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Keith Miller

Professor Medina

English 120 Section 3028

11 October, 2009

In Defense of Wizardry: Harry Potter and the Question of Fantasy

In 1990, a single mother on welfare was struck with an idea while waiting for a

delayed train; the story of a “scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn’t know

he was a wizard” (Rowling 5). Her name was J.K. Rowling and in that incident, the

Harry Potter series was born, the works which would propel her from her dire straights to

fame and fortune as the author of one of the best-loved and controversial fantasy series of

all time. Since the publication of the first book in 1998, critics, especially conservative

Christians, have unleashed a flood of accusations against Rowling and her novels

claiming that they indoctrinate children and teenagers into the practice of witchcraft and

lead them away from sound Christian doctrine. In the words of Christian activist and

ordained pastor Laura Mallory, “Never before has there been a children’s book series

portraying witchcraft and sorcery as good, fun, and normal for children” (qtd. In

Swanepoel par 17). Some have even gone so far as to accuse Rowling of being inspired

by the devil himself. Though some, like Mallory, decry the books as the devil’s work,

other Christians not only deem it as acceptable, but also as fine literature with themes that

echo Christian values and ideals. Despite the accusations, the Harry Potter series

provides not only harmless fantasy and entertainment, but also contains themes and

values which are agreeable to a Christian audience.

This audience has been rather uneven throughout history in regards to literature,
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especially regarding tales of myth and fantasy. It was Christian monks in the Middle Ages

who copied and preserved the mythologies of ancient Greece and Rome, yet at the same

time, the missionaries of this faith came close to completely wiping out the oral and

literary traditions of northern Europe. According to historian Edith Hamilton: “…the

early records, the traditions, the songs and stories, were obliterated by the priests of

Christianity, who felt bitter hatred for the Paganism they had come to destroy. It is

extraordinary how clean a sweep they were able to make” (445).

On the contrary, in more recent times, the genre-defining fantasy novel The Lord

of the Rings, written by devout Christian J.R.R. Tolkien, drew from the same mythologies

which his forbearers sought to eradicate, not to mention the praise the tale garnered from

both Christians and non-Christians alike. This monumental work inspired many other

writers, creating a boom in fantasy literature and led to the creation of role-playing games

such as Dungeons and Dragons in the 1970s and 80s. Again, fantasy and Christianity

came into conflict as some Christians sounded warning bells. Critics claimed that the

game’s use of fantasy elements that contained “authentic magical rituals” would corrupt

players, leading them into the occult (Schnoebelen par. 2). This argument is almost

perfectly mirrored in the later debate on Harry Potter, so it is safe to argue that the

controversy which sprung from Dungeons and Dragons was an incubator for the ideology

that would rise to challenge Rowling’s novels two decades later.

The novels in question chronicle the heroic journey of an orphan boy named

Harry Potter as he completes his magical education at Hogwarts, an academy for the

training of wizards. Over the course of his training, Harry rises from a poor child

neglected by his cruel relatives to the messianic savior of the Wizarding World,
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Rowling’s fantasy universe which exists alongside ours. He is assisted along his journey

by a colorful cast of friends and mentor figures including his best friends Ron and

Hermoine, Hogwarts’ headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and Harry’s outlaw Godfather

Sirius Black. Poised to conquer the Wizarding World and opposing Harry and company is

the evil sorcerer Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters. Voldemort, believed

dead after his curse meant to assassinate an infant Harry (to prevent the fulfillment of a

prophecy foretelling the Dark Lord’s doom) backfires, spends the majority of the books

rising from the ashes of his defeat and consolidating his power, eventually acquiring

enough strength to initiate an all-out war on the good wizards of Hogwarts and the

Ministry of Magic, the Wizarding World’s governing body. This story is told over the

course of seven books: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the

Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the

Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-

Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

In an autobiographical sketch on her website, Rowling recalls inventing stories

and telling them to her younger sister Di. “I told her a lot of stories,” she remembers,

“and sometimes I didn’t have to sit on her to make her stay and listen” (Rowling 2). After

an unsuccessful marriage, she was left almost at poverty level with a daughter, struggling

to meet ends meet. After her epiphany at the train station, she gained worldwide fame as

the author of the Harry Potter series. Needless to say, the books became a pop-culture

phenomenon, earning the formerly poor woman over a billion dollars, becoming the first

author to do so (Imbornoni par 13). Approximately 300 million of all seven books have

been sold worldwide and the film adaptations of the first four books rank among the top
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twenty highest-grossing movies in history (Inbornoni par. 12). Both the books and the

films have also spawned a devoted fan base across the world. Many fan communities

have sprung up all over the internet and fans regularly met to celebrate book and movie

releases. Some even went as far as attempting to replicate the magical games exhibited in

the Wizarding World, such as a ground-based adaptation of Quidditch, a game played on

broomsticks, and life-sized Wizard’s Chess, in which the chess pieces themselves do

battle (Spellbound).

All this attention has caught the eye of conservative Christian groups, a major

cultural force in contemporary America. As the first books were being released,

Christians expressed concerns that though the spells, curses, and other magical elements

of the book are fictional and impossible to carry out, they could still familiarize readers

with the terminology and mechanics of occult practice, noting the blatantly anti Christian

and occult literature sometimes associated with the books (Euteneuer). These fears gave

rise to many movements in the United States to have the books taken from school and

public libraries. One such campaign, headed by Mallory in Loganville Georgia, is a

perfect example of the movement. She engaged the Gwinnett County School Board in a

two-year battle to have the books removed from the district’s school libraries after

teachers at her children’s school attempted to use the series as part of the curriculum

(Swaneopel par 7). When asked about what led her to the conclusion to campaign against

the books, she responded:

I began to research the books and study their effects on today’s children

and youth. I came across “Harry Potter — Witchcraft Repackaged

— Making Evil Look Innocent,” a video documentary by occult

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expert Cary Matriciana and, overwhelmed by what I found out, I began

to do more research and felt I could not be silent. (qtd in Swaneopel

par 8)

Sharon Swaneopel, a journalist for the Loganville Tribune, reported an incident in the

same school district in which an instructional book in witchcraft was sold alongside the

Harry Potter series in a school book fair. She received an email from a teacher claiming

she saw students in a classroom reading the book and attempting to cast spells

(Swaneopel par. 35).

While these concerns may be valid, the Harry Potter series is part of a

longstanding tradition of mythic stories stretching back centuries and include authors

which most Christians hold in high esteem. “If we throw out Rowling’s works for using

mythological references and magic,” argues columnist Mike Hertenstien, “we must throw

out Lewis and Tolkien as well.” (par. 17) The works of J.R.R. Tolkien, in particular his

works dealing with the fantasy world of Middle Earth: The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The

Lord of the Rings, and The Children of Hurin, exhibit many fantasy elements which are

similar in nature to Harry Potter, such as wizardry, spell-casting, and communication

with the dead, materiel which would have caused an uproar in Christian circles had they

not been used by Tolkien, an author long-cherished by believers. In the third volume of

The Lord of the Rings, titled The Return of the King, the hero Aragorn must enlist the help

of the spirits who dell in the haunted mountain of Dwimorberg to help him defeat the

forces of evil which besiege the good city of Minas Tirith:

“For that is my errand!” [Aragorn] cried, turning back and speaking to the

whispering darkness behind. “Keep your hoards and your secrets

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hidden in the Accursed Years! Speed only we ask. Let us pass and then

come! I summon you to the Stone of Erech!” (770)

Here, a clear summoning of the dead is performed, a practice expressly forbidden in the

teachings of Christianity. Though Tolkien used this occult-associated practice, he is

excused by most Christians. Rowling, who references similar communication between

the living and the dead in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is condemned for using

this same idea. The scene in question comes from the book’s climax in which Harry is

locked in mortal combat with Lord Voldemort, whose wands, being of the same material,

violently react, causing them to connect and the ghostly forms of those Voldemort had

killed over the years to appear, including Harry’s late parents. Rowling writes:

…Harry, his arms shaking madly now, looked back into the ghostly face of

his mother. “Your father’s coming.” she said quietly, “hold on for your

father…it will be alright…hold on.” And he came…He walked

close to Harry, looking at him, and he spoke in the same distant,

echoing voice…

“When the connection is broken, we will linger for only moments…but it

will give you time. You must get to the Portkey, it will return you

to Hogwarts…” (Goblet of Fire 667)

Like in Tolkien’s work, the spirits of the dead are providing help to the living. The dead

are summoned, though accidentally, in Harry’s case, and provide the hero with assistance

against his adversary.

Also, like with Tolkien, many prominent Christians have come to Harry Potter’s

support. Some Christian authorities have not only approved of them, but have praised
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their espousal of themes which are complementary to Christian values. Alan Jacobs, a

professor at the prestigious Christian university Wheaton College, endorsed the books,

saying that they firmly support the idea of good vs. evil as well as provide excellent food

for thought on the morality of magic’s use. (Olsen, par. 12) Several major Christian

publications have also gotten in on the act. British magazine Christianity praises Harry’s

virtuous character, calling him a “fine lad.” (qtd in Olsen par. 11). Stateside, Harry Potter

won the endorsement of The Christian Century, which also commented on the rough time

many fantasy writers have had with Christianity. (Olsen par. 12) Another Christian

authority in America, political commentator, former lobbyist, and Christian columnist

Charles Colson, praised the series’ protagonists who “develop courage, loyalty, and a

willingness to sacrifice for one another—even at the risk of their lives. Not bad lessons in

a self-centered world." (qtd in Olsen par.4)

This theme of self-sacrifice is a constant motif throughout the saga of Harry

Potter. This virtue is highly valued within Christianity; Jesus Himself once said, as

recorded in the book of John, that “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his

life for his friends.” (15:13) The series is chock-full of this heroic act, from the initial

sacrifice of his mother which helped him not only survive Voldemort’s attack, but

afforded him substantial magical protection, to Harry’s ultimate sacrifice near the end of

The Deathly Hallows. After learning that his sacrifice is necessary to conquer Voldemort

and put a end to his reign of terror, Harry bravely overcomes his fear of death, marching

straight to the Dark Lord himself. After he is killed by Voldemort, Harry travels to the

afterlife, where he speaks with Dumbledore, who reveals everything about Harry’s

purpose and quest. When informed by his mentor that he may continue in the afterlife or
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return to finish Voldemort off for good, he bravely volunteers to give up the eternal peace

he found there:

“I’ve got to go back, haven’t I?” [said Harry]

“That is up to you.”

“I’ve got a choice?”

“Oh yes.” Dumbledore smiled at him… “I think that if you choose to

return, there is a chance that [Voldemort] may be finished for

good…If that seems to you a worthy goal, then we say good-bye for

the present.”

…It was warm and light and peaceful here, and he knew he was heading

back to pain and the fear of more loss. (722)

Nevertheless, he returned, leading the good wizards in battle against the Dark Lord,

ultimately destroying him and ushering in a period of peace and tranquility in the

Wizarding World, and fulfilling an ancient prophecy about a wizard who would conquer

death, wielding the powerful artifacts for whom the final book is named. This heroic act

clearly echoes the life of Christ, who forsook the wonders of Heaven to travel to earth

and live as a human in order to redeem mankind by a gristly death. An excellent example

to Christian readers indeed.

Another significant series-wide theme compatible with Christian principles is a

warning against wrongly judging others. As the story progresses, those who misjudge

others do so to their detriment. One of the most memorable misjudged characters in the

saga is Severus Snape, the gloomy, curmudgeonly potions master. Lord Voldemort. From

the very first book, Harry and company consistently blame the strange events at
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Hogwarts on Snape, this notion born out of the mutual dislike between the two of them.

Yet for all their accusations, Snape is usually actively working to keep Harry protected

and the agents of the Dark Lord usually are the most unlikely suspects. Though he does

defect to the Death Eaters late in the series, all is not as it seems, as revealed in The

Deathly Hallows. There, he is revealed for who he truly is, a troubled man who once

strayed to the dark side, a childhood friend of Harry’s mother who harbored feelings for

her which would haunt him for the rest of his life, and in fact Dumbledore’s spy within

the Death Eaters. He also emerges as one of Harry’s greatest protectors, motivated by

love for his mother, his antagonism towards Harry borne out of hatred for his father who

not only stole away the love of his life, but also bullied a young Snape throughout his

Hogwarts career. This character reinforces Jesus’ adage “Do not judge, or you too will be

judged.” (Matthew 7:1)

Perhaps the same can be said about the series as a whole and the arguments

arrayed against it. One common argument, as exemplified by Pastor Mallory, is that the

books present the occult and witchcraft in an appealing light, making magic the norm

when it ought to be a despised and taboo practice. This belief is drawn from several

passages in the Bible, including Exodus 22:18 and Galatians 5: 19-20. The Exodus

passage reads: “Do not allow a sorceress to live.” The original Hebrew word, m’khaseph,

referred to a very specific kind of magical practitioner, one who uses spells to inflict evil

on others (Robinson). Also, the “witchcraft” mentioned among a list of sins to be

avoided, also specifically references an exact form of sorcery. The Greek word used here,

pharmakia, refers to a malicious sorcerer who brews harmful potions to be used as

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weapons (Robinson). These forms of magic are indeed present in the books, but they are

performed by the villains, casting the most evil forms of the occult in an unfavorable

light. One of the series’ most intense moments combines the evil of both pharmakia and

m’khaseph as Lord Voldemort directs his servant Wormtail in a black ritual that will

completely restore his body, which was destroyed after his debacle with the infant Harry

years before. Rowling describes the chilling scene in terrifying detail.

And now Wormtail was whimpering. He pulled a long, thin, shining

dagger from inside his cloak. His voice broke into petrified sobs.

“Flesh--of the servant--w-willingly given--you will--revive your master.”

He stretched out his right hand in front of him--the hand with the missing

finger. He gripped the dagger very tightly in his hand and swung it

upward. Harry realized what Wormtail was about to do a

second before it happened. He closed his eyes as tightly as he could,

but he could not block the scream that pierced the night…He heard…a

sickening splash as something was dropped into the cauldron. (Goblet

of Fire 641)

Clearly, the dark magic expressly forbidden in the Bible is not portrayed as something

desirable or charming. In fact, the magic used by the protagonists is far more benign and

any spells used for combat are non-lethal as well as being purely fantastical in nature.

The Goblet of Fire also lays out the three spells which the Ministry of magic forbids their

citizens to use; the Imperius Curse, which controls the mind of the opponent, rendering

him a puppet to the will of the caster, the Cruciatus Curse, which causes torturous pain,

and Avada Kedavra, which causes instant death. All three exhibit the spirit of an
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m’khaseph and are looked down upon and condemned by the civilized society which

Harry and friends inhabit.

Another occult practice which is a point of contention for some is the practice of

divination, which Harry begins to learn his third year, as chronicled in Harry Potter and

the Prisoner of Azkaban, yet even a quick read of the novel suggests that divination is not

looked upon too highly in the Wizarding World. Harry’s Divination teacher, Professor

Trelawney, is portrayed as a melodramatic, overly-mystical phony meant mostly as comic

relief. She’s rarely taken seriously by any of the other teachers. On the first day of class,

Trelawney dramatically predicts Harry’s death after seeing an ominous pattern in the tea

leaves he was reading. After class, Professor Mc Gonagall assures Harry he has nothing

to fear, saying that “Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student every year

since she arrived…,” adding that “none of them has died yet.” She also says that

“Divination is one of the most inprecise branches of magic.” (109) Although Trelawney

makes the prophecy which set the series’ plot in motion by motivating Voldemort to

attempt to kill Harry, Professor Dumbledore challenges Harry about the prophecy’s true

authority, asking, “If Voldemort had never heard the prophecy, would it have been

fulfilled? Would it have meant anything?” (Half-Blood Prince 510) In other words, had

Voldemort not acted to prevent the fulfillment of the prophecy, it would not have been

fulfilled by his ultimate defeat by Harry at the end of the final book. In the Wizarding

World, divination only has whatever power the hearer of its predictions gives it, which is

a great caution against a practice which Christians are clearly opposed to.

Another aspect of the books which may be disconcerting to Christian readers is

the level of violence present in the books. Every book contains an often frightening,
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sometimes graphic scene at the climax, as exemplified in the terror-inducing portrayals of

dark magic, such as in The Goblet of Fire and the climax of The Chamber of Secrets

where Fawkes the Phoenix, sent by Dumbledore to aid Harry in his fight against Lord

Voldemort’s basilisk: “Fawkes dived, his long golden beak sank out of sight and a sudden

shower of dark blood spattered the floor…its eyes had been punctured by the phoenix;

blood was streaming to the floor, and the snake was spitting in agony.” (319) Though

these scenes may be too intense for younger children, many other fantasy authors,

including Lewis and Tolkien, utilize scenes of sometimes graphic violence to drive their

stories home. In Return of the King, for instance, Tolkien describes the siege of Minas

Tirith in shocking detail as the orcs of Mordor employ an old medieval siege technique:

Then among the greater casts there fell another hail, less ruinous but more

horrible. All about the streets and lanes behind the gates it tumbled

down…the enemy was flinging into the City all the heads

of those who had fallen…They were grim to look on; for though some

were crushed and shapeless, and some had been cruelly hewn, yet many had

features that could be told, and it seemed that they had died in pain; and

all were branded with the Lidless Eye. (804)

Such disquieting imagery stands on par, if not above that which is present in the Harry

Potter series, yet again Tolkien is excused. But this imagery serves a purpose in both

stories; it serves to show the full depths of the antagonists’ evil, spelling out why the

heroes are fighting them in the first place. It encourages the reader to cheer all the more

for the protagonists. Though it is true that this imagery may be too much for some

readers, especially the very young, the merits of both Harry Potter and The Lord of the
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Rings justify its use. Therefore, common sense should be exercised and parents should be

involved with what their children are reading, knowing what they can and cannot handle.

Though some may take issue with the novels, the Harry Potter series is in fact a

morally uplifting tale presenting values which echo the morals of Christianity such as

self-sacrifice and love, as well as providing harmless and enjoyable entertainment.

Equally popular and controversial author Stephen King summed up this entertainment the

best: “…The Harry Potter novels are just fun, pure story from beginning to end,” (225)

This combination of fun, thrills, and escape is the true heart of fantasy literature, a genre

too long misunderstood by the American religious right.

Works Cited

Euteneuer, Thomas J. “HLI Says Harry Potter Indoctrinates Young Souls into the

Language and Mechanics of the Occult.” lifesitenews.com. LifeSite, 6 Nov. 2007.

Web. 7 Sep. 2009.

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1942. Print.

Hertenstien, Mike. “Harry Potter vs. the Muggles: Myth, Magic, and Joy.”

conerstonemag.com. Imaginarium, 1 Feb. 2001. Web. 7 Sep. 2009.

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Inbornoni, Anne-Marie. “J.K. Rowling: The Story of Harry Potter’s Creator.” Fact

Monster. Pearson Education, 2007. Web. 14 Oct. 2009.

King, Stephen. On Writing, a Memoir of the Craft. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc,

2000. Print.

Mugglenet.com. “Harry Potter Fans Spellbound by Release of Half Blood Prince.” N.p.

2009. Web. 14 Oct. 2009.

Olsen, Ted. “Opinion Roundup: Positive About Potter.” Christianity Today.

christianitytodaylibrary.com, 6 Dec. 1999. Web. 28 Oct. 2009.

Robinson, B.A. “Are all Witches Equal? Six Types of Witchcraft.”

religioustolerance.org. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 28 July. 2007

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Rowling, J.K. “Biography.” J.K. Rowling Official Website. jkrowling.com. Web. 12 Oct.

2009.

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1999. Print.

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Schnoebelen, William. “Straight Talk on Dungeons and Dragons.” Chick Publications,

2008. Web. 14 Oct. 2009.

Swanepol, Sharon. “Harry’s Harshest Critic Speaks Out.” hisvoicetoday.org. The

Loganvillle Tribune, 29 June 2007. Web. 7 Sep. 2009

The Holy Bible: New International Version. International Bible Society, Colorado

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Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1966.

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