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The Gospel According to Harry Potter
Author: Connie Neal
Genre: Religious/Literary Nonfiction
Published: 2002

The Gospel According to Harry Potter

Description from author's website (www.connieneal.com):

In a book that is sure to delight Harry Potter fans and spiritual seekers alike, author and Potter enthusiast Connie Neal dives into the Harry Potter series looking for the Christian Gospel. Does she find it? Yes! In this, her exploration of J.K. Rowling’s created world of magic and mystery, Neal enumerates more than fifty "Potteran" themes that can be seen as glimmers of the Gospel.

With an arsenal of charming allusions and parallels, Neal persuasively demonstrates that Harry Potter need not be rejected as a threat to the Christian faith, as some have claimed. Rather, she finds, the lessons in Harry Potter not only echo many of the stories in the Bible but also reinforce the central messages of Christianity.

Written accessibly in short three- to four-page chapters, Neal’s The Gospel According to Harry Potter is both a much-needed stroke of interpretive genius and a fascinating reflection on our time’s most popular literary series. This is a must-read for everyone intrigued by the Harry Potter phenomenon!


Webmaster's Review: How anyone can read the "Gospel According to Harry Potter" without smiling is beyond me.

Connie Neal takes a somewhat tongue-in-cheek approach to prove that people will find what they are looking for in Harry Potter. While many of Harry's critics have used selective readings and reductionist techniques to "prove" Harry Potter promotes witchcraft or occult ideas, Neal uses the same techniques to "prove" that Harry Potter is trying to smuggle the gospel of Jesus Christ.

While Connie Neal is clear that she does not believe Rowling is attempting to smuggle the gospel or promote Christian ideas, she presents so many wonderful parallels to the Bible that you may find yourself wondering. This is the gospel explained simply, beautifully, and with Harry along for the ride.

What Neal does believe is that works of fantasy can be wonderful launching points for deeper discussions. She provides many such points, as well as a refresher on many of the basic beliefs of Christianity.

There are a few small factual errors in the book, such as mispelled names of minor character, but they are few and don't detracted from the over all experience.

Reviews should be a minimum of 200 words. We are specifically interested in reviews that deal with parental and Christian concerns. To submit a review on this book, write to submissions@christnhp.org

Notes
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