What's a Christian to Do with Harry Potter?

by Connie Neal

Answers to the Burning Questions Christian Parents, Educators, and Others Are Asking about Harry Potter.

In the world of publishing, few successes have equaled that of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series—magical stories centered on one boy’s adventures at Hogwarts, a school for witchcraft and wizardry. Yet this popular series presents a perplexing—even divisive—challenge to the Christian community. Although the books present a clear picture of the epic battle between good and evil, they appear to support the use of magic and have had a controversial impact on our culture. As a result, many of us are wondering, “How should I respond to this Harry Potter thing?”

Find out what the Harry Potter books really say about witchcraft and wizardry.

Hear what Christians on both sides of the debate are saying about Harry Potter—and decide what you believe.

Learn how you can use the series to protect your child from real occult influences.

In What’s a Christian to Do with Harry Potter? , you’ ll explore the valid concerns some Christians have about the series, sort out the fact and fiction at the center of the debate, discover biblical answers that may surprise you, and learn how you can tap into this powerful cultural phenomenon to help advance the kingdom of God.

This book has not been prepared, approved, or licensed by any person or entity that created, published, or produced the Harry Potter books or related properties.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Harry Potter, Christianity, Parenting, Childrens, Spirituality

210 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2001

Reviews

[JD Waggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is targeted to a very specific audience, obviously, and unfortunately it falls into the trap of its printing context. Its copyright is 2001--three of the HP books hadn't even been published yet, and the first film was still in Coming Attractions mode. So when Neal takes the first chapter or two to convince her audience that they shouldn't ignore Harry Potter because the phenomenon isn't going away, she doesn't know the half of it! She has another book that came out in 2007 that includes HP stuff (Wizards Wardrobes and Wookiees) but doesn't have the focus that this one does (I think; I've not read it). So I would be very interested to see what she does with the darker aspect of the last three books, as well as the surprise twists of many of the main character arcs.

So this book is dated, and well constructed so as not to give out too many spoilers, which limits the usefulness of it nowadays. But this is still a thing; go read YouTube comments if you don't believe that some people still think Harry is Satan. (But be careful. YouTube comments are either hilarious or equivalent to voluntarily hugging a dementor.)

All that being said, what I appreciated about this book was that it is a wonderful example of how to argue within a faith. Neal falls on the side of folks who think HP is okay as long as you present it correctly, but she respects those who won't read HP at all as long as they've thought it through. It's not "you think magic is evil and therefore you're super stupid" but "I get that you've come to this conclusion that's right for you, and while that's not the case for me, you be who you are." The arguments are evenly presented and then Neal lays out how she came to her conclusions. All is done without snark, judgment, or dismissal. If only, if only, if only we could take this kind of respect into *all* the places the Christian body argues with itself...

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I really got a lot out of this book! As a mom of 2 boys who will inevitably be introduced to Harry Potter at some point in the coming years, I wanted to educate myself on this controversial series so that we can decide for our family whether or not it will be alright to read these books. This book is full of examples and discusses legitimate concerns but also demonstrates how this series can be used to teach our children biblical principles if we choose to read it. The author is a reputable Christian writer who backs up almost every example (pro and con) with scripture. Having read the series herself, she separates fact from fiction, warns parents (using scripture) that we are not to be condemning each other for our decisions. I highly recommend this book and it's an easy and very interesting read.

[Adam Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not so much about Harry Potter as it is a book about how to deal with Christians who disagree with you. If you're looking for detailed interaction with the Potter novels, this isn't the place, but if you want to learn about how to deal with differences, using the Potter novels as a test case, then pick it up. Very helpful.

[Simone]

I haven't read this yet, but I expect it to be crazed and filled with ignorance. Why is magic okay when it happens in C.S. Lewis books or when Jesus does it, but not Harry Potter?

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neal lays out several things to consider when deciding whether kids should read the Harry Potter (HP) books. Rather than avoiding or forbidding HP, she recommends reading and discussing them with kids from a Biblical perspective, emphasizing the difference between magic in fantasy and real life. Neal wants Christians to use HP to have Gospel conversations with others, and gives tips and examples for doing so. However, she says that if a child will be tempted to explore the occult, they shouldn't read HP.

Chapter 1 includes quotes from Christians for and against HP, citing Scripture and presenting strong arguments. This book was published after the fourth HP book, so it doesn't cover the entire series, but it hits many of the major topics.

One of my issues with HP is that the good characters frequently misbehave and get away with it. I'm glad Neal addressed this, though I don't completely agree with her assessment.

There certainly are times when Harry and his friends lie, cheat, deceive, and break rules for no good reason. … In these cases, there is no justification for wrongdoing. Surely we can't use them as good role models when they are clearly doing wrong for wrong reasons to accomplish selfish aims. … When they do wrong for no good reason, Raleigh make sure they get caught, pay consequences, and are disciplined or instructed.

If one is looking for a simple message of "don't break the rules!" forget the Harry Potter books. But if one is looking for deeper lessons in moral decision making based on principles and a growing discernment of good and evil, these books provide a rare opportunity for such instruction—in keeping with the spirit of Judeo-Christian ethics.

Basically, Neal says that the good characters are pardoned when they do the wrong things for the right reasons, but they suffer consequences when they do the wrong things for the wrong reasons, and that fits Biblical ethics, she claims. For support, she recounts the time Jesus argued with the Pharisees who said His disciples were unlawfully picking grain on the Sabbath (Matt 12:1-8). Neal says that this was unlawful, but Jesus was pointing out how principles supersede rules. However, picking grain on the Sabbath wasn't against God's law, it was only against the Pharisees' law. Neal says Jesus used the example of David lying to the priest to support His case, but actually, Jesus didn't condone David's lie.

Regarding Matthew 23:23-24, Neal says "principles of justice, mercy, and faithfulness are more important and take precedence over lesser rules whenever the two conflict." But in that passage, Jesus doesn't say anything about choosing between conflicting rules; He says the Pharisees should have done both.

Neal also says that "The Bible says that when humanity fell under the curse of Satan, Satan put a little bit of himself in us." The Bible never says that. She says that Satan tricked Adam and Eve. 1 Tim 2:14 clearly says that Eve was deceived, but Adam wasn't.

Notes
Introduction

I ask you to prayerfully consider the possibility that we might harness the cultural energy created by Harry Potter and convert it into a useful form that enlighten our kids to the dangers of real occult practices in our own world, while also teaching them valuable moral lessons. Not all Christians will choose to do this (and that's okay), but I'll show you how this may be a God-approved option for you.

Mad About Harry!
Chuck Colson wrote that magic in HP is purely mechanical, not occult, because there's no contact with supernatural world.

Berit Kjos wrote that HP books are spiritual, and we must "shun other gods" to obey Deut 18:9-12, which forbids sorcery.

John Andrew Murray (Focus on the Family) wrote that HP separates power and authority; there's no Higher Power granting magical power. The conflict is dualistic. In Narnia, power and authority are together (in Aslan); Lewis' books celebrate God's authority. He wrote that by disassociating magic and supernatural evil, HP portrays occult practices as good and healthy, contrary to the Bible.

Lindy Beam (Focus on the Family) wrote that HP books may desensitize kids to witchcraft, they don't acknowledge supernatural powers or moral authority, and have gore and fright. Yet she wrote kids will learn little to nothing about true occult. She wrote HP produces curiosity in magic, and it's what's done with the curiosity that matters. She wrote that if HP might cause your kid to develop an excessive, unhealthy interest in magic, avoid them. She also wrote that HP isn't based on Judeo-Christian values, and characters do wrong things for right reasons (lie, cheat, break rules, etc.).

Alan Jacobs at Wheaton College wrote that Harry's rule-breaking isn't problematic because he's at odds with unadmirable teachers, but faithful and obedient to Dumbledore. Also, magic isn't presented as overly positive, but as potentially dangerous.

Alison Lentini wrote that magic represents an unholy distortion of divinely ordained relationships between creature, Creation, and Creator. God had a zero-tolerance policy on magical practices (Lev 19:31; 20:27; Deut 18:9-12; Isa; Jer; Ezek).

A Christianity Today editorial stated that the witchcraft of HP is almost nothing like actual modern witchcraft, and HP features many virtues, including compassion, loyalty, courage, friendship, self sacrifice.

Classic Fantasy or Blatant Witchcraft?
HP is "classic children's fantasy literature" in the same category as Narnia, Grimm's fairy tales, Wizard of Oz, Tolkien's fantasy, etc.

Dickens' A Christmas Carol includes ghosts, communicating with the dead, supernatural spirits, presumably out of body experience, yet Christians recognize these as literary devices to support the story, not subtle attempts to lead readers to a called to practices. HP functions same way.

What Would Jesus Do with Harry Potter?
Reading a fantasy story that includes magic isn't same as practicing magic, which Bible forbids.

Reading HP is a matter of Christian liberty (Rom 14-15; 1 Cor 8-10).

Beware the Dangers of the Debate
Rowling has said she didn't write HP to encourage kids to get into witchcraft, and that she wrote fantasy.

The books never mention Satan, Satanism, demonic forces.

Protecting Kids from Real-World Occult
One dangerous aspect of HP is that Rowling doesn't believe in real witchcraft or magic, so she treats those aspects of her stories as if they lacked real world equivalence, and doesn't see the danger kids might encounter if they act out what they read.

The combination of the author's disbelief, kids' tendency to act out what they encounter in engaging fantasy worlds, and the Bible's warnings forms a triangle of real danger for real kids—even though no one intended it.

Harry Potter and the Judeo-Christian Ethic
Responding to criticism of good HP characters doing bad things, Neal argues that HP characters are complex rather than purely good or evil.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely from a rather conservative evangelical perspective, and was also written only partially through the series release, just as a beginning note.
The first bit is just a bunch of articles and comments from various Christian sources either backing the Harry Potter series, or declaring it evil. I almost put the book down, because I found those completely useless, I’ve read them all already, as someone who was not allowed to read the series growing up.
However, once you get past those, it is extremely well written, and presents what I think is as unbiased a view as possible.
The author addresses basically all of the concerns of Christians who are worried about or against the Harry Potter series, while not diminishing their concerns, nor saying they SHOULD like/allow the series in their homes.
The comparisons given and scriptural backing are pretty thorough, and though I don’t necessarily adhere to most of those beliefs anymore, I come from a lifetime of them and believe they were a really good premise for the arguments for the series.
Overall, if someone is on the fence about the series, I recommend this book for sure!
If someone is against the series, I still recommend it, but the author also agrees that it is a personal choice. I like to be informed about my choices, though, so I found this book a great option for someone who wants to be informed.
As a caveat, I had already started reading the series, and I loved it, and started to wonder why it had been painted to fearfully when I was a youth, because when compared to other books/movies like The Chronicles of Narnia, or Lord of The Rings, it didn’t seem any more evil or witchy than those. I started looking up resources as I continued to read the series, and found this book. So while I had already changed my mind about the series, I am still a truth seeker at heart and prefer unbiased facts vs propaganda-flavored material.

[Jacob Sabin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before I go any further, I want to say I am a Christian (I not only believe in Jesus Christ but try my best to live for Him even though I am far from perfect) and I am also a fan of the Harry Potter series.

I saw this book at my library the other day and I figured I would give it a shot. The author, Connie Neal, basically tries to tackle the phenomenon which is Harry Potter (at the time the book was written, the first movie was coming out and four of the Harry Potter books had been published). She addresses a lot of the concerns people had for not wanting to read Harry Potter and also makes a lot of points in favor of reading it (which ultimately is the side the author would take).

The book in reality is not the strongest read, but to be fair, I can be biased as I went into this book already being a big fan of Harry Potter. It can certainly be helpful to those who are on the fence and i think it would even help some of those who think Harry Potter is going to lead their child into the occult (something I never heard happening to anyone I know who has read the books, but was a real fear some people had regarding the books). To that end, while I may not have particularly enjoyed the book, it does have some redeemable worth to it.

[Amy Meyers · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book reads like a typical evangellyfish, concerned about what the world will think about Christians (oh no, the world doesn't like us!) and how we can be "relevant." Unfortunately many Christians end up using "relevance" as a cloak for worldiness. Is that happening here with the HP series? Just a question this book brought up for me.

I liked how Neal addressed presuppositions, that all readers reading her book or HP will already go into it with their predetermined biases, and then see what they expected to see. That is exactly correct. I thought that she missed how clearly her own bias showed, however. In the end, it was clear that Neal very much enjoys the HP series and is excited about "using" them to witness. So that will tip you off as to how seriously she may look into the accusations against HP if she herself is biased positively towards the series. I docked it an additional star (from two) because she wrote it before the series was completely done, so it's "relevance" is now lacking; you wonder what she would say after all 7 were published? Probably the same thing, due to her presuppositions.

#Lit Life 2 for 22 Two Books from an Opposing Perspective

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I liked most about this book is its thoroughness and fairness in representing both sides of the debate on whether or not Christians should read Harry Potter, without picking on either side. I first read this book about seven years ago when my oldest child considered reading the Harry Potter series in late grade school. At the time, the child decided without my input not to read the series.

However, now, as teen, the child has read the entire series. At the time I originally read this book, the Harry Potter series introducing the occult seemed like a big issue, but compared to other more recent popular teen fiction today, it seems milder. Still, I remembered this book, "What's a Christian to do with Harry Potter?" and its title, and checked it out again for discussion of the series and things to be aware of. The teen agreed to read this book with me.

I skipped over the "boring" parts of "What's a Christian to Do..." for the teen, and just get to the conversational part. I found, however, in rereading it, that there are very few boring parts for adults, maybe a few places to skip over for the teen. Anytime the book has questions to determine an individual's viewpoint on the series, I put those on my list to discuss. I also thought the first five viewpoints discussed on page 5 were good to read, to find out which my teen most closely identifies with. (I can't help but smile at the Chuck Colson comments... My dad liked him.) I also bookmarked the places that compare and contrast Harry Potter to other works of fiction that my teen has read, such as Tolkien, Lewis, Oz, and Marry Poppins. The C.S. Lewis quotes are interesting and he is an author that my teen respects. The charts of information throughout the book are also helpful in a concise way. The sections on moral training are good, as are those on forgiveness, maintaining fellowship, and staying in the faith even when we fail. I thought this book was well done on all sides.

After reading the Harry Potter series, I just chose a select couple of pages of this book at a time for a discussion prior to watching each movie. Since we watched each movie in two or three part segments, we covered more ground than you might suppose. All the discussions were good, both from the teen and with her dad.

I am hoping that the teen can apply these principles towards other popular books. Next, we need books on "What's a Christian to do with ...." and fill in the blank with whatever is current. I'm wishing the author had done a series of books.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book out of curiosity. I have never read the Harry Potter books myself, but a few of my family members have. I have, however, seen all the movies. I don't want to share my own personal views about the Harry Potter series here, just what my review of this book is, as I think that is more beneficial and staying within topic.

The author shares upfront her personal thoughts and points out the struggles Christians have had over this particular book series. It amazed me how far the arguments between christians have gotten over these issues! {We're christians...why are we arguing over movies and books?!} Even sighting one conversation between two children in a Sunday School class and their discussion: “My mom says the Harry Potter books are evil. Real christians don't read them.” “Well, then I guess my mom isn't a real christian, because she read them to us out loud.” The author shares a great deal about the two camps of thought, those for or against and their various reasons for these beliefs. She points out the struggles of parents with young children and the fears they have of the influences of magic being called good, and other arguments...all of which I have heard myself from those of my aquintance in the christian community, and from various backgrounds of thought on the subject.

I found, for myself, the author doesn't answer the real burning question: “To read Harry Potter or not?” She gives pros and cons to both sides and in the end, in my opinion, pleasing no one (though, the author does state she's not really looking to answer that question at the very beginning of her book). Her goal, she states, is really more to give parents an honest look at all the points of view and leave it to each family to come to their own conclusions. She urges familiesto keep Romans 14:5 in mind “Let every man be settled in his own mind” and gives advice for parents on dealing with these issues with their children.

I did not find this book useful in the least, but it may give encouragement or some helpful advice to parents with children dealing with these arguments at school or church.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

The debate surrounding the Harry Potter books is fierce. Few statements will divide a room faster than "I am a Harry Potter fan" and incite a barrage of ad hominem attacks from the opposing corners. This is sadly, especially true in the Christian community and this should not be.

Mrs. Neal addresses the issue full-on in this book, explaining what the books /really/ are about instead of what some people /say/ they are about, why they properly belong in the same tradition as The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings (which far fewer Christians object to), why kids love Harry Potter, the relevance of the doctrine of Liberty of Conscience to the Harry Potter debate, the necessity of truth and love when tackling issues sincere Christians can legitimately disagree on, the dangers of the real-world occult, the distinction of it from "literary magic," and the potential confusion for some readers, the need to engage our culture without being led astray by it, the true ethics of the Harry Potter books, and finally, how to use Harry Potter for moral instruction and gospel opportunities.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who has questions and concerns about the Harry Potter books. You will receive accurate information about them and be given the tools you need to make a wise decision about what best accords with your conscience and still preserve love and unity with other Christians.

I also highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the Harry Potter books but is baffled and frustrated--even hurt--by many Christians' abhorrence of the stories. You will be shown why it is they object, why it is they see the issue differently, and be pointed to the Word of God on how to approach the disagreement with love and charity.

*I hope to write a more detailed review of this book for my blog this summer*

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my attempt to learn EVERYTHING about Harry Potter, I thought I would pick this up to get an idea of the Christian response to H.P. This is a very reasonable book --- her basic premise is two-fold:

1) If you think H.P. is not right for you, then you shouldn't read it.

2) She does not think the books will corrupt Christian children; rather, she sees parallels to stories told in the Bible in terms of morality and making choices.

Along the way she highlights the accusations against Rowling (satanist primarily), the invidious comparisons to C.S. Lewis and Tolkien (both self-identified as Christian), and numerous other reasons why one should not read Harry Potter.

My favorite part of the book is a section titled "The Bible Gives Us a List of Spiritual Things we should Never do". Here's the first item, which happens to be my personal favorite:

Parents, Never Offer Your Children As a Human Sacrifice
I'm sure kids are glad God put that one in there! Some people actually have given their children as sacrifices to demons or idols. They would kill their children or put them in the arms of an idol called Baal and burn them to death! Remember that the spirits behind the activities on the rest of this list are just as murderous. That's why God warns us --- for our own protection!

Wow ! That's sure good advice.

The other things you should never do? You'll have to read the book to find out, but I imagine you have a pretty good guess. But I will tell you that "Don't read Harry Potter" is NOT on the list.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry Potter and similar influences exist in the world, and the author advocates teaching children to deal with them, like Daniel in Babylon, and parents to redeem them. I don't agree with all her points, but she was generally fair to both sides of the issue, asks for the issue not to divide Christians, and sees this as an opportunity for evangelicalism. Chapter seven on protecting children from the real-world occult is useful regardless of the parent's take on Harry potter. The book, however, is old considering it predates all the movies and most of the books.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not on my long list of "To-Read" books. Just picked this off of the shelf at the Library and thought "you should read this." After reading the cover, I had an idea of what this book would be about, how wrong I was. Even though C.W. Neal does not share my same opinion, I loved her approach to this book. Not judging other people by what they choose to do or do not is a loud and clear message. Very good research.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this with a neutral stance on Harry Potter, and came out with a very strong opinion! If you are wondering what the fuss is all about, you should read this!

Covers topics like:
Classic fantasy or blatant witchcraft?

Why kids are mad about Harry Potter

Fighting clean as a Christian

Be in the world but not of the world

Using Harry Potter to help kids grow in goodness

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are somewhat uncertain about reading the Harry Potter series, this is definitely the book for you. Or if you're half-way through, and you suddenly are not so sure this is a good idea. Or maybe you're just interested in what the fuss is about.

[Paige Chestler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book for class, very interesting as it is a book about how to deal with Christians who disagree with you about Harry Potter but without picking sides. Shows both sides of the argument, very helpful.

[Dye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool! comprehensive, unbiased, and very helpful (especially for my thesis, heheh)

[Cherice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but fairly basic and really geared toward those unfamiliar with any of the Harry Potter books.

[Lanetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the concept of chosing for yourself adn how each person due to past experiences can arrive at a different answer.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember reading this a few years ago and liking it...

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent book on the back-and-forth debate over Harry Potter. The author is pro-HP, but fairly presents a rational look at the other side, while encouraging readers to decide for themselves.