tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post3707678804020595444..comments2023-10-31T05:03:38.910-07:00Comments on Letters from a broad...: Harry Potter vs. JesusC. L. Hansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-88569797635760088252010-11-20T09:52:13.717-08:002010-11-20T09:52:13.717-08:00Hey Derek!!!
Sounds really interesting! I'd ...Hey Derek!!!<br /><br />Sounds really interesting! I'd love a review copy myself. Please send it to <i>chanson dot exmormon at gmail dot com</i>. Thanks!C. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-90587119092108815172010-11-19T07:13:59.110-08:002010-11-19T07:13:59.110-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Derekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15821032465476822774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-23029762127058638282010-11-19T07:13:40.507-08:002010-11-19T07:13:40.507-08:00I like your break down of the four characters. It&...I like your break down of the four characters. It's funny Harry was demonized for so long, and now a bunch of priests are coming out showing how Harry is actually Jesus and Rowlings books can be used to teach Christianity. My take on it is that they're similar because they 're both a mix of older mythologies (and they're both literary characters). I'm launching a book next month, "Jesus Potter, Harry Christ". Let me know if you or your readers want a review copy, I'll send you one.Derekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15821032465476822774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-88212694229477016812010-09-04T00:57:38.255-07:002010-09-04T00:57:38.255-07:00Hey Carla!!!
Probably true.Hey Carla!!!<br /><br />Probably true.C. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-67165650337457772892010-09-03T22:07:20.427-07:002010-09-03T22:07:20.427-07:00I wrote a paper about this in high school actually...I wrote a paper about this in high school actually, but it centers around the archetypal hero myth, like how Beowulf and Jesus and many other heroes in mythology have similar life stories. If you go to Mugglenet.com they have comparison's to other fictional stories with Harry Potter, like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, and if you try to think of similarities to Jesus while reading those lists I think you'll find a lot.<br />For instance:<br /><br />Unique birth story where he narrowly escapes death<br />Harry almost killed by Voldy<br />Jesus almost killed by Herod<br /><br />Not raised by parents (at least not one)<br />Harry raised by aunt and uncle, Jesus raised by Joseph even though God is his father<br /><br />Destined to save the world by dying<br /><br />These are very general, but there are more, and I definitely think it all ties into the type of Campbell/Propp theory about myth.Carla Schmidt Hollowayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12947846629735463824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-20738873684081559352009-09-21T10:15:30.101-07:002009-09-21T10:15:30.101-07:00Hey Bell Dema!!!
I think you're right that Ro...Hey Bell Dema!!!<br /><br />I think you're right that Rowling makes lots of allusions to classics other than the Jesus story. I actually wrote this post way back before she stated that the Jesus parallel was deliberate (when people were just speculating about it). But that's interesting that she stated in a documentary that she didn't know whether God exists -- I hadn't heard about that at all.C. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-72128583938144046392009-09-21T09:10:55.011-07:002009-09-21T09:10:55.011-07:00Well, of course Rowling was drawing parallels, as ...Well, of course Rowling was drawing parallels, as she draw parallels with any other big ancient work. She studied Classics at uni, so she's very knowledgable about myths and stories from the ancient times that still have a great importance this days. We just see the Christian ones so clearly because they are the stories we know more about, but if you studied Classics and a bit of mythology, you'll even see more of that than Christian stuff.<br /><br />Also, if you trace the answers Jo gave when asked about religion throughtout the years, you'd see that she's clearly been struggling with faith and everything. In the 2007 documentary "A Year in the Life" she said she had no idea if god existed at all.Bjarka99https://www.blogger.com/profile/15358455530402275596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-70998077921553724572007-10-23T08:59:00.000-07:002007-10-23T08:59:00.000-07:00Thanks for the link Sam-I-Am!!!I'd heard about Dum...Thanks for the link Sam-I-Am!!!<BR/><BR/>I'd heard about Dumbledore being gay, but I didn't hear anything about the Christian allegory. (And actually, I don't see anything about the Christian allegory in this article...)C. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-71172853339268616972007-10-23T08:51:00.000-07:002007-10-23T08:51:00.000-07:00Hey Chanson,You saw that Rowling has been quite fo...Hey Chanson,<BR/><BR/>You saw that Rowling has been quite forthcoming about the Christian allegory (and Dumbledore being gay)?<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1674073,00.html" REL="nofollow">http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1674073,00.html</A>AnnMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08504450005600933157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-55120501909795062792007-08-14T03:26:00.000-07:002007-08-14T03:26:00.000-07:00Hey Zeolite!!!Thanks for the link -- it looks like...Hey Zeolite!!!<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the link -- it looks like an interesting site!! Of course I'd noticed that a lot of the names and magic words allude to other things, and it's cool to see that people have compiled these into a central database.C. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-3588363513121704832007-08-12T20:14:00.000-07:002007-08-12T20:14:00.000-07:00"Yeah, it would be interesting to do some more ext...<I>"Yeah, it would be interesting to do some more extensive analysis to see if Rowling appears to be drawing on other traditions as well."</I><BR/><BR/>I think she did draw from other traditions, at least a little, based on <A HREF="http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml" REL="nofollow">her naming of people, animals, things, and places.</A> I suspect there are many connections that the linked-to website has missed too.Zeolitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06875573144054474433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-44477284547182500052007-08-08T06:39:00.000-07:002007-08-08T06:39:00.000-07:00Hey JulieAnn!!!That's a very good way of looking a...Hey JulieAnn!!!<BR/><BR/>That's a very good way of looking at it.<BR/><BR/>Actually when I first started looking at Harry Potter in terms of Christian vs. secular themes, I was thinking it was clear that the story is more a standard archetype than a Christian allegory. I wrote this post almost to play "devils' advocate" to see if I could prove the case that it's meant to be a retelling of the Jesus story.<BR/><BR/>Now that I've written a post on it and seen arguments on both sides in the comments, I think I'm more conflicted on what the "right answer" is than when I began... ;^)C. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-51335309178645907492007-08-08T06:25:00.000-07:002007-08-08T06:25:00.000-07:00I come from a totally different place, Carol. If y...I come from a totally different place, Carol. If you read my post entitled "Spidey Sense",(http://www.julieannhenneman.com/ravings-mad-woman-blog/2007/08/spidey-sense.html)<BR/><BR/> you'll see what I mean. I think that Harry, Jesus, Spock, Frodo, Batman, Luke, Anakin...the list goes on and on, are not literal depictions of one another, but mere archetypal representations of the Hero's Journey. It is a theme that recurs within the psyche of every human being, which is why we resonate with them so well. <BR/><BR/>So is Harry Jesus? Yes. We all are in that we are supposed to (IMO) take the lessons from these characters and people and apply them to our own lives in order to unravel the mystery of our own journey, our own psyches.<BR/><BR/>Peace~<BR/><BR/>JulieAnnJulieAnnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02905677646104943660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-3287500101411545042007-08-07T22:54:00.000-07:002007-08-07T22:54:00.000-07:00Hey Lynet!!!Well, of course Dumbledore is not Jesu...Hey Lynet!!!<BR/><BR/>Well, of course Dumbledore is not Jesus -- <I>Harry</I> is Jesus!! ;^)<BR/><BR/>But seriously, the fact that her books are morally complex instead of hitting you over the head with a lesson is one of their strengths. It's also cool that she refuses to spell out a correct interpretation in interviews: it gives people room to come up with their own interpretations.C. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-31605197472432913672007-08-07T22:40:00.000-07:002007-08-07T22:40:00.000-07:00From this interview article:And unlike Lewis, whos...From <A HREF="http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-time-grossman.htm" REL="nofollow">this </A>interview article:<BR/><BR/><I>And unlike Lewis, whose books are drenched in theology, Rowling refuses to view herself as a moral educator to the millions of children who read her books. "I don't think that it's at all healthy for the work for me to think in those terms. So I don't," she says. "I never think in terms of What am I going to teach them? Or, What would it be good for them to find out here?"<BR/><BR/>"Although," she adds, "undeniably, morals are drawn." But she doesn't make it easy. In Goblet, the good-hearted Cedric Diggory dies for no reason. In Phoenix, we learn that Harry's dad, whom he idealized, had been an arrogant bully. People aren't good and bad by nature; they change and transform and struggle. As Dumbledore tells Harry, "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Granted, we know Harry will not succumb to anger and evil. But we never stop feeling that he could. (Interestingly, although Rowling is a member of the Church of Scotland, the books are free of references to God. On this point, Rowling is cagey. "Um. I don't think they're that secular," she says, choosing her words slowly. "But, obviously, Dumbledore is not Jesus.")</I>Lynethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06357023675142716573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-36973552100858222322007-08-07T10:07:00.000-07:002007-08-07T10:07:00.000-07:00Hey Tobe38!!!Yeah, I was kind of wondering about C...Hey Tobe38!!!<BR/><BR/>Yeah, I was kind of wondering about Christmas too. The wizards don't seem to see it as a muggle holiday, and it's not at all clear that the wizards are celebrating the muggle "Christmas story" as opposed to tracing their Christmas practices back to Pagan traditions. I've even read one blogger somewhere who suggested that in the Harry Potter universe, Jesus was a wizard who made a horocrux...C. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-24192317464348539502007-08-07T10:00:00.000-07:002007-08-07T10:00:00.000-07:00Very interesting article. I do think JKR leaves s...Very interesting article. I do think JKR leaves some interesting questions about the place of religion in the muggle community. They don't appear to have any equivalents to our major muggle monotheistic religions, but for some reason, they celebrate Christmas - clearly a muggle holiday?! Considering how confused Mr Weasly gets about things like cars and telephones, you would expect the Christmas story to be a source of endless confusion and wonder to the magic community.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-79503446468454509492007-08-07T07:14:00.000-07:002007-08-07T07:14:00.000-07:00Hey Paul!!!Yeah, it would be interesting to do som...Hey Paul!!!<BR/><BR/>Yeah, it would be interesting to do some more extensive analysis to see if Rowling appears to be drawing on other traditions as well.<BR/><BR/>Hey Aerin!!!<BR/><BR/>I've never read <I>The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</I>, but I've heard it's a famous Christian allegory. So perhaps Harry Potter is too...C. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-20741060183151843432007-08-07T05:35:00.000-07:002007-08-07T05:35:00.000-07:00I was thinking about this last night - I think The...I was thinking about this last night - I think The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe also has a parallel character - Aslan. I know C.S. Lewis is a famous Christian and also noted that the story had obvious allegories.<BR/><BR/>Very interesting to think about. (Should I mention I don't think I've ever seen Star Trek II all the way through? Just the fourth one, which I've seen many times).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-88000796489532275152007-08-07T02:22:00.000-07:002007-08-07T02:22:00.000-07:00I think it's true Rowling is drawing from the Chri...I think it's true Rowling is drawing from the Christian myth in her stories, C.L., but I was attempting to suggest that she might also be drawing from other death and resurrection myths too. I'm not up on my comparative mythology enough to know, but in this day and age it just seems likely to me that an author might be familiar with myths from a variety of cultures. Of course, I've had insomnia for a few days now and am somewhat daffy with sleep loss, so maybe my idea isn't as spot on as it seems to me at present. :)Paul Sunstonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02462598852553696040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-13832168432387049792007-08-06T23:59:00.000-07:002007-08-06T23:59:00.000-07:00Hey Paul!!!I think it is, but since Rowling hails ...Hey Paul!!!<BR/><BR/>I think it is, but since Rowling hails from a Christian background it seems reasonable to imagine she's making reference to Christian mythology, even if the Christian tales ultimately trace back to earlier legends.<BR/><BR/>Hey Sam!!!<BR/><BR/>Sorry -- I hope you find your book soon so you can join the rest of us!!! :DC. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-28232550319094021562007-08-06T18:19:00.000-07:002007-08-06T18:19:00.000-07:00Waah! I can't even read the comments. I'm waitin...Waah! I can't even read the comments. I'm waiting to read book six (that's right, book SIX) until my study is finished at the end of the month so I can unpack all my books and find it. After that (and when my dh has finished with it) I can read book seven.<BR/><BR/>I will have to check back with your essay in September.AnnMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08504450005600933157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-18279212070534552362007-08-06T16:34:00.000-07:002007-08-06T16:34:00.000-07:00It's been a while since I've read Fraizer or Josep...It's been a while since I've read Fraizer or Joseph Campbell, but isn't death and resurrection a pretty common motif in the world's mythologies?Paul Sunstonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02462598852553696040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-20225220397930721962007-08-06T13:08:00.000-07:002007-08-06T13:08:00.000-07:00Well, you know, I don't go out of my way to blasph...Well, you know, I don't go out of my way to blaspheme, but when the shoe fits... ;^)C. L. Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698855413639518095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19053670.post-39259047732177042442007-08-06T13:02:00.000-07:002007-08-06T13:02:00.000-07:00Sorry to all those who worship Jesus or HP, but I ...Sorry to all those who worship Jesus or HP, but I love that you point to Spock's superior nobility. :) Of course, it's his humanness arising to godliness rather than the condescension of god ... so much more hope in the idea that we would rise to the occasion rather than requiring god to descend.<BR/><BR/>Beautiful. Just the kind of thing that really angers the gods!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com