In First Things, Mark Shea writes:
The magic of Harry is, as John Granger points out, “incantational,” not “invocational,” exactly like the magic of Gandalf. Born with the talent for magic, Gandalf says the magic words and fire leaps forth from his staff, just as from Harry’s wand. No principalities or powers are invoked in HP. Indeed, if any words are “invocational” they are the prayer to Elbereth and Gilthoniel uttered in Middle Earth. Yet nobody accuses Tolkien of promoting the worship of false gods. That’s because we understand Tolkien’s fictional subcreation and its rootedness in Christian thought. I suggest Christian critics try to extend Rowling the same charity.
Spoiler warning. [via Mars Hills Audio]
Amen!
I have heard too many Christians criticize Rowling and the Harry Potter series, and I would bet that most of them have never read the books. I wish some Christians would spend more time providing high quality literature instead of criticizing the works of others. There is too much of “this is bad”, and very little of “this is good”.
I’m with you, and I have wanted to be one of those who provides good literature for others to criticize, but like so many I have not given enough of my time to it yet.
Great article, but I disagree with him on (SPOILERS!) Snape killing Dumbledore.
He leaves out an important fact. While he admits that Dumbledore’s death was inevitable and points out mercy killing is not right he forgets one important factor: That when Dumbledore died it would only be a matter of time before Hogwarts and Wizarding Britain fell to Voldemort.
By having his double agent Snape do the deed he ensured that any doubts on Snape’s loyalty, at least any doubts in Voldemort’s mind, were erased thus ensuring that when Voldemort came to power it would be Snape who would be appointed as head of Hogwarts, which proved to be VITAL to Harry during the 7th Book and final battle.
Voldemort behaved exactly as Dumbledore predicted.
Dumbledore simply arranged things so that his inevitable death would work to his long-term advantage.
On TVtropes the terms for this are “Batman Gambit” and “Thanatos Gambit”.
Just my two cents