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Christianity Today, September 4, 2000 |

The CT Review: Virtue on a Broomstick

The Harry Potter books, and the controversy surrounding them, bode well for the culture.

By Michael G. Maudlin | posted 9/7/00 | posted 9/04/2000 12:00AM

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Michael G. Maudlin is online executive editor of Christianity Today.

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More on Harry Potter and Christianity is available from the Center for Studies on New Religions ( CESNUR ) and the Apologetics Index .Last Sunday, the church of All Saints in Guildford, Surrey, England, had a special "Harry Potter" family service , complete with changes in the Church of England liturgy. "Some clergy from the Church of England's evangelical wing have protested, saying importing occult symbols into Christian liturgy is a terrible idea that can confuse children," reported the New York Post's Rod Dreher . "They're right—and I say that as someone who adores the Harry Potter books—but the real error here has nothing to do with the misuse of our beloved Harry. The real offense here is the profane notion that sacred liturgy can or should be made a slave of entertainment-driven faddishness." Meanwhile, evangelicals are protesting the use of Gloucester Cathedral in the upcoming Harry Potter movie. The cathedral will be used as the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.This unofficial fan site boasts children's illustrations , pictures of the Harry Potter movie cast , and printable paper dolls of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The official Harry Potter site doesn't offer as much peripheral information, but if it's information on the books you want, the official site at Scholastic is a fine place to begin.Read the transcript of a J.K.Rowling chat online , or read a three-part Rowling interview about writing, parenting, and fame. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire are all available from Amazon.com and other book retailers.Previous Christianity Today articles about Harry Potter include:Opinion Roundup: Positive About Potter | Despite what you've heard, Christian leaders like the children's books. (Dec. 13, 1999) Parents Push for Wizard-free Reading | Bestsellers now under fire in some classroom. (Dec. 13, 1999) Why We Like Harry Potter | The series is a 'Book of Virtues' with a preadolescent funny bone. (Dec. 13, 1999)

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September 4 2000, Vol. 44, No. 10

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