Catholics and Harry Potter
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VIDEO TIMESTAMPS
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Introduction
Why Catholics should Read Harry Potter
14:19 - Reason #1: Encourages virtues that are in short supply among children today
17:39 - Reason #2: Offers reflections on important, but little-discussed topics that children deal with
20:25 - Reason #3: Re-enchants our flattened-out, secular world
23:59 - Reason #4: Series is deeply Biblical and loaded with Christian symbolism
30:05 - Reason #5: Very pro-life, pro-family
34:00 - Reason #6: Produces a huge surge in reading among children
37:07 - Reason #7: Harry Potter is the shared text of our generation
Why Catholics should Not Read Harry Potter
38:40 - Objection #1: Harry Potter promotes occult magic
51:32 - Objection #2: The books glorify evil behavior
55:42 - Objection #3: Pope Benedict XVI denounced the Harry Potter books
1:05:31 - Objection #4: Several Catholic exorcists have criticized the books
1:07:33 - Fr. Gabriele Amorth's criticism of the books
1:13:40 - Fr. Chad Ripperger's criticism of the books
1:40:39 - Objection #5: The Catholic novelist Michael O’Brien says the series is a kind of anti-Gospel
1:50:25 - Objection #6: J.K. Rowling said Dumbledore is gay
Conclusion
Q&A Session
2:00:51 - I wonder if those who are very critical of the Harry Potter series have read the whole series?
2:02:13 - Can you supply a list of the resources, specifically the USCCB statements from the U.S. bishops that Julian is quoting?
2:02:50 - Can you say more about how, in each book, there appears a helper that is a known image/metaphor for Christ?
2:04:50 - Are the phoenix bird tears in Harry Potter similar to the Catholic Church's anointing of the sick?
2:06:13 - Does it say anywhere in Catholic teaching that uttering or reading a spell without the intention to cast it could pose a spiritual danger?
2:09:19 - How do you handle these books as a parent? At what ages should children read the books?
2:12:10 - Can we draw any conclusions about the visions of deceased witches and wizards in the books?
2:13:24 - Okay, even granting everything you've said, that there aren't good arguments that Harry Potter is intrinsically evil, why would we encourage kids to read this stuff when there are so many better books they could be reading instead?
Copyright © 2021 Brandon Vogt
BONUS RESOURCES
Books
Positive
Critical
- Harry Potter and the Paganization of Culture by Michael O’Brien
Articles and Videos
Positive
- Is Harry Potter for Catholics? by Regina Doman
- Review of The Mystery of Harry Potter by Karen Edmisten
- “Answers to Ten Arguments Against Harry Potter” by John P. Clark
- “Catholic Church Stands Up for Harry Potter” by Fr. Peter Fleetwood (Pontifical Council for Culture)
- Review of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by USCCB (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops)
- Review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 by USCCB (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops)
- Review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 by USCCB (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops)
Critical
- Fr. Ripperger on Harry Potter (audio) + Trent Horn's point-by-point response (audio)
- Ten Arguments Against Harry Potter by Gabriele Kuby, author who corresponded with Cardinal Ratzinger
Other
- How the 'Harry Potter' books are replacing the Bible as millennials' foundational text (Religion News Service)
- Pope Benedict XVI / Joseph Ratzinger on Harry Potter by Jimmy Akin
- 9 Reasons the Weasleys Are (Probably) a Catholic Family by Haley Stewart
- How Hogwarts Prepared Me for the Liturgical Year by Haley Stewart
- Hallowmas with Harry: What Harry Potter Taught Me About Death and the Communion of Saints by Haley Stewart
- Catholics and Harry Potter (video, Brian Holdsworth)
Meet Your Hosts
Brandon Vogt
Founder of ClaritasU and Senior Publishing Director at Bishop Robert Barron's Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. Author of seven books, including Why I Am Catholic (And You Should Be Too).
Nancy Brown
Author of The Mystery of Harry Potter: A Catholic Family Guide and The Woman Who Was Chesterton, the definitive biography of G.K. Chesterton's wife, Frances.
