“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,” is perhaps one of the most famous quotes from the Harry Potter franchise. It’s befitting as it embodies the very essence of Harry Potter himself, as he is always getting into magical mischief. Yet, despite all the trouble Harry gets into and all the rules he breaks, he always tries to save the day by doing what he believes is morally right, and by doing so, he is able to defeat, Lord Voldemort, the most powerful dark wizard ever to live. This makes Harry the ultimate hero as he wins the battle over evil and saves the entire world.
When you look at Harry Potter as a whole, it’s an enjoyable fantasy story about a boy who overcomes all the odds and saves the world. Yet, for some people, its themes were controversial, as it’s a series about magic, spells, wizards, and witches. Some Christians wanted the franchise banned, believing it has connections to dark magic, sorcery, and satanism. These allegations could have merit if you were to only take a surface-level look at the series. However, if you go deeper into the story, the spells, and the characters, the religious symbolism and Christian themes of Harry Potter become clearer.
Horcruxes and Splitting the Soul
Lord Voldemort, or he who must not be named (as he is commonly referred to throughout the franchise), has a great fear of death and to protect himself has created seven Horcruxes. A Horcrux is typically an object (although not always, as Harry and Nagini the snake were both one) that is created by dark magic and is infused with a piece of the creator’s soul. To split one’s soul, the creator has to do something extremely evil, like murder. Splitting one’s soul is an immoral and unnatural act and therefore, any kind of magic or talk related to Horcruxes is banned at Hogwarts.
In the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Professor Slughorn notes that “the soul is supposed to remain intact and whole…splitting it is an act against nature.” To repair one’s soul, regret must be shown. This is evidenced in the final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when Harry asks Hermione Granger if anything can be done to repair the soul after it’s been split and her answer is “remorse.”
Are Horcruxes Sin?
Some Christians believe that sin damages your soul and if your soul is too badly damaged when you die, you are unable to enter the kingdom of heaven. They also believe that the soul should be kept pure and without blemish. Finally, they believe that you should make amends for your sins and atone for them by showing remorse and asking God for forgiveness.
In addition, the Roman Catholic Church categorizes sin into two categories: venial and mortal sin. Venial are small offenses such as lying or stealing. These are comparable to misdemeanor charges, although not all venial sins are considered criminal offenses in the eyes of the law. Likewise, mortal sins are comparable with felonies. These would be things like rape or murder. Catholics believe that it’s impossible to enter the kingdom of heaven if you perish with mortal sins on your soul without addressing the damage.
If you did commit a mortal sin, you would have to ask forgiveness and repent for the sin, through the sacrament of reconciliation, also known as confession. When a Catholic goes to confession, they confess their sins before a priest who then absolves them and asks them to perform penance to atone for their wrongful actions. Penance is any act the priest deems necessary, and after the penance is performed, your soul is restored back to its former purity. The Christian idea of sin and repentance to restore your soul is similar to the process of creating and undoing a Horcrux in JK Rowling’s wizarding world.
The Patronus Charm in Harry Potter
Harry first learns of the Patronus Charm in the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when he finds himself targeted by dementors, wraithlike dark creatures who guard the magical prison of Azkaban and sucks souls from their victims. To protect himself, Harry masters the Patronus Charm which is the most famous and difficult defensive charm to learn. Therefore, this spell takes an incredibly powerful witch or wizard. When casting the Patronus Charm, the caster must choose an incredibly powerful memory and then say the words, Expecto Patronum and if successful, a translucent silver mist will appear in the form of an animal. The Patronus Charm is the only spell effective against Dementors, and it can also be used as a messenger between wizards.
The religious symbolism here is in the spell itself, Expecto Patronum, which is Latin and roughly translates into ‘I expect (or await) a guardian or protector.' In addition, the word Patronum in Ancient Rome was someone of a high class or position of power who had a ‘patronage’ relationship with someone of a lower status. The word ’patronage’ is believed to be related to the term ‘Pater,’ which means ‘father.’ So, if you look at the Patronus Charm through a Christian lens, it’s comparable to praying and asking for divine intervention from God the Father, The Creator and Protector of all (or from confession with a priest, often called Father).
Harry Potter, Savior of the World
Perhaps the most common connection between Harry Potter and Christianity is Harry’s sacrifice to save the world, much like Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross to save humanity. Towards the end of the series, Harry learns that he is one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. When Voldemort tried to kill him as a baby, the selfless love from Harry’s mother caused Voldemort’s curse to backfire, and in doing so he unwillingly gave some of his powers to Harry in addition to a piece of his soul. Therefore, for Voldemort to be killed, Harry knew that he needed to die, and willingly sacrificed himself.
Nagini the Snake and Satan
In Christian theology, the snake is often associated with the devil. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, lived in paradise until a serpent (which, according to certain exegeses, is an agent of Satan) tricked them into eating fruit from the forbidden tree of knowledge. As a result, they were kicked out of the garden and eventually experienced spiritual and physical death.
Lord Voldemort also has a snake called Nagini who does his bidding, much like the snake in the Garden of Eden did the devil’s. It’s also interesting to note that Harry, like Lord Voldemort, is a Parseltongue, which means that he can understand and converse with snakes. If we are to believe that Harry is a Christlike figure, then it makes sense that he would possess special abilities and be able to directly converse with snakes or Lord Voldemort, who is a devil-like figure. Christ did, after all, communicate with Satan in the New Testament stories of his three temptations in the desert.
From Harry's half-blood nature (reminiscent of Christ's nature as both human and God) to the mention of resurrection, there are numerous instances throughout the Harry Potter movies and books which could be explicated through a Christian lens. While the whole wizarding world can obviously be enjoyed without this interpretation, at the very least, the theological metaphors in Harry Potter should prevent any religious controversy.