Many are worried that the Harry Potter phenomenon will lead many young people to a greater involvement with the occult. Some such Christian criticisms of the stories are couched in almost hysterical terms. Other Christians defend the Harry Potter phenomenon pointing to the fantasy novels of C. S. Lewis - especially the Narnia stories. Don't they utilise magic to make their very Christian points?  Yes they do. However, although a great admirer of the Narnia books, I too have serious anxieties about the influence of the Harry Potter stories. I hope, though, that my concerns are not a hysterical over reaction.

I have seen the Harry Potter film, which I am told, is faithful to the first Harry Potter book. I cannot comment on the other Harry Potter books - not having read them. However I am told (by Christian friends) that, just as in the first story, Harry Potter is a force for good against evil. There are moral lessons in the stories.

So what is the problem I have?
Don't both the Narnia stories and the Harry Potter book use magic and witches/wizards in their accounts of the triumph of good over evil? Yes, but it is not as simple as that.

Before I explain, first let me acknowledge something very positive about the first story. At the end of the Harry Potter film we discover the power Harry unknowingly possesses that enables him to defeat the great evil creature. It is the power of the self-sacrificial love of Harry's late mother who gave her own life to save his.

The great power that overcomes evil in the Narnia stories is also self-sacrificial love - in this case the love of the great lion Aslan. However C. S. Lewis makes clear that Aslan represents God himself - the source of all goodness and love. The heart of the Narnia stories, then, is the cross of Christ in whom God was taking our death to himself, not counting our trespasses against us, thereby defeating the power of Evil.

This difference is not in itself a criticism of the Harry Potter story but it is important to point it out. In the Narnia stories self-giving love has an eternal source and ground. Will other books, yet to be written in the Harry Potter series, tell us of an eternal source of goodness?  We will have to wait and see.

My main worry about the Harry Potter story is that magic, witchcraft and wizardry is made to seem attractive and good. I know from recent pastoral experience (as well as the Bible itself of course) that dabbling in the occult has frightening and destructive consequences. This is true even if, at first, there was no sinister motive in getting involved in such things.

The characters in the Harry Potter film who oppose any dabbling in wizardry (his uncle, aunt and cousin) are portrayed as mean, selfish, cruel and stupid. Furthermore all who are not involved in magic are referred to as 'muggles' - surely a word meant to have negative connotations. As I watched the film it was this aspect of the story that made me spiritually most uneasy. 

What message does this aspect of the story give to the young people who watch it? 

Now a little about the Narnia stories. 
The first in the series is not - as many think - 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' but 'The Magician's Nephew ' which although actually written later' does precede 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, in that it explains the origin or the wardrobe and the witch.  It is this story which gives an explanation of: who the Lion is; how the wicked Witch first entered the Lion's beautiful creation, Narnia; and, how the wardrobe came to have its supernatural powers.

How do the children first encounter the other worlds including Narnia? They encounter them by the trickery of Uncle Andrew who dabbles in magic. He tricks them to go to other worlds by a magic he plays with, but does not understand.
It is through the children's entry into other worlds that the Witch is released to torment Narnia. I know full well that playing with witchcraft can easily lead to terrible fear and bondage.
And what of the story's verdict on Uncle Andrew who later himself is dragged into Narnia? He cannot bear the beauty and glory of the Creator and is finally made to seem a rather silly and frightened coward.

Most, if not all of us, have a yearning for a transcendent world. 
That, I believe, is because God exists and has made us for himself. ("Thou hast made us for thyself and our souls are restless until they find their rest in Thee." - St. Augustine.) However our spiritual quest can be dangerously misdirected.

Like earlier children's stories that involve witches, C. S. Lewis portrays this world's dabbling in magic as a very foolish, unattractive and dangerous activity.

The Harry Potter story has the reverse effect. As others have said, it represents the paganisation of children's culture. It has and will continue to be the source of many books/games etc that exploit this to the full. I find that disturbing.

Since writing the above my attention has been drawn to an article reproduced from 'Catholic World Report'. magazine. Its argument and conclusion is similar to mine but it is far more wide-ranging and detailed. To find this article on the Web click here .