- Paperback: 186 pages
- Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (Jan 15 1984)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0664226019
- ISBN-13: 978-0664226015
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14 x 1.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 272 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,369,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Westminster John Knox Press had a hit a generation ago with The Gospel According to Peanuts, and is now rapidly expanding the franchise, with The Gospel According to the Simpsons released last year and titles on J.R.R. Tolkien and Disney still to come. This entry by Neal (What's a Christian to Do with Harry Potter?) takes on J.K. Rowling's conservative Christian critics with an exhaustive enumeration of parallels some striking, some skimpy between Rowling's fictional world and the tenets of Christian belief. Platform nine and three-quarters becomes a reminder of the nature of faith; Albus Dumbledore shows mercy much like the Christian God. Neal is well aware that pagan readers of the series can find plenty of parallels of their own to the world of witchcraft, and she admits that such prooftexting is only marginally more substantial than finding castles and chariots in cloud formations, but she plods on doggedly nonetheless. The overall effect is disappointing on two fronts. Readers will find little here that genuinely illuminates Rowling's moral or literary vision, at least any more than Dumbledore does himself in his more sermonic moments. And juxtaposed with Harry's fantastic world, the claims of Christianity seem to lose rather than gain plausibility, becoming just another interesting fairy tale. Still, Christian fans of Harry will be glad that someone is countering the critics, and Neal's earnest writing may win both Rowling and the Gospels a few new readers.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The author of more than 30 books, Neal (What's a Christian To Do with Harry Potter) makes another entry in the field of explication of Harry Potter according to Gospel standards. While such an effort may seem ill-conceived to the casual observer, Neal's attempt is far from the first of its kind (think of The Gospel According to Peanuts) and not alone in the current book market (think of The Gospel According to the Simpsons, by which the author admits she was inspired). Neal's approach is not surprising, drawing moral lessons from Rowling's explicitly moral books, adding her own Scriptural parallels but her defense of the books should be a welcome ally for many librarians and readers who have seen the Potter series assailed for its depiction of magic. For most collections.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great book for Christians and Harry Potter fans,
By "disneyfreak1225" (Hadley, PA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Gospel According To Harry Pott (Paperback)
The second I saw this book I knew I must have it. Being a Christian and a Harry Potter fan, it is difficult to hear all of the negative comments made about the books. Connie Neal makes it easy to defend my attraction to Harry Potter.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, the Voice of Sanity,
By "hollygirl717" (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Gospel According To Harry Pott (Paperback)
Connie Neal has written a gem of a book that any parent or caregiver can use to help the child(ren) in their life benefit from the moral reflection available in the Harry Potter books. It is so wonderful to see a Christian using sanity, reason, and common sense in dealing with the Potter phenomenon instead of the knee-jerk reactions made by so many Christian "leaders" who don't even bother to READ THE BOOKS before they condemn them. Way to go, Connie. Thank you.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting read, not strong for group study,
By
This review is from: Gospel According To Harry Pott (Paperback)
Our Sunday School class tried to use this book as a basis for a weekly class. While the book itself is engaging and interesting, you really have to be a die-hard Harry Potter fan to come back to it week after week. The book does not work well for group study -- it is mainly a series of snippets from the novel combined with a Biblical application of that snippet. Each is short -- 2 to 3 pages -- and we found that the application information was highly repetitive. That said, I enjoyed reading the book myself, and would recommend it especially for anyone who's trying to relate the cultural context of Harry Potter to their religious convictions. The author does an outstanding job of pointing out the good in the books.
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