No Heaven for Harry
I was wondering where God is in the Harry Potter books. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve read them all and I plan on reading the next one when I can get my hands on it – all seven thousand pages, or whatever monster volume J.K. Rowlings comes out with, because nobody edits her anymore. (I’m not such a huge fan, but I find these books pleasantly diverting enough so that I read each one all the way through).
But as to my question, after reading all of these books I was just struck by the fact that nobody ever goes to church in her books. Even the cruel Aunt and Uncle who care for young Harry in the muggle(non-magical) world never go to church. It seems to me that she Rowlings posits a sort of agnostic or secular type of England where no one much seems to have any sort of spiritual philosophy, outside of perhaps just the existence of magic.
There are ghosts in her books which indicates some sort of after life. They function sort of as a comic relief and they don’t do much of anything except basically hang around and make conversation every now and then. There’s no indication that they ever faced judgement or will or might go either to Heaven or Hell or even what unfinished business they might need to finish on the Earth. Major characters who have died, Harry’s parents, Sirius Black, don’t become ghosts. So, what happens to them?
There’s never any mention of God. There’s also no mention of the Devil. And there’s never any mention of where magic comes from or why there’s even magic in the world. (I know. The evangelical answer is: The Devil. But these are her books and it’s for her to answer). This finally makes her books rather unsatisfying because she lacks a unifying framework to put all of her stories in.
I haven’t dismissed the idea that her books are in themselves metaphors for a Christian theology. In this case, Hogwarts schools would represent the world, the students are us, Lord Voldemort would be the Devil (obviously) and Dumbledore would be God, you know with his long white beard and all-knowingness. Maybe then Harry is Jesus. Well, I’m sure I’m not the first person to come up with this interpetation.
Generally, I don’t think Christian symbolism works too well in fantasy. I’m thinking of C.S. Lewis’s Lion, Witch and Wardrobe books, whichI read when I was eight or nine. I read a few of them and then stopped when I figured out what was going on. The fantasy elements were fun, but the preachiness turned me off. And I got enough of that in church, anyways.
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Fun fact! tony wrote this story just for you on December 21st, 2008 |
Comment added January 3rd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Maybe she does’t mention that because the fanatic people think bad things when something is very good and everyone love it, so Rowling only make her story like that, neutral.
Just think about it, she don’t want problems, she’s not mention nothing about god and satan and the fanatics still thinking that the books are evil, ja ja
Comment added January 16th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
this book is full of embarresment breathtaking and exoctic .this is a magical express where people take a journy on it. one of my favorite edition
Comment added January 17th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
cant wait till the sixth movie
Comment added January 27th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
that is so stuped cuse in the 7th book harry’s parents and sirius black and lupen come back as ghost and thay also dont talk about heven because magic wasnt nvented by the deivil or god or jesus magic was made by the goddesses and godds as in romen greak and you would now that if you paid atenchen in school almost every thing fanticy was made by the gods and goddesses by the way tonks and lupen get maried and have a baby and then thay make harry godfather and then thay die”tears tears” fred also dies and lord voldamor dies too snape loved harrys mom and he dies too bellatrixsalastrang also dies by mrs weasly cuse she thuor a death spell at genny and cuses at bellatrixsa ron and heminey get to gether at the end and have 5 kids and harry and genny get to gether and have 3 kids and malfoy has 1 kid and lupens kid is a werwolf and is named teddy lupen and kisses one of rons bros kidsharrys kids names are albus-severs and lilly and james
Comment added February 6th, 2009 at 4:53 am
harry potter simply rocks! well..isn’t it obvious dear? harry does survive all through this wixarding world because of god! oh! i wish the series could have continued! but i can’t wait to watch the movies!!!!
Comment added March 8th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Hey i love harry potter and this comment is directed to whom ever wrote theres no heaven for harry how coud u not b a fan nd just read the books 2 pess time thats craaaaaaaaaaaazy! harry potter is honestly my life! and for the reccord im not in love with him if ur wondering y i have the same last name thats cuz hes my brother check out my websight if u want 2 no my story
Comment added March 29th, 2009 at 10:57 am
i personaly think that Dumbledore is the godly figure and that Voldumort is the devil
Comment added April 15th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Why does God need to feature he is not in every other book in the world!?
Comment added April 15th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
ummm i dont know if you know this but j.k. rowling is an atheist so she kinda dont belive in the whole god thing and dont know why you would think she would becuase it says in the bible its a sinn to practice sorcery which is magic so yeah your theroy is all wrong
Comment added April 15th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Why does God need to feature? He is not in every other book in the world!
Comment added April 24th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
i can see why she did not add church in her series because they’re her books she has that authorization to put what she feels the readers will love,and she just wants her readers to be able to be able to experience a little magic,and fascinating things that they never knew,like IMAGINATION!!!!!!!
Comment added May 15th, 2009 at 7:15 am
god has nothing to do with harry potter and its cool that way! religion is so over-rated.
Comment added May 20th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
When the first Harry Potter book hit the shelves I refused to read it because of the ‘witch-craft’ even when a close friend told me how good the book was. It was several years before I would eventually pick it up. I was immediately caught up in the book, and I could identify with Harry. At one time my family life was like living with the Dursleys with added physical torture thrown in for good measure. (As a child I can remember thinking that if I had magical powers I would make them suffer!) Anyway, I relate the books as more of a classic battle between good and evil than merely magic. I am now, and probably always will be, one of Harry Potter’s biggest fans. The magic gives a special touch to the daily battle with evil that I can relate to.
Comment added May 20th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Also, GOD is mentioned in the books at least 3 times that I know of… usually by someone saying, “THANK GOD”.
Comment added June 5th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Can’t stand Harry Potter. This is one reason why. Because the Lord is everywhere EVEN IF someone chooses to keep Him out of their books. These books are pure EVIL.