Harry Potter and the Repetitious Blog
I submit the second post (of seven?) in the "Harry Potter" series. I'm not one for beating dead horses, or live ones even, but I'm rather enjoying making up the titles. My original post is here, for those seeking the context that I summarize below.
The question that started this all concerned whether or not Christians should ban, forbid, or disregard certain media. My answer, for those who could read between the lines, was "no" with a "but." The "no" stems largely from the fact that I believe Christians must thoughtfully engage their culture (n.b., "thoughtfully"). The "but" finds most of its basis in stumbling blocks: We have to be watchful of what we ingest, and how much.
The matter of media becomes much more complicated with respect to children, of course. As I watch my son grow up, I'm already thinking ahead to how I balance protection with allowing an instructive bump or bruise. Of course, with the Harry Potter books, I find them as harmless as any other fiction I've read. I will be quite comfortable letting Henry read them when he's of age, and will lose little sleep over him deciding to become Wiccan as a result.
I thought in this post I'd comment a bit more on the comments (I got TWO of them!) I received, particularly the matter of children (or adults) picking up on subtexts within a story. My anonymous commenter expressed certainty that children wouldn't pick up on religious subtexts within books (e.g., Potter, Narnia, His Dark Materials).
I think this is a tough nut to crack, so I'm not as certain. As Danny mentioned, their (our) worldview is shaped, sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically, by our culture, and what our minds ingest day to day. If a child (or adult) reads many books with a strong anti-authority or anti-institution bias (e.g., His Dark Materials, Catcher in the Rye) it is quite possible that s/he may begin to develop a suspicion of authority in part thanks to these books.
Now, again, this isn't intrinsically wrong. In my anonymous poster's words, "Isn't it better to allow, and even encourage, our children to read these books, even the most controversial, and then provide the opportunity for safe, frank discussion of the issues therein?" Yea and Amen.
What we mustn't forget, however, is that sometimes these "issues" are hard to get at, because they are subtexts: they're subtle, and often dovetail very nicely with the cultural milieu. They are the unexamined assumptions that litter our culture today: We don't really know whence they came, but they're always there, coating the lens through which we view the world. In this way, I would almost prefer overt assaults on Christianity over and against the subtle ones: they're easier to target and discuss.
This just to say (call it point #6), that with regards to media, we must be prepared to carefully examine the assumptions and subtexts in what our children read. Note that said assumptions aren't necessarily bad. Take Harry Potter: (1) There's a very clear line drawn between good and evil. Even more, Human egalitarianism is clearly associated with the "good" and cultural elitism is clearly associated with "evil." (2) The theme of friendship is honestly portrayed, complete with arguments and reconciliations. (3) Self-sacrifice for a greater good is a neon sign throughout.
So, read and watch everything, and let your kids do the same (age appropriate and within reason, of course!) BUT be ever ready to uncover and examine the unsaid but implied, good and bad. I would go so far as to say that we would do well to apply such advice to anything we encounter.
Finally, (call this point #7) I would add that we should be sure to watch our diet: Watch and read everything, yes, but be sure that you're spending copious time engaging with the Truth, too. Harry Potter will entertain, but God's Word will sustain. Assaults on our faith can challenge and strenthen us, but so also can the Word. Let's thoughtfully engage on both ends, and all across, the spectrum. Given our fallen world and hearts, I submit that the scales of our diet should tip towards "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable...or praiseworthy."
The question that started this all concerned whether or not Christians should ban, forbid, or disregard certain media. My answer, for those who could read between the lines, was "no" with a "but." The "no" stems largely from the fact that I believe Christians must thoughtfully engage their culture (n.b., "thoughtfully"). The "but" finds most of its basis in stumbling blocks: We have to be watchful of what we ingest, and how much.
The matter of media becomes much more complicated with respect to children, of course. As I watch my son grow up, I'm already thinking ahead to how I balance protection with allowing an instructive bump or bruise. Of course, with the Harry Potter books, I find them as harmless as any other fiction I've read. I will be quite comfortable letting Henry read them when he's of age, and will lose little sleep over him deciding to become Wiccan as a result.
I thought in this post I'd comment a bit more on the comments (I got TWO of them!) I received, particularly the matter of children (or adults) picking up on subtexts within a story. My anonymous commenter expressed certainty that children wouldn't pick up on religious subtexts within books (e.g., Potter, Narnia, His Dark Materials).
I think this is a tough nut to crack, so I'm not as certain. As Danny mentioned, their (our) worldview is shaped, sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically, by our culture, and what our minds ingest day to day. If a child (or adult) reads many books with a strong anti-authority or anti-institution bias (e.g., His Dark Materials, Catcher in the Rye) it is quite possible that s/he may begin to develop a suspicion of authority in part thanks to these books.
Now, again, this isn't intrinsically wrong. In my anonymous poster's words, "Isn't it better to allow, and even encourage, our children to read these books, even the most controversial, and then provide the opportunity for safe, frank discussion of the issues therein?" Yea and Amen.
What we mustn't forget, however, is that sometimes these "issues" are hard to get at, because they are subtexts: they're subtle, and often dovetail very nicely with the cultural milieu. They are the unexamined assumptions that litter our culture today: We don't really know whence they came, but they're always there, coating the lens through which we view the world. In this way, I would almost prefer overt assaults on Christianity over and against the subtle ones: they're easier to target and discuss.
This just to say (call it point #6), that with regards to media, we must be prepared to carefully examine the assumptions and subtexts in what our children read. Note that said assumptions aren't necessarily bad. Take Harry Potter: (1) There's a very clear line drawn between good and evil. Even more, Human egalitarianism is clearly associated with the "good" and cultural elitism is clearly associated with "evil." (2) The theme of friendship is honestly portrayed, complete with arguments and reconciliations. (3) Self-sacrifice for a greater good is a neon sign throughout.
So, read and watch everything, and let your kids do the same (age appropriate and within reason, of course!) BUT be ever ready to uncover and examine the unsaid but implied, good and bad. I would go so far as to say that we would do well to apply such advice to anything we encounter.
Finally, (call this point #7) I would add that we should be sure to watch our diet: Watch and read everything, yes, but be sure that you're spending copious time engaging with the Truth, too. Harry Potter will entertain, but God's Word will sustain. Assaults on our faith can challenge and strenthen us, but so also can the Word. Let's thoughtfully engage on both ends, and all across, the spectrum. Given our fallen world and hearts, I submit that the scales of our diet should tip towards "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable...or praiseworthy."
posted by bmarchio at 7:51 AM
3 Comments:
"Harry Potter will entertain, but God's Word will sustain."
Printing up the t-shirts right now...
Can I get an Amen? I said, can I GET and Amen?!? Lord have mercy...
Neato, I've been quoted!
Interestingly, in the current Time magazine there is an article comparing the Narnia movies to The Golden Compass. The point of the article is that the Narnia movies are better and higher-grossing, but there are a few interesting points about how the religious aspects of the stories were handled in the film - basically, they were squelched in favor of telling a good fairytale.
From the article:
"The changes were inevitable and probably for the best. Not many kids beg to be told a ripping yarn with a feline Messiah. The theological touches in the Lewis and Pullman books are things for adults to ponder--and, when the movie versions come out, to praise or protest. Remember when that pagan fable about Harry Potter appeared as a film? An anguished cry rose from certain Christian groups, but that didn't stop the movies from grossing billions, nor did the films noticeably corrupt the little ones."
I don't really have any additional point to make here, just found it germane to the discussion. :)
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