Looking for God in Harry Potter : Is There Christian Meaning in the Bestselling Books?

by Granger, John

• ISBN13: 9781414300917
• ISBN10: 1414300913
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-06-30
• Publisher: TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS

Summary

Millions of children, even Christian children, are reading the mega-selling Harry Potter book series and are exposed to the Harry Potter movies. John Granger, a devout Christian, teacher of classic literature, and father of seven children, first read the Harry Potter books so he could explain to his children why they weren't allowed to read them. After intense study, however, he became convinced that the books are underestimated as literature--and reflect important Christian truths. In Looking for God in Harry Potter, Granger gives parents and teachers a roadmap for using the Harry Potter books to teach Christian truth to children.

Author Biography

John Granger is an author, speaker, teacher of the Great Books, and popular guest on talk shows and interview programs. A graduate of the University of Chicago, where he studied classical languages and literature, he is currently pursuing a graduate degree in theology. John is the "Harry Potter Professor" at Barnes and Noble University, where one of his courses is on teaching children literature through Harry Potter. He uses Harry Potter to teach English literature online at HogwartsProfessor.com and in his classes at Peninsula College in Port Townsend, Washington. John and his wife, Mary, live in Washington state with their seven children.

Table of Contents

Introduction A Parental Shift from Alarm to Approval	xiii
Magic, Fantasy, and the Christian Worldview
The ``sorcery'' in Harry Potter supports biblical teaching, not practice of the occult	1	(10)
God's Army versus the Servants of Satan?
The Harry Potter novels revolve around the central conflict of good and evil	11	(8)
The Hero's Christlike Journey
Harry's adventures take him through life, death, and resurrection	19	(6)
The Alchemy of Spiritual Growth
The story cycles are built on the stages of transformation	25	(12)
One Person, Two Natures
Doppelgangers point to the struggle of dual natures---and their resolution in the God-Man	37	(12)
Christian Answers to Big Questions
Surprise endings suggest a remedy for the evils of prejudice	49	(10)
The Triumph of Love over Death
The mystery of death meets the ultimate answer	59	(12)
The Question of Identity
Harry defines himself through choices, change, and destiny	71	(12)
Evidence of Things Unseen
The symbols in Potterdom are powerful pointers to Christian reality	83	(18)
Fun with Names
The character names are delightful puzzles with hidden Christian meanings	101	(16)
The Purification of the Soul
Christian keys to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone	117	(10)
Dangerous Books and Edifying Books
Christian keys to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	127	(10)
Despair and Delivery
Christian keys to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban	137	(12)
Girded with Virtue
Christian keys to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	149	(10)
Dark Night of the Soul
Christian keys to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	159	(12)
The Power of Christian Artistry
Keys to the future and legacy of the Harry Potter series	171	(12)
Appendix: Speaking of God in Harry Potter	183	(12)
Endnotes	195