The Harry Potter series has been read and re-read countless times by millions of children and adults the world over, but the books haven’t been without controversy in Christian circles with many fundamentalist Christians claiming that it promotes witchcraft. One particular church in Alamogordo in New Mexico even went so far to hold a Harry Potter book burning event claiming that “behind that innocent face is the power of satanic darkness.”
Now, a leading Christian thinker has come out in defence of the ‘boy wizard’. Theologian Rev Dr Stephen Holmes believes that Harry Potter should be seen as a "Christ-like" figure because he promotes Biblical values, and because his story has striking Christian references.
Holmes is the Acting Head of Divinity at St Andrews University, and thinks that some religious commentators had been far too quick to condemn the phenomenally successful series. Holmes read the books after hearing them being denounced and concluded that instead of being evil, they actually contain a very obvious Christian narrative.
He said: "What do you need to succeed at Hogwarts? Courage, self-sacrifice, careful logic and to be unselfish. It's almost a classical list of Christian values.
"The behaviour that is recommended in the Potter books is profoundly Christian."
Dr Holmes believes that the Biblical motif becomes most obvious in the final book, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, the film version of which is due to released next month. Holmes referred to the final confrontation between Harry Potter and his arch-enemy Lord Voldemort as being a prime example.
"What happens gives the strong impression that Harry dies, discovers an afterlife in a place called King's Cross - a striking reference from a Christian perspective - and comes back to life.
"The effect of his death has been to render impotent the power of evil. That is a Christian narrative which is almost impossible not to recognise,” Holmes added.
The author of the book series, JK Rowling, while being a regular churchgoer, continually insists that the books have no particular religious themes at all.
She said in 2007: "I did not set out to convert anyone to Christianity. I wasn't trying to do what CS Lewis (author of the Chronicles of Narnia) did. It is perfectly possible to live a very moral life without a belief in God, and I think it's perfectly possible to live a life peppered with ill-doing and believe in God."