[Editor’s warning: In case for some reason you haven’t finished HP7, consider yourself warned: spoilers below, but only after the jump, to avoid accidental reading. You’re welcome.]
Parental protesters and book banners will be shocked to know that after years of trying to burn Harry Potter at the stake, their efforts were in vain. Far from being the devil’s handiwork, author JK Rowling has revealed that, from the very beginning, she had carefully planned to weave Christian imagery into her seven-book series.

As faithful (pun intended) readers have noticed, each book has echoed more and religious themes from the Bible: the importance of sacrificial love (Harry’s parents, Dumbledore), the battle against ultimate darkness and evil (Voldemort and his demonic followers, the Death Eaters), the blessings of loyal and fierce followers (Ron and Ginny, the Order of the Phoenix), and the blessing of life after death (Harry “resurrecting” in book 7). And, whether knowingly or unknowingly, Rowling infused her stories and her book heroes with the fruit of the spirit (outlined in Galatians 5:22-23), the qualities of humility important to Christianity: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Also, as MTV.com points out, even though Rowling starts out the final book with quotes from two books, one Christian and one pagan, it is Christianity that eventually reveals itself as the backbone of the series. When Harry Potter visits the cemetery at Godric’s Hollow, “[o]n his parents’ tombstone he reads the quote. ‘The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death,’ while on another tombstone (that of Dumbledore’s mother and sister) he reads, ‘Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ […] The second is a direct quote of Jesus from Matthew 6:19, the first from 1 Corinthians 15:26.”
The Christian faith is obviously important to Rowling — a regular churchgoer — and it is safe to revive the comparison of her works to JRR Tolkien’s famous series. While the “Harry Potter” series is not as deeply rich and involved as “Lord of the Rings,” both succeed at melding the world of wizards and magic spells with qualities important to Christianity.
Perhaps it’s time to lift the ban on Harry Potter and get those books back in libraries and churches.