God, the Devil, and Harry Potter: A Christian Minister's Defense of the Beloved Novels. This item is unavailable.God, the Devil, and Harry Potter: A Christian Minister's Defense of the Beloved Novels

John Killinger tells readers why the Harry Potter books, far from corrupting children's morals, actually influence young readers to follow the teachings of Jesus. They are, the author claims, narratives of robust faith and morality. He shows that the world of Harry Potter would be inconceivable apart from the structures of Judeo-Christian theology and that Harry Potter, in his principles and actions, personifies the teachings of Jesus. He also reflects on the possibility that Harry Potter, like Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin and others, is a witting or unwitting Christ figure who actually battles the forces of darkness for the souls of the faithful. Killinger's argument is not only persuasive but enlightening- and, as the author says of the Harry Potter books, "a whopping good read".

John Killinger, who holds doctorates in both theology and literature, has taught courses in the theological aspects of contemporary literature at Vanderbilt University, the University of Chicago, City College of New York, and Stamford University. An ordained clergyman, he has been a minister in parishes in Virginia and California, and presently serves as the minister of the Little Stone Church, a resort parish on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Among his many publications are several books in the field of literary criticism, including Hemingway and the Dead Gods and The Failure of Theology in Modern Literature. He has also written two novels, Jessie and The Night Jessie Sang at the Opry, which feature Christ as a woman in modern times.