Mr Harry Potter

Miss Amy · 05-02-2007, 04:50 PM

I saw a sign the other day about the new Harry Potter book that is coming in July. I am interested in what people of strong religious conviction think of these books.

From a literary perspective I feel that along the way they stopped being written for children and were aimed more towards adults. The first book was most definitely for kids. Short, easy, Black and White, Good and Evil.

I think along the way they have blurred all the lines and they have had the main "good" character tempted by evil, the people he trusts have either been killed or turned out to be evil.

Do you believe these books have a religious background.

Come on everyone...weigh in!

wil · 05-02-2007, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miss Amy

Do you believe these books have a religious background.

Come on everyone...weigh in!

I've seen churches scream that it is the work of the devil.. and witchcraft...but they've been screamin the sky is falling so long that nobody listens when they cry wolf...

Other churches have developed Harry Potter programs around principles found in the books that they can use for Sunday School...

I haven't read them...but am thoroughly impressed as to what they've done for sooo many kids...I never read a 400 page book in elementary school...much less a series of them!

dauer · 05-02-2007, 05:03 PM

I have heard that Rowling's intent was that the books develop in depth as they progress, so that they are written, as it were, for the developing child through their own years of schooling, their level of content and maturity somewhat in line with Harry Potter's.

Whether or not they have religious background, the hero's journey is definitely prevalent.

Dauer

Tao_Equus · 05-02-2007, 05:11 PM

Yes you are right Dauer. Ms Rowling had the concept of the whole series in place before she started. She openly admits to drawing on conventional tales of good v evil and there is nothing 'original' in her work of note.

Anyone that thinks they are a bad influence on kids is a bad influence on kids.

TE

Miss Amy · 05-02-2007, 05:53 PM

I agree that anything that gets kids reading is good but I was wondering what people thought about the whole premise of the stories...

Thanks for your input

dauer · 05-02-2007, 05:56 PM

Do you mean the setting or more the idea of overcoming conflict and adversity, confronting our demons, facing temptation, dealing with death, growing up, and other types of things we might go through as teenagers and throughout our lives?

Miss Amy · 05-02-2007, 07:19 PM

I mean both.

I have a christian friend who has a really big problem with the Wizardry and all of the hocus pocus.

And... I wanted to know more about what people thought about the themes within the stories and the story lines. This prompted by conversations with a friend who is a Child Psychologist.

InLove · 05-02-2007, 07:40 PM

Hi Amy. Do you happen to know how your friend feels about The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe?

InLove · 05-02-2007, 07:57 PM

Maybe that wasn't the best example. How about Cinderella?

Or... maybe the kids shouldn't study Greek mythology??

Snoopy · 05-02-2007, 08:01 PM

If it gets kids reading books then great...but why do adults read them?

s.

wil · 05-02-2007, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miss Amy

I mean both.

I have a christian friend who has a really big problem with the Wizardry and all of the hocus pocus.

And... I wanted to know more about what people thought about the themes within the stories and the story lines. This prompted by conversations with a friend who is a Child Psychologist.

What does your friend think of them?

Quote:

Originally Posted by InLove

Hi Amy. Do you happen to know how your friend feels about The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe?

Or Aesops Fables, or The Brothers Grimm...

That old woman in the shoe was always so mean in my mind, and the one in the woods that kicked you into the oven...or the spider hangin down while she was eating porridge...the horrors we lived through as infants...

I don't know of any with Harry Potter nightmares...

But plenty of women that read them there romance novels...now that messes with their heads thinking their hubbies should be like those covers and be their knights in shining armor (or they look elsewhere like the ladies in the books do)

But other than that caldron in my basement and the stairs keep moving around and I can't get the kids in from the neighborhood quiditch game some evenings...I think the books don't have any adverse affect...

My kids are both now voracious readers and knock on wood straight A students....could be JKs books or the spells they've learned I don't know.

Quahom1 · 05-02-2007, 08:16 PM

Hi all.

Moved the thread to Comparative Studies, because it is ripe for comparrison of views.

And we try to keep the Lounge free of politics and Religion.

v/r

Joshua

Quahom1 · 05-02-2007, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miss Amy

I saw a sign the other day about the new Harry Potter book that is coming in July. I am interested in what people of strong religious conviction think of these books.

From a literary perspective I feel that along the way they stopped being written for children and were aimed more towards adults. The first book was most definitely for kids. Short, easy, Black and White, Good and Evil.

I think along the way they have blurred all the lines and they have had the main "good" character tempted by evil, the people he trusts have either been killed or turned out to be evil.

Do you believe these books have a religious background.

Come on everyone...weigh in!

I believe the "author" in an interview once stated that "all would be surprised" at her "source base" for the stories, once the last story was written.

And there was a strong "hint" that Christianity, circa the first millenium, was a good part of that base. During that time "magic" was the norm, and not frowned upon by the common folk of the day.

Be interesting to hear what she finally tells us...

v/r

Joshua

flowperson · 05-03-2007, 01:59 AM

Didn't participate in the Potter frenzies, but I believe that Rowling was prescient in writing of the subject matter. The age of quantum and nano magic is rapidly dawning as we exchange views, and we as a species are poorly prepared for its vagaries since cause and effect logic systems just won't work as well for humans in this sort of a future.

New myths are needed to do the teaching. Anything that will teach kids about the realities of their environments is to be commended. By the way, there are several scholarly books that have been written regarding the "magic" done by Jesus.

flow....

pattimax · 05-03-2007, 03:07 AM

I used to volunteer in an Elementary school library. The school participated in an accelerated reading program. The takers of the a.r. tests for the Harry Potter books were kids that were top students. Anyone that says anything bad about the books doesn’t know what they are talking about and/or has an agenda of their own.