Gnostic Gnashing

A Letter to Editor of the NCR by Robert Trexler on the Christianity of Harry Potter

Published in the NCR, May 11-17, 2003, p. 8

Thank you for the insightful, two-part commentary on “Gnosticism and the Struggle for the World's Soul” by Legionary of Christ Father Alfonso Aguilar (March 30-April 5 and April 6-12). In the case of the Harry Potter books, however, I believe that J.K. Rowling passes the all three of Father's test questions to discern whether her books are “rooted in a Gnostic or in a Christian worldview.”

First, Fr. Aguilar says we must ask the question: “Is God the only supreme good power or is there another evil force of the same rank?” To answer this, he suggests that Lord Voldemort is a sort of “demiurge” with god-like attributes. Some heretical philosophies of the early Church taught the “demiurge” was a “bad” God who created the physical world (presumed to be evil). Their “good” God dwelt only in the realm of the spiritual. But Voldemort has no such god-like rank or power to create. He is merely an evil wizard, representative of Satan.

Second, regarding the view of man, one of the questions is: Does man's salvation come from a gratuitous gift of God (grace) or from “secret knowledge” acquired by training (gnosis)? A typical example of God's grace may be found in the second Harry Potter book, The Chamber of Secrets. In order to overcome evil (the monstrous Basilisk), Professor Dumbledore's phoenix (a Christ figure) comes to Harry's rescue. Without the phoenix, Harry was powerless. Harry called for help, and God answered. When Harry is mortally wounded, it is the tears of the phoenix (Christ) that restore his life. There was nothing esoteric about it. Each of the four existing books contain similar traditional Christ figures and similar examples of God's grace.

Third, on whether the books reflect a dualistic view of creation, the question posed was: “Is creation good and real or evil and illusory?” On this issue, many critics of Harry Potter accuse the author of contempt for the “real world” of the Muggles and for Muggles themselves. Although prejudice may be found in many characters, there is no prejudice against Muggles in Professor Dumbledore (who is the standard of good values). Also, the Harry Potter books strongly oppose the false dichotomy of the materialist worldview. Rowling creates her fantasy world as a literary device to contradict the prevailing materialist worldview. She illustrates that there is more to “reality” than the physical world you can see, not that the world is bad or an illusion.

There are a growing number of Christian critics who think the Harry Potter books support a Christian worldview. The very publicized affirmation by Fr. Fleetwood, architect of the recent Vatican document on the New Age, is one example. The most definitive book to reveal the Christian worldview of the Harry Potter books is The Hidden Key to Harry Potter, by John Granger. Mr. Granger is a Greek Orthodox scholar of literature and classical languages. His book is recommended by Amy Welborne (author and writer for Our Sunday Visitor), Joseph Pearce (author of Literary Converts and several books on Tolkien), and Stratford Caldecott (president of the G.K. Chesterton Institute). You may find their comments and an excerpt from Granger's book on the publisher's web-site (www.zossima.com).

Fr. Aguilar, thankfully, does not suggest that parents restrict children of a suitable age from reading the Harry Potter books. In fact, he says there are positive lessons to be learned from them. Harry Potter books are not a substitute for instruction by the Church, but they can inspire and reinforce the reader's desire to follow the Christian faith.

Robert Trexler

Amherst, Massachusetts

Wonderland or Christianland?

A Letter to Editor of the NCR by Fr Alfonso Aguilar LC

in Response to Robert Trexler’s Letter

Published in the NCR, May 18-24, 2003, p. 8

In his letter titled “Gnostic Gnashing” (May 11-17), Mr. Robert Trexler offers an interesting Christian interpretation of the Harry Potter series – a reading defended by Christian critics, such as Alan Jacobs, Serge Tisseron, Pietro Citati, Massimo Introvigne and Catherine and David Deasel (authors of the forthcoming book Philosophy and Harry Potter.)

Yet the very test questions I proposed (and Mr. Trexler used to prove Harry Potter’s Christian worldview) reveal, instead, its Gnostic soil.

First, the question about the divine. Mr. Trexler points out that Lord Voldemort is an evil wizard, representative of Satan, rather than a “demiurge” with god-like attributes. He is right. The problem lies elsewhere.

Contrary to Msgr. Peter Fleetwood’s personal opinion about the Christianity of Harry Potter, which in no way constitute an official “Vatican” endorsement of the series, the Vatican-based journal La Civiltà Cattolica published an article titled “Il fenomeno ‘Harry Potter’” (March 2, 2002, pp. 474-483), in which the author, Fr. Antonio Spadaro, SJ, acknowledges that its worldview seems to be incompatible with the Christian worldview. “The implicit model of the character [Harry Potter],” Father Spadaro writes, “is that of a man who has ‘powers’ (i.e., ‘power’ tout court) and who has in himself everything he needs without giving room for any transcendence.”

Transcendence is the point. In Tolkien’s and Lewis’ stories every power is not intrinsic, but received – transcendence is in the background. In Rowling’s books the divine is not a Transcendent Personal God, the giver of all goods, but an impersonal immanentistic power – the magic. The divine is dualistic: there is a good (white) magic and “the dark arts” – something analogous to the Star Wars “force” and its “dark side.”

Second, the concept of man is also Gnostic. It is true that Harry Potter is sometimes saved by others rather than by his own powers. Mr. Trexler interprets the tears of Professor Dumbledore’s phoenix as a symbol of God’s grace with reference to Christ. (Gnostics like interpreting Christian symbols in the light of their own philosophy.) Yet in this and similar cases Harry Potter is not saved by the grace coming from a divine person but rather by the powers or powerful possessions of well-trained wizards (the Gnostics), particularly by those of the school headmaster Dumbledore.

In the end, “Rowling portrays Harry’s victory as the fruit of esoteric knowledge and power,” as Canadian writer and literary critic Michael D. O’Brien points out. “Thanks to his magic Harry Potter seems to be substantially self-sufficient,” Father Spadaro writes. Consequently, the message of the story “can become a thrust to self-centeredness – believe in yourself and you’ll make it.”

Third, a dualistic view of the cosmos emerges in the series. The physical world is not presented as bad or illusory. Yet it is portrayed as less “real” than the wizard world – the fantastic realm of powers whose gate can only be opened by the key of esoteric knowledge. Doesn’t the reader feel more “at home” at Hogwarts School than in the boring material world of Muggles?

Harry Potter is not as obviously Gnostic as the Star Wars and The Matrix. That’s why some Christians may read its pagan Wonderland as “Christianland.” Harry Potter provides us with elevated entertainment, valuable lessons and admirable heroes but all in the context of a Gnostic worlview, as I believe the test questions show.

The ultimate test, however, is the readers’ and moviegoers’ life – Do the novels and movies reinforce in them a Christian mindset – or do they rather inspire a desire to an esoteric knowledge that will make them more powerful?

Father Alfonso Aguilar LC

Thornwood, New York