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 PrintableVersion A Charmed Life - The Spirituality of PotterworldMore pottering about?A CHARMED LIFE - THE SPIRITUALITY OF POTTERWORLD These pages have already featured a discussion of the Harry Potter books, so why take another look? Unlike the items reviewed last December, which were largely hostile to Potter-world, this thought-provoking book is more positive. Francis Bridger, Principal of Trinity College, Bristol, has enjoyed J.K. Rowling's books since he encountered them when helping children read in a junior school. Their primary appeal, he believes, lies in good story-telling, the intricately created boarding-school setting, the humour and above all the three main characters and their friendships. So what about the magic? This, he suggests, is 'a literary device to thrill the reader and to allow the author to create an alternative world unbound by the laws of physics'. He draws parallels from Superman, to the Narnia books and The Lord of the Rings, where special powers can be used for good or for evil. Indeed he suggests that Rowling uses the term 'wizard', rather than the wiccan term 'warlock', partly to underline the fictional, fantasy setting. Some claim that the Potter stories will lure readers into the occult. Bridger questions this. In an essay competition where children were asked to explain 'How the Harry Potter Books Changed My Life', they told how identifying with the characters had helped them cope with illness, abuse, bullying or low self-esteem. The desire to become a real-life witch or wizard did not feature. Bridger suggests that Harry and his friends, in spite of their magical powers, are flawed, vulnerable characters, who each have strengths, such as courage and loyalty, but also weaknesses. Harry may be specially chosen for a role he doesn't fully understand, but he's no superhero; he gets by with a lot of help from his friends! Other charges have been laid against Potterworld too, especially in the area of morality, from the allegation that the young characters have a cavalier attitude to breaking rules, to the accusation that the books have 'a serious tone of death, hate, lack of respect and sheer evil'. Bridger doesn't take these lightly, but, as a teacher of ethics, he suggests Potterworld has a definite moral structure, with the same kind of dilemmas, virtues and vices as are found in our own. The rule-breaking in the first two stories is of the same order as that in any school story, and reflects the thinking of younger children, but in the later books, as the characters grow older, they face challenging choices, and growing moral complexity. The simple framework of 'goodies and baddies' breaks down and characters are shown to have mixed motives and conflicting loyalties. In fact, moral choice is a consistent theme through all the four books published to date. Yes, there is a darkening tone in the later books, and evil is taken seriously. In contrast to so much in contemporary culture, where moral relativism rules, this recognition of the reality of evil and the effort needed to resist it, is a theme that Christians might welcome. Harry finds himself in a pivotal role in resisting the evil Voldemort, and his mentor, Professor Dumbledore, provides a telling insight when he explains: 'It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities'. The choices that have furnished key turning points in the struggle against evil in Potterworld have involved self-sacrifice and care for others, without counting the personal cost. Although there are no explicit references to the gospel, these are themes that would find their highest realisation there. In view of this, Bridger argues that contemporary Christians could approach Potterworld as Paul approached the altar 'to the Unknown God' on Mars Hill (Acts 17), as a resource for apologetics. J.K. Rowling's stories challenge many of the reductionist assumptions of modernity, often, though not always, in ways that Christians would also wish to do. He concludes: 'Far from amounting to a denial of the gospel, the Potter series - through its morality, implicit theology and metaphysics - opens a way to encourage children and adults alike ƒ. to ask questions about truth and reality in a way that would have been taboo a generation ago. If this is not opening a door to the gospel, I don't know what is.' If you have Harry Potter fans among your family and friends you may well find that this book will open up some interesting debates ... Miriam Sampson, Portsmouth© Evangelicals Now - February 2002 |
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