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So is that it? Is Rowling's Harry Potter a narrative exposition of the Gospel of Saint Matthew 6:19-24? I have not argued and do not contend it is only that. But, is Dumbledore a metaphor of "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also?" Is Snape a metaphor of "he will be devoted to the one and despise the other?" Is Harry a metaphor of the "eye is the lamp of the body?" Is Rowling's tale as didactic as it is delightful? We ought to seek lasting treasure. We cannot attempt to serve two masters. We are full of light only when we live out sacrificial love. "Nutters" as it sounds, I think Harry Potter 7 is Matthew 6.

All us Harry Potter fans must have our theories and explanations. I have shared with you one of mine. And with a genuine smile on my face, I will not begrudge you if you think me, in the words of Ron Weasley, "mental." Since you have made it this far, however, I will briefly mention the second verse Rowling quotes from the Bible, since it might help shed light on that annoying and insatiable evangelical question, "But is she really a Christian?"

After Harry and Hermione discover the grave of Dumbledore's mother and sister, they come upon the grave of Harry's parents. On that tombstone too is an epitaph, another word-for-word quote from the Bible. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15:26). I think it most likely that Dumbledore is responsible for this inscription also, as there seems to be no other person in the Potters' lives who would take precedence over him in this decision. Now in the context of that Scripture passage it is the crucifixion and literal resurrection of Jesus that conquers death. Rowling and Dumbledore could have put anything on the Potters' tombstone. They did not have to quote the Bible. They did not have to reference the New Testament passage that most explicitly connects Jesus' death and resurrection with a genuine faith. But they did quote that very passage. She seems to me too careful a writer to make this reference without its fullest meaning in mind.

One last thing. Quite a few Christian critics of Rowling suggest she is not so careful a writer when it comes to her understanding of the afterlife. Interestingly, this judgment often comes from Christian readers who enjoy Harry Potter but feel Rowling has an underdeveloped view of Eternity. Sure, there are ghosts. Yes, wizards live on a bit in their pictures. There is a Resurrection Stone that sort of brings dead people back to life. That chapter "King's Cross" in Deathly Hallows is kind of heaven-like. But let's face it, the glimpses Harry Potter gives us into the afterlife are hardly Aslan's Country or the Grey Havens.

Those observations are true. And they could uncover Rowling's primitive theology of Eternity. But I really don't think so. If Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is, as I have argued, informed by Matthew 6:19-24, then it seems to me that Rowling, like Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, is concerned more with the earthly side of Eternity.

Dave Bruno is cofounder of ChristianAudio.com. He blogs regularly at StuckInStuff.com, where an earlier version of this article appeared.

Copyright © 2007 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is available from Amazon.com and other retailers.

Our coverage of Deathly Hallows and on the complete series includes:

Spoiler Alert | The Harry Potter craze suggests we're not telling the Christian story right. (August 2, 2007)

(A Bit Less) Positive About Potter | How Focus on the Family, Prison Fellowship, and others have—and haven't—changed their views about the books over the years. (July 26, 2007)

What Would Jonathan Edwards Say About Harry Potter? | How the preacher responded to pop culture's version of transcendence. (July 24, 2007)

The Gospel According to J.K. Rowling | The magic world of Harry Potter begins yielding to a 'deeper magic.' (July 23, 2007)

For more articles on previous Harry Potter books and movies, see our full coverage area.

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August (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51