella is pro-life and refuses to abort her baby. They are just as Christian as Harry and his friends, and I applaud Stephenie Meyer for having the courage to bring the name of the Lord into her series. Rowling did not.