You Get Credit For THAT?

Harry Potter, that loveable character that our generation has come to so fondly identify with. J.K. Rowling has created one of the most successful franchises of our time. Books, movies, magazines, video games, and even those gross jelly beans are all a part of the Harry Potter Empire. This has made an irreversible impact on pop culture, and on literature forever, like it or not. Though some may be utterly opposed to the series Rowling will likely stand among the great fantasy authors like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

I have never taken the Harry Potter series seriously. I have never actually read past the third book (the first three I read when I was between the ages of 10 and 13). I watched the movies, and I was merely entertained. I never took the time to dig deeper into the ideas that Rowling was putting forth, as I thought it was a child’s story and nothing more.

Lately, I had been considering an FDS (faculty directed study). This class will give me three credits as an upper level English course, and I will study under a professor who guides my reading and work. You can imagine my surprise when my professor suggested Harry Potter as a possible subject for study. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized just how beneficial this FDS could be.

Harry Potter, as a work of literature, as a shaper of pop culture, and as a source of evangelical controversy, is an invaluable subject to know. Is Harry Potter “from the devil?” Is it a postmodern apologetic written in the vein of Narnia and Lord of the Rings? Is this work of fiction edifying to us as Christians? I plan to explore questions like these and many of the themes of Harry Potter in the coming months, and I will certainly keep you all updated as to what I find out. I just purchased the first book, and I am about to get started!

Grace and Peace,

Jacob Given

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