It is important
to know that Rowling didn't just throw together a clever children's tale in her
Harry Potter series. She is apparently a big fan of classical literature and
follow many of those classical patterns. Indeed, in John Granger's book
"Looking for God in Harry Potter", he tells us that the books follow
the foundations of alchemy just as Shakespeare, Tolkien and C.S. Lewis do. It
can be argued that she does not approach the depth or masterful story telling
of these bards, but she has touched a chord in today's youth that we cannot
ignore. There is something in this series that is larger than other
contemporary fiction that kids cling to and relish. This lesson is intended to
probe that and allow you the youth worker to bring the larger themes hidden in
Harry Potter to light.
There are some
central themes that we can latch onto and use for catechetical purposes. While
early on in the series many cast doubts about them because they saw the
presence of "magic" as pointing to the occult, we can clearly dispel
this by analyzing some of the overt ideas presented in the books:
-
life
after death
-
the
presence and critical nature of our souls
-
the
transcendence of love over hate and death
-
the
constant and growing battle between good and evil (and the people will choose
to serve on both sides)
This lesson
covers the first book/movie "The Sorcerers Stone", whose original
title was intended to be "The Philosopher's Stone"; which again ties
back to alchemy. Rowling uses alchemy's tenet of transformation on her main
characters; Ron Weasely, Hermione Granger and of course Harry Potter.
-
Lion
of Griffindore: The Lion of Judah (just like Aslan in Narnia)
-
The
Phoenix: The resurrection bird. Also symbolic of the "Order of the
Phoenix"
-
The
snake: used for Slytherin house and Voldemort's pet. Like the serpent in the
Bible
-
Death
eaters: Orthodox Christians eat the Body and Blood for life. What is the
opposite of that? Right, eating death!
Here is a map of
Harry's hero journey (taken from John Granger's book):
Start: Privet Drive
Escape: Admission letters to Hogwarts and Hagrid's visit
Mystery: The stone's seeker and location
Crisis: Albus Dumbledore leaves
Descent: into the trap door
Combat: Struggle with Quirrell
Christ Symbol: The Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone
Return: Albus after 3 days
Revelation: Snape is ok but Quirrell served Voldemort
(Satan)
Finish: Station 9 & 3/4
This basic
formula is actually followed in all 7 books! The climax of Harry's hero journey
is a fundamentally Christian one; that death is followed by resurrection in
Christ and in the answer to death is the symbol of Love -- Jesus Christ.
This lesson is
extracted in part from the book “Looking for God in Harry Potter” by John
Granger. It is also the result of watching the movie and matching up Holy
Scripture with the strong symbols that JK Rowling has built into her books. We
did this lesson by copying out the Scripture references and giving them to the
class. When we reviewed a scene the class was asked to find the Scripture that
matches up to it. Be ready to allow the kids to adopt Scripture in ways you
didn’t expect, sometimes with very profound results.
Above all, be
friendly, flexible and have FUN with this. The kids appreciate these lessons as
a change of pace we should value the opportunity to talk frankly about the
media and the messages in it. The Harry Potter series gives us a wonderful
platform to talk about spiritual growth, sacrifice and the differences between
good and evil. Feel free to contact me & let me know what worked & how
it can be improved!
In Christ,
David Elfering
Chapter 1 01:22 The first scene Professor McGonagal
transforms from a cat into a human. Each person who has the ability to
transform takes a specific form. Do you think that what they transform into
represents something about their true character?
Scene 1 02:55 Dumbledore acknowledges that the muggles
(non magic people) aren't the highest quality people, yet insists on leaving
Harry with them. "They're the only family he has.." Much later in the
books the real reason for this is revealed. Why might being with blood relation
be so important?
Chapter 2 00:05 - 01:05 Harry is made to serve the Dursely family
and endure their insults. How does he react to their constant taunting and
abuse? What can that tell us about Christian character?
Chapter 3 00:00 - 00:20 Dursley tells Harry "there's no such
thing as magic". How do you think this compares to the world's view of
God?
Chapter 3 02:09 When Dursley is burning Harry's letters he
takes great joy in doing so. Do you think this compares to the taunting
Christians receive? What would many of your school friends say if you were to
carry a Bible with you? Would they respect it? (Matthew 24:12)
Chapter 3 03:30 - 04:00 plus beginning of Chapter 4. When all the
letters start piling into the Dursley's house, why do you think they elect to
try and run away? How is this similar to how people try to distance themselves
from God; even when faced with the witness of the Church through the ages? (
Chapter 4 02:00 Hagrid produces a cake from under his
coat, and Harry sets the cake down to try and find out the truth. Isn't this a
lot like our intention in fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays? We are supposed to
set aside the cake of our daily existence and pursue true answers to life.
Contrast this to Dudley's making a pig of himself. Mark 7:21
Chapter 7 00:00 - 03:15 (skip to 02:45 unless you want to watch the
wand selection process which is amusing) Ollivander has difficulty picking a
wand for Harry. Why do you think this is? He tells Harry that the wand he gets
is the brother of the one that injured him. The scar actually symbolizes the
mark left on us by the actions of Adam & Eve
Chapter 8 00:00 - 01:00 In the tavern Hagrid tells Harry how
Voldemort killed his parents, but then failed to kill Harry. Something stopped
him. What do you think that might have been?
Chapter 11 02:30 -
Before the sorting Draco tries to tell Harry that some people are more
worthwhile than others. What do you think this bias means? (Draco tries to
attract Harry to worldly opinion of superficial appeal).
Chapter 12 02:15
The hat doesn't even hesitate when selecting Draco for Slytherin. Why? What
does Ron say about Slytherin?
Griffyndore's
symbol is the lion. Do any of you have an idea of what this might represent?
Chapter 15 In
the scene of their first flying lesson, what do you think makes some people
more successful than others at raising their broom? (belief & focus!)
Chapter 17 00:00
– 02:03 They name Harry a "seeker". What does the word seeker mean
literally and in terms of faith/belief? Doesn't it seem interesting that
Harry's goal is gold and is the answer to winning the game? (this has to do
with Harry’s quest for the truth). John 4:23
Chapter 18 02:00
Do the three main characters Harry, Ron and Hermione get along right away? What
does it take for them to bond together? (adversity -- "... brothers are
born for adversity..."). Proverbs
17:17
-key scene the
mountain troll in the bathroom.
Chapter 24 01:30
Watch with the class to discover what the sorcerer’s stone is.
Chapter 25 02:40
– 06:00 Watch the scene about drinking the unicorn blood. In the middle ages
the Unicorn was adopted as a symbol of Christ and so the scene is about
despoiling the purity of Christ, just as the hooded figure despoils the
unicorn. It is also symbolic of unworthily receiving the blood of Christ
(Communion without conscience). 1 Corinthians 11:27
Chapter 27
Descent into the pit and finding the key to the underworld. Harry, Ron and
Hermione go through a trap door into an area beneath the castle. Psalm 35:7
Chapter 29 00:00
– 00:50 Ron decides to sacrifice himself for the sake of his friends. John
15:12-14
Chapters 30
(5:00), 31 () 32 Harry’s defeat of Quirrel & Voldemort. Points of interest,
Snape turns out to be ok though we thought he was evil. In chapter 31 Voldemort
says “there is no good or evil…just power”. When Quirrel is touched by Harry he
dissolves. Why do you think this is? Why couldn’t he overcome Harry? (the
answer is actually given by Dumbledore in Chapter 32).
Do you think
that the spells are meant to conjur things up from nothing, or do you think
they resemble our habit of prayer? (we use different prayers at different times
and with different intent).
One of the
things JK Rowling put into this story is good versus evil. Who can name an
example of this from the movie segments we just watched? Who do you think is on
the side of evil? Who is on the side of good? Try to give us a reason for your
opinion.
Do you think
there is real magic like that which we see in Harry Potter (this is a good
chance to discuss heresies such as Wicca and nature worship).
John 13:35
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one
another.
John 4:23 Yet a
time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father
seeks.
Mark 7:21 For
from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft,
murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance
and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'
Proverbs 5:22
His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his
sin.
Proverbs 17:17 A
friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 24:10
If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!
Psalm 35:7 For
without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit, Which they have dug
without cause for my life. "
Romans 6:16 Do
you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that
one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience
leading to righteousness?
Titus 1:16 They
profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient,
and disqualified for every good work.
2 Peter 2:19
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for
by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.
Romans 8:21
because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Acts 8:23
"For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.
Hosea 5:14 For I will be like a lion to
Ephraim, And like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them
and go away; I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.
Matthew 21:22
And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.
Luke 10:19
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over
all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
2 Corinthians
4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the
light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should
shine on them. (those who choose not to believe will not understand as they
will be blinded to the light of God... this is key to understanding Voldemort's
shortcomings)
John 15:12 My
command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his
friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. (Key to
understanding the extreme sacrifices made by many of the series' main
characters, most especially James & Lilly Potter).
Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places
Matthew 24:12
And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold
1 Corinthians 11:27 whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the
Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood[d] of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of
the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks
judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.