"The Potter stories, far from being 'wicked' or 'Satanic,' ... are in fact narratives of robust faith and morality ... "What Ms. Rowling has furnished us, besides what the Brits call 'a good read,' and a whopping good one, ... is a modern interpretation of the gospel, the wonderful news that 'God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself' and making sure that the goodness of creation would never be obliterated by the forces of darkness and evil." Since their first publication, J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels have brought joy to children and adults alike. Many conservative Christians in the United States, however, have decried the books as wicked, as preaching witchcraft and the occult, and as glamorizing dishonesty. A minister in New Mexico held a "holy bonfire" on the Sunday after Christmas 2001, at which he publicly torched the Potter books, declaring them "an abomination to God and to me." John Killinger, a Congregationalist minister and an academic in the field of contemporary literature, beautifully demolishes the objections of right-wing Christians to this bestselling children's series. He compellingly argues that, far from corrupting children's morals, the Potter stories actually influence young readers to follow the teachings of Jesus. He cites passage after passage to illustrate how the world of Harry Potter would be inconceivable apart from the strictures of Judeo-Christian theology and the way human existence should be approached by every follower of Jesus. Additionally, he reflects on the possibility that Harry Potter, like Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin and others, is a witting or unwitting Christ figure who actually battles the forces of darkness for the souls of the faithful. All through this extraordinarily well-written, compelling, and very entertaining little book, the author points out that stories like this are worth more than any sermon toward producing people who truly follow the lessons of Jesus.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
Waste of Time and waste of shelf space Now I didn't read most of the book. I'll admit that right off the bat. I picked it up because I wanted to see how long it would take to reach the most ridiculous of comparisons and how far off track they would go. Well at one point I couldn't stand it so I shut the book. But seriously, from what I did read and know is that by the end of the book you will realize that it should have been found in the fantasy fiction section more so than the Harry Potter books themselves. Harry Potter is in the genre of... more info
Good points, but sloppy I find that this book has some good points, excellent things to point out and, with a bit more work, could have been an excellent defense of Harry Potter. However, I also find that there is much summary of the Harry Potter books, often without a clear reason for doing so. Moreover, the author is not always careful with details from the Harry Potter books. For instance, on p 33 of this book, the author says, "And, after a scuffle in which he [Hagrid] turns Vernon Dursley into a pig, Hagrid carries Harry off... more info
An Interesting View on the Series John Killinger's book is a fascinating read and one that I was eager to get started. I am a Christian who happens to be a Harry Potter fan and was eager to see if my thoughts on the series were in fact what others were thinking. I like the book for the most part, I truly do. I can see the analogies he makes very clearly and have often sited the same passages in my defense for the books. I do feel that he has left some details lacking and could have gone on to explain his hypotheses on certain areas a bit... more info
What more can I say? Dr. Killinger makes a lot of sense. If you've been worried about your children reading these books, please worry no more. And please take the time to understand what Dr. Killinger has to say. He doesn't just spout opinion, but explains his premise excellently. He's brilliant and right on point.
