Harry Potter's Christian Themes Discussed

It took 30 years of correspondence with a friend and one simple request for noted Harry Potter expert John Granger to appear at the Christ Church in Short Hills Wednesday night.

Granger, author of "Looking for God in Harry Potter," spoke in front of 45-50 people, varying in age from young to old, about the Christian themes in the well-known Potter novel series.

“(Harry Potter) is the shared text of this generation,” said Granger, who spoke at the church because former high school classmate and Christ Church member Sam Reckford—Reckford and Granger attended New Hampshire’s Phillips Exeter Academy—thought it would be worthwhile for him to do so. “(Potter) is the bridge across every diversity, creed, race and geographic status. They all know Harry Potter.”

During the speech, Granger paced back and forth for about 40 minutes, touching on a various of topics on author J.K. Rowling’s Potter books. He spoke how the book’s main character, Harry, evoked Christ when he died and was resurrected in the series because according to Granger, “he rose and became a new man in a transformation that allowed him to transcend himself and the world.”

Most in the audience had read all seven books, but there were a few who had not, including one woman who had to exit during the speech because she didn’t want to hear Granger going over a part in the series that she hasn’t read.

While most in the crowd nodded in unison at every point Granger made, a few, like Reckford’s daughter Samantha, 18, didn’t necessarily agree with him.

“It’s not all about Christianity in the book,” she said, although she conceded she hasn’t read any of Granger books. “The book appeals to everyone. You don’t have to be religious to understand Harry and the series. It’s about accepting magic and loyalty to your friends and good overcoming evil.”

On the contrary, Reckford was thoroughly impressed with the speech and Granger’s outlook.

"(Granger) was terrific and I’m impressed by his literary knowledge,” he said. “It’s unfathomable to me for people to suggest Rowling didn’t have a distinct message (mostly religious) in mind when she wrote the series.”

Robert Morris, director of Interweave, a community learning center teaching skills for holistic living based in Summit, believes Granger brought out what he terms “the cultural heritage from the Potter book. In the Western Hemisphere, we’ve lost our heritage of wisdom.

“That wisdom entails compassion for others; understanding and sense of self, in an unselfish realm that Granger helps bring to the forefront from Rowling’s books.”

Morris continued with an “absolutely it does!” response when he was asked if he believes Potter has the Christian elements Granger touched upon during the night.

Despite the church setting, Granger insists his message serves an English literature function, not mainly religious.

 “If you look at the authors that came before Rowling—JRR Tolkien, Charles Dickens and so on—these authors wrote literature to a mostly Christian audience,” Granger said. “But what makes Potter fascinating is it breaks the traditional mold and reaches a universal audience.

"It just doesn’t reach Christians, it reaches non-Christians as well.”