On Thursday I am leading a semi-evangelistic book discussion on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
I am not a die-hard fan, but I do like the books and believe it provides a deeply real way into discussing the Gospel. I am not intending to draw direct links to Christianity myself (except perhaps at the close), but hope to enlarge imaginations so that the Gospel can be comprehended better once it is heard. The many Christians who will be there will no doubt make the significant links for me and hopefully also see the superiority of the Gospel.
I will probably improve it after some sleep, but here is a link to the questions, plus loads and loads of quotations on the three themes I hope to discuss:
- trust
- death; and
- love
I would like to have done remorse as well but there won't be time. Feedback welcome. I will probably edit this post after the event.
brilliant! simply brilliant.
ReplyDeletefeels like david zahl. ;)
interested by your picking up who was into each hallow, I'd like to hear where that goes in the book. I think "King's Cross" is hugely significant in it. the secret doorway, the defeat of death, "pity not the dead, pity the living without love", etc... reminded me of Chesterton, they have lost the light of the faith but can't get out of its shadow
I really love David Zahl!! Although, as I said to a friend yesterday. He's a wonderful place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. The Bible is just too good.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of David Zahl?
I've just revised the questions (check them out again if you like) and downplayed the distinctions between the 3 hallows as I don't think it is near enough to the surface.
The wand offers power to be personally avoid death by being powerful. Stone offers hope to avoid the pain of loss of loved ones (clear why Dumbledore and Harry, and JK Rowling herself is attracted to that). In the fable the cloak meant avoiding death for a time but the brother with the cloak finally "greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life".
The climax is where Harry does the same. As Dumbledore describes at Kings Cross, Harry is “the true master of death, because the true master does not seek to run away from Death. He accepts that he must die, and understands that there are far, far worse things in the living world than dying”
...Hmmm lots and lots of thoughts going round my head!
... the secret doorway, I hadn't thought of that.