Who among us does not know about Harry Potter? Love, fear, or hate him, we all know something about Harry Potter, because he is very much a part of our culture. Few books of our age have caused as much controversy as those about “the boy who lived” because of the sacrificial love of a mother.
Teachers love Harry Potter because their students will read thousands of pages of well-written narrative in lieu of playing video games. Libraries love Harry Potter because the books have wide appeal and are routinely checked out again and again by repeat readers because they are so enjoyable to read more than once. Vendors love Harry Potter because of all of the merchandising opportunities. Parents love Harry Potter because their kids are reading. And, some Christians love Harry Potter because the story is steeped in characters who exemplify virtue and who act courageously.
But Harry Potter is not loved by all. In fact, he is despised and feared by many. Large groups of Christians chief among them.
This article is not about the worthiness or lack thereof of Harry Potter. My own personal opinions on this series are still being formed. But I think it is important to mention that I am a devout Catholic Christian with traditional values and a great deal of sensitivity to the power of story. I have no use for the Netflix travesty which ruined Anne of Green Gables. I wrote a piece on the Handmaid’s Tale which garnered thousands of views and horrible hate mail. And, despite the recommendations of friends I love and respect, I think that The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place is problematic, that the Penderwicks books are lacking, and Percy Jackson is prohibited in my home. I think it is safe to say that I am extremely conservative but also, I hope, a thoughtful reader.
Typically, a reader of old books, I view new books with quite a bit of skepticism. With regard to the Harry Potter books, I read them as a young adult, and I loved them. As I became more formed in my faith and my reading taste, I began to understand some of the concerns that others had about them. As a young mother, I was at a loss for what to do with Harry Potter.
Several years ago, when I was falling in love with Chesterton, I discovered Nancy Brown. Mrs. Brown is a Chesterton scholar and has written a biography on Frances Chesterton as well as some children’s adaptations of Father Brown. In my discovery of her work, I discovered a marvelous little book that she wrote called The Mystery of Harry Potter: A Catholic Family Guide. This is what I wanted! I wanted someone who was well formed in my faith to take me by the hand and to help me understand the spiritual concerns with the Harry Potter books and then give me enough information about the books and about reliable Catholic commentary so that my husband and I could prayerfully discern how to handle the books with our family.
This book articulates the primary objections and concerns that Christian families may have with regard to Harry and responds to them with commentary from other critics, evidence from the text, and good research. I am incredibly grateful for that!
I am not sure that I agree with all of Mrs. Brown’s arguments. And I am not suggesting that every reader will either. But I am exceedingly grateful for this text and am happy to have it in my library for other families to consider.
How did we resolve the Harry question for our family? We delayed inviting our children into the world of Harry Potter. And by the time we did, they had so many other books and series they loved more, that none of my children have ever cared to read more than a couple of the books.