Comments on: Ms. Rowling Discusses Christian Content of Novels

By: Hogwarts Professor · J. K. Rowling on Oprah: More Hogwarts Novels?

Hogwarts Professor · J. K. Rowling on Oprah: More Hogwarts Novels? — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 21:37:31 +0000

[...] who writes fiction with proselytizing intentions? Ms. Rowling has stated openly that she thought the books’ Christian symbolism was obvious and that she hadn’t (and still hasn’t) discussed the books’ remarkable Christian [...]

By: inked

inked — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:27:36 +0000

Canon is what counts, ya’ll. Canon. If you don’t believe that, just ask the actively gay for their account… http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1675622,00.html

This of course tells us that canon counts. And what’s in the canon that can be discerned and by the author’s statement? Yep. The Faith.

By: John

John — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 21:05:17 +0000

How about this? A Catholic Middle School in New Hampshire is using Harry Potter to make theological points with their students: check this out!

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071025/COLUMNISTS27/310250071/-1/columnists

By: EmmaReader

EmmaReader — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:24:36 +0000

Here’s one link to the interview where JKR says Dumbledore is gay:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071020/books-harry-potter/

By: pj

pj — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 15:27:34 +0000

Dear, dear friends….before we jump any higher and toot our horns any louder, let us consider the most recent (and in my opinion) jaw-dropping bit of backstory news to come out of JKR’s USA book tour guaranteed to further fuel dissent among those who discount the Christian themes in Harry Potter: the Headmaster was gay.

I’m still trying to get my head around the whole idea. I certainly didn’t see this coming. And perhaps that’s the bottom-line: what we aren’t looking for, we don’t see until we’re blind-sided into taking a big 360 degree turn to what’s happening around us. Am I the only person who did not interpret AD’s and GG’s teenage fanaticism with each other to be anything other than mutual greed for power and Wizard-dominance over Muggles? A little help, here, please! Is this the reasoning behind AD’s purple (and sometimes flamboyant) robes and his penchant for grandiose holiday decor in the Great Hall?

What say you, John? I’m having a difficult time articulating a clear thought.

By: shaunnatimmons

shaunnatimmons — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 06:23:41 +0000

I was a huge fan of Harry Potter, knowing and completely agreeing with everything you are saying about the Christian points throughout the entire series; however, based on Rowlings recent interview…I am shocked. What do you think of what she said about Dumbledor being gay? A boy asked Rowling if Dumbledor was ever in love, and the author answered, “Dumbledor is gay.”………Is she serious? I feel like my best friend just slapped me in the face. What do you think of this?

By: Perelandra

Perelandra — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 01:26:23 +0000

But John, you’ve made your case so well over and over again, Rowling’s admission is just a dusting of dragees on the cake. Alas, it won’t make any difference to the Harry-haters.

A tiny insight I’ve not had the chance to post before: why is there an interval of 19 years and not some other number? 19 is the length of the Paschal cycle in the church year. Harry defeating Voldemort was an “Easter” and now the wheel of time has returned to the same spot with hopeful signs new grace.

By: cassiane

cassiane — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 01:19:34 +0000

To seifli, John, and all:

Huh? I was rather taken aback to read seifli’s posting and experienced a sort of deja vu: haven’t we been through this territory before? Haven’t we had similar discussions before? I’m referring to the implication that JKR’s characters lack charity, compassion, etc. despise Muggles, Slytherins, and anyone who is not in the alleged in-group. Enough has been said, already, about these things. DH, and by extension the other books, clearly portrays the hope that exists for all human beings; indeed, we see supposedly unloveable and ignoble characters expressing loving sentiments and performing noble deeds. And if Harry and his friends have played a few practical jokes, well–what do you expect? They’re kids, and we’re all much the same.

And who can deny that Harry decides to lay down his life for a noble purpose–to defeat Voldemort and to free both the Muggle world and the Wizarding world from his evil machinations. Here he has abandoned his quest for the Deathly Hallows–for resurrection in a selfish sense–but acts for the good of all.

Indeed, along with Mary N. (You go, Mary!), I was amazed that seifli could describe the Resurrection (and life unending) as a “tiny little aspect of Christianity.” “If Christ is not risen from the dead, then your faith is in vain.”–St. Paul, approximately. The Resurrection is the central doctrine of Christianity, and the Crucifixion is important, because it was the way for Christ to undergo death, defeat the devil and hades, and then rise from the dead.

But then I’m only a cranky old Orthodox.

Anyway, congratulations, John, you were right on track!

By: inked

inked — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:50:41 +0000

You are da MAN, John! Da MAN! Of course, I’ve said so since our first correspondence in 2004 and I have an autographed book to prove it! But I have really enjoyed your insights over the years and your constant affirmations of the Truth in the HP series.

I have immensely enjoyed and profited from your hogwarts professorship, Sir. At all the sites it has been available from Barnes and Noble to your dedicated sites!

Thank you.

And now, I am going to have a one person parade going: Uh-huh! Uh-huh! Uh-huh! Uh-huh! Uh-huh! I told ya! (repeat until hoarse)

Alas for the Harry Haters for they will weep and moan and gnash their teeth in rage and refusal. (Not an unknown reaction!) Sort of reminds us of Lazarus’ failed rich man’s family: “They have moses and the prophets. If they will not listen, they will not believe even if one were to rise from the dead.”

And JKR’s one comment in 2000 from British Columbia DID give it all away, didn’t it?

By: secretsimon

secretsimon — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:35:13 +0000

Congratulations! You must feel like you’ve just defeated Voldemort. I don’t think the Christian link was obvious at all, not until the final book, which was when I noticed it myself. I decided to do a post on my blog and was quite surprised when I googled yesterday and found that JK Rowling was discussing the subject openly. Artists usually seem to keep quiet about Christian content in their work – for fear, I think, of scaring off non-Christians. I suspect that this was Ms Rowling’s reason for keeping quiet until she’d got all the sales under her belt. But I might be being unkind. The Christian connection must have been obvious to her, even if not to others. Whatever the truth, good luck to her anyway. She’s written some very entertaining books.

I think you did very well to spot the link *before* the final book, but if anyone did spot the link, it was always going to be a Christian like yourself. The books are about the power of love, which of course you equate to Christianity. Those of us with less mainstream beliefs interpret the power of love more broadly, so we wouldn’t have made the connection.

There’s a few points I’ve put in my blog that I haven’t read anywhere else. But I’ve only just found your site so I don’t know if you or anyone else here has mentioned the apparent connection between the Deathly Hallows and the Holy Trinity? i.e. The power of the sword equating to God the father, the ring’s promise of resurrection to God the Son, and the invisibility cloak to the Holy Ghost. Harry does not pursue the Hallows because – unlike Voldemort – he does not wish to use divine power for earthly domination…