Harry Potter & Religion
July seems to be turning into Harry Potter month with this week's release of the Order of the Phoenix film and the upcoming release of the 7th book in the series. The Potter series has been a cultural connecting point that shows how muddled and confused the worlds of media and religion are becoming in the US. There has been a significant amount of discussion about what Harry Potter has to do with religion with some groups praising the series for its emphasis on morality and the power of love and friendship while others have opposed the series as promoting magic and dark practices for children. I think media & religion scholar Lynn Schofield Clark presents the issue beautifully in her recent blog post in which she published her answers to a reporters questions.
[Reporter] OK, I'll ask point blank: Is Harry Potter bad for kids? Is he bad for religion?
[Clark] I think Harry Potter and its success is more an expression of today’s approach to young people and their role in society: as people who are not so much vulnerable no-nothings in need of protection, but as apprentices engaged in the task of learning how to live an ethical and self-reliant life. The series and the controversies surrounding it are also an indicator of how religion exists in western culture today: whereas many think the role of religion is to preserve people from the taint of a condemned world, many more think that the role of religion is to help people figure out how to live within the world in which we find ourselves. If our young people can see in Harry Potter a young person who trusts a few wise and caring adults who are worthy of his trust, is surrounded by friends who have his best interests in mind, and through his own smarts, learned skills, and faith in the good is empowered to fight corruption and evil, then that may be a good starting point for discussions that many would call “religious”.
In her major book on teens, media and religion: From Angels to Aliens, Teenagers, the Media and the Supernatural, Clark examines how teens interact with both media resources and religious resources and engaging in their narratives to find resolution to complex life problems. I find her approach incredibly helpful because it affirms the value of both religion and media in the search for meaning and identity.
Personally I am a big fan of the Potter series. I think the books are wonderfully written and have told a great story so far and I'm anxiously awaiting the last book of the series. The books have regularly asserted the power of friendship and love over the desire for power and personal gain and I am excited to see how the series finishes this thread.