Harry Potter changed the very way people perceived children’s literature. No other publication aimed at children has made as widespread of an impact as Rowling’s series. The answer lies in how this series, in particular, pervades popular culture. They may ask what it is about Harry Potter that provokes people to dedicate entire books to examining its religious merit.
iii Whether or not Rowling intended Harry to be viewed as a messiah remains unknown, but it is fair to conclude that the seven-book Harry Potter series does not undermine religion by introducing witchcraft to young readers, but rather contains evidence of the possible existence of a Christian God and afterlife within the wizarding world.īefore examining whether Rowling’s novels threaten or reinforce the piety of young Christians, readers may wonder why this issue is so pressing. ii Conversely, many liberal Christians have praised Harry Potter for its reflection of religious themes, and some have gone as far as arguing that Harry is a modern-day depiction of Jesus Christ. The reach of this argument is strong enough that some schools have pulled the series from their library shelves, as in the case of Cedarville School District, which required a signed permission slip for students to check the books out. Large numbers of conservative Christians have denounced the books for their supposed promotion of witchcraft and occult practices, which are forbidden by the Bible. iĭespite its massive success, the Harry Potter series has its fair share of critics. Though the book made respectable profits for London’s Bloomsbury Publishing Company, it was not until Scholastic bought the United States publication rights that the book became a cultural phenomenon. Author Joanne Rowling made her debut in the United Kingdom with the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, under the pen name J. On June 26, 1997, the world was forever changed by the publication of a story, which single-handedly sparked a love of reading in the hearts of millions, generated billions of dollars in profits, and led to one of the most contested debates in the history of literature.