If Brandon Vogt’s CatholicHogwarts.com and call for a ‘Catholic Dumbledore’s Army were not sufficient evidence that we have entered a new era in the Potter Wars (or have been in one for several years), an Episcopal Church in Cumberland, Rhode Island, will be using Harry Potter to raise church pledges this year.
The [Emmanuel Church] campaign will begin with a celebratory dinner to announce the theme and prizes. Parishioners will be divided into four groups, to represent the four houses at the Hogwarts School of the books and movies. [The Rev Joan] Testin and a church member who normally tracks pledges are creating the teams to have a balance of current pledgers and nonpledgers.
“We’re planning to serve some of the foods talked about in the books — such as treacle tarts and knickerbocker glories (traditional British desserts),” she noted. “One of our members also is researching a way for us to play Quidditch (magical competitive sport involving flying contestants).”…
The campaign will use competition to build involvement. The team with the most pledging members will win “the house cup” (given at Hogwarts at the end of the school year to the house with the most points), which will be awarded at a mid-November celebration….
As the campaign goes on, progress will be tracked using big charts on the back of the wall in Emmanuel’s worship space. Big sequins will be used to add jewels to a cup each time someone pledges.
When a “banned book” that is supposedly the “Gateway to the Occult,” is used to secure pledges from a church congregation, I think we’re in the “clean-up” operations stage of the conflict.
Or is the ECUSA so liberal and in-step with the world that this pledge drive theme represents, at least to those convinced the Hogwarts Saga is anything but edifying reading, only a token of how far adrift from orthodox faith the Anglican Communion is in the United States? Does anyone know of evidence that more rigorous Christian communities and inspired individuals are still keeping the flame of resistance to the Wizarding World alive and alit today? Please share what you know by clicking on ‘Leave a Comment’ up by this post’s headline.
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