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behind the scenes - Did J. K. Rowling's Religious Beliefs Determine Much in Harry Potter?


I can't find the link, but I remember reading a quote that J. K. Rowling said that she didn't believe in witches and wizards and magic, and that the only reason she could write about it was because she didn't believe in it. She also said, "I believe in God, not magic."


The Wikipedia article on her does include some information on her religious views. While she attended church throughout writing Harry Potter, there's also indications that she's ambivalent about religion, saying, at one point, that she hopes her faith will return.


And Harry Potter, with is dying and returning from the dead, is a pretty strong Jesus parallel.


I'm not clear on just where she's coming from. While she was a regular attender of church (while that doesn't prove anything), she talks about her faith returning to her (indicating she feels she's lost it), but is also writing in a setting (a magical one with witches and wizards as the good people) that is not accepted by some churches.


She also has said, "I believe in the permanence of the soul," yet, she writes about how Voldemort's soul is destroyed, piece by piece.



So even though Harry Potter is about witches and wizards and magic, is it essentially a story that was based on her religious beliefs? Are there characters who have parallels in her religion and are many of the stories based on parables? Or are there other ways that her beliefs, or possible ambivalence of beliefs have had a strong influence on her writing?


Note: I am not asking about religion, or what is right or wrong or true or false. The only person's religious beliefs that have any place being discussed here would be those of the author J. K. Rowling and if and what kind of effect those beliefs had on the Harry Potter characters and stories.



Answer



All the information I can find confirms that the Harry Potter series is indeed a Christian allegory. As a reader, I didn't pick up on it, but apparently it is so!


According to J.K. Rowling, it's not that she didn't want to admit the series was fairly deeply ingrained with the traditions of Christian theology (as she had avoided the topic of religious allegory for many years), it was that she didn't want to tip her hand to readers as to how the series might end. She believed that if she openly discussed the Christian parallels, the major themes/plot-lines of Deathly Hallows might be obvious (i.e. Harry dying and then coming back to life à la Jesus' resurrection)


In The Religion News Blog on 10.26.00, JKR confirms her Christianity. When asked if she is a Christian, she answers:



”Yes, I am,” she says. ”Which seems to offend the religious right far worse than if I said I thought there was no God. Every time I’ve been asked if I believe in God, I’ve said yes, because I do, but no one ever really has gone any more deeply into it than that, and I have to say that does suit me, because if I talk too freely about that I think the intelligent reader, whether 10 or 60, will be able to guess what’s coming in the books.”



And in 2007, she re-confirms the Christian subtext:




"To me [the religious parallels have] always been obvious," [J.K. Rowling] said. "But I never wanted to talk too openly about it because I thought it might show people who just wanted the story where we were going."

J.K. Rowling - Press Conference 10.15.07 - Open Book Tour for Deathly Hallows



JKR believes the series is epitomized by two distinct Bible verses:



"They're very British books, so on a very practical note Harry was going to find biblical quotations on tombstones," Rowling explained. "[But] I think those two particular quotations he finds on the tombstones at Godric's Hollow, they sum up — they almost epitomize the whole series."

J.K. Rowling - Press Conference 10.15.07 - Open Book Tour for Deathly Hallows



The Bible verses are:


The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:26 - Inscribed on James and Lily Potter's tombstone.


and



Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21 - Inscribed on Kendra and Arianna Dumbledore's tombstone.


The Word of God, I suppose, coming to you via MTV News.


ETA: 01.18.15 On December 16, 2014, J.K. Rowling announced on Twitter that Ravenclaw student Anthony Goldstein is Jewish. So while the Harry Potter series remains a Christian allegory, at least one other religion -- Judaism -- is now represented in her universe. That said, Judaism doesn't seem to be represented in the plot of the Harry Potter stories themselves. I thought this was obliquely relevant to the question, so decided to edit it in.


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