A Charmed Life: The Spirituality of Potterworld [Paperback]

Francis Bridger (Author)

Book Description

In this enlightening look at J.K. Rowling's phenomenal bestsellers, a Christian minister illuminates the powerful, positive message Harry Potter and his magical world bring to readers of all ages.

Potter fever has swept the world and shows no signs of abating. the books and the recent movie have attracted millions of followers and fans, all of them eagerly awaiting the next installments. Along with the widespread enjoyment and appreciation of Harry Potter and his friendships, however, criticism of the series has also emerged. The opposition has focused on two issues; the darkness of the novels and their apparent endorsement of witchcraft and the occult. In A Charmed Life, Francis Bridger, a theologian and pastor, argues that far from promoting the dark arts, the Potter books are firmly based in Christian values, and offer valuable insights into our characters, our relationships, our priorities, and our spirituality.

Taking readers on an entertaining tour of Potterworld, Bridger shows that each adventure presents new ways of expressing and exploring key spiritual issues, from the meaning of justice, to the need to confront fears, to the debilitating effects of evil. As Harry and his friends deal with one another, face their enemies, cope with their variously dysfunctional families, and experience the common problems o fgrowing up, Bridger domonstrates, it is their intrinsic human goodness, love, and friendship--not wizardry or magic--that allows them to triumph over evil.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The irony inherent in the suspicious reception of Harry Potter by conservative Christians, so different from their embrace of the equally magical worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, is not lost on Bridger, a theologian and principal of Trinity College in Bristol, England. This gently eloquent book points out the many ways in which J.K. Rowling is heir not only to Tolkien and Lewis's imaginative tradition, but to their theological tradition as well. While he scrupulously refrains from guessing what Rowling herself believes indeed, he strangely fails to cite her public affirmation that she is a member of the Church of Scotland and had her daughter christened there he is eager to unearth the distinct, if perhaps residual, Christian underpinnings of Rowling's moral universe. In her stark treatment of good and evil, her account of moral development and even her approach to magic (which he argues is more a literary device than the central interest of her writing), Bridger sees parallels between Rowling's world and that constructed by Christian faith. He reads Rowling with some sophistication, especially in his penultimate chapter, which offers some intriguing guesses about the shape of the series as a whole and the changing role of magic within it. If his writing has a certain air of professorial condescension, Bridger still offers more than enough reasons for Christians to follow Rowling's subsequent work with interest if they have not already placed their pre-order for volume five.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

"The moral Universe of Potterworld," says Bridger, "is one [of] real evil and real good." An Anglican scholar from England who has served as a parish pastor and currently teaches ethics to seminarians here and in Britain, Bridger identifies strong moral themes for all ages in the best-selling Harry Potter series in his brief, readable study. He asserts that although fantasy author Rowling never mentions Jesus or the Resurrection, her writings emphasize the superiority of the power of love over the love of power. Bridger provides many examples from the first Harry Potter novels that echo Christian teachings about positive relationships. Now that Harry can be seen on video, Rowling's critics are back in full force, so parents and educators will welcome the news that Harry Potter and his friends live by the Golden Rule. Highly recommended for public, school, and seminary libraries. [There is no shortage of Christian commentary on Harry Potter. Other recent titles include Connie Neal's The Gospel According to Harry Potter, which defends the series, and Richard Abanes's more strident Harry Potter and the Bible: The Menace Behind the Magick. Ed.] Joyce Smothers, Student, Princeton Theological Seminary, N.
- Joyce Smothers, Student, Princeton Theological Seminary, NJ
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Image; 1 edition (September 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385506651
• ISBN-13: 978-0385506656
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.4 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,909 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taking the road less taken, April 11, 2003

By 

Larry Gott (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Charmed Life: The Spirituality of Potterworld (Paperback)

Up till 'Charmed', books about HP have been (1) diatribes against the books due to the dark magic therein, (2) defenses against type 1, and (3) analyses of HP as literature. In types 1 and 2, the various authors usually tell the reader what his or her conclusion should be.

This book takes a different approach, one of positive analysis with thoughtful conclusions -- but not forcing those conclusions down the reader's throat. It is extremely well written -- and is as readable and enjoyable as the HP books themselves.

'A Charmed Life' is divided into 5 long chapters, plus a shorter 6th with conclusions, and the long chapters are helpfully broken by mid-chapter headings. These chapters give an indepth look at some of Rowling's favorite issues, such as:
(1) actions have consequences,
(2) beware of the deceitfulness of appearances [a major lesson in LOTR],
(3) the target audience [first, JKR herself; second, those that like an exciting mystery], and I might add parenthetically, when Jo Rowling is interviewed, she constantly insists that her books are written for older teens and adults.
(4) the world view -- what you see is not all there is, [helpful to the Christian]
(5) the complicatedness of the moral world -- when things aren't exactly black and white,
and (6) periodic comparisons with 'The Chronicles of Narnia', LOTR, and Lewis Carroll's works.

Bridger looks at the issues of faith, fact, and truth, as portrayed by Jo Rowling, and finds much that is compatable to the way Christians are to think and believe.

'Charmed' is a helpful book to those who want to think carefully about these things.
To those who like their conclusions given to them, it is not so helpful.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Potter as literature makes a difference, April 13, 2003

By 

Patrick Oden (San Dimas, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Charmed Life: The Spirituality of Potterworld (Paperback)

Because simple words on paper have in the past led to just about every major manmade disaster since words were put on paper, as people actually respond to the inherent philosophy or message that is part of every text, intended or not, it is always worthwhile to spend some time analyzing those works which have become popular.

This book by Francis Bridger is one of the best of the bunch of books seeking to look more deeply at the world of Harry Potter. Instead of arguing the specifics of the magic or apparent 'occult' Bridger takes a different path showing how Rowling skillfully weaves a tale in the fine tradition of British literature, using themes, images, allusions, etc. throughout her books which can be found in a great deal of writings written by those who call the British Isles home.

We in America, however, love practicality, have a hard time getting literary methods, and get confused, or angry, when our sensibilities are apparently attacked by terminology. Rowling, rather than endorsing any sort of scandalous occultism, is instead writing a tale of great heroism, discovery, and even spirituality which uses 'magical' themes to point to deeper truths, truths which are inherent in a Christian understanding of the world. Before we Christians attack the use of the word magic in these great texts, we must first attend to these texts as literature, and must learn how to understand how to read all of Potter's tales, present and future, in the context of a great tradition of fantasy writings.

Yes, these books are rousing tales but any book which creates the kind of sensation as these must also be speaking deeply to our present society. Bridger explains these deeper truths and messages in their appropriate context, and makes re-reading Potter that much more enjoyable and worthwhile. Plus, he is a very engaging author himself, whose nonfiction prose is almost as engaging as Rowling's.

This is a very fair, erudite, interesting study of what is arguably the most influential literature of this generation. Being spiritual does not mean we can turn off our minds, blindly accepting what various gurus tell us to believe. Nor is christophobia a reason to deny the importance of studying great literature, at all the levels which makes great literature great.

If you are interested at all in the Potter phenomenon this is the one book, besides Rowling's, you should get. No, this book may not interest everyone, and those who rate this present book low without reading it themselves are guilty of the same ignorant prattle which afflicts many of those in the Christian world. We all can and should think, and should discuss intelligently cultural issues before us. Bridger aids immensely and succinctly in this particular discussion.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, January 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Charmed Life: The Spirituality of Potterworld (Paperback)

This book is extremely well written. It's insights can appeal to non-Christaians as well as Christians - particualrly the chapters on morality and metaphysics. He sites CS Lewis, Martin Luther King, Jr., Interviews with JK Rowling, the Odyssey, the Bible, etc. and has a way of capturing complicated philosophical ideas in just a few words.

This book is more of a moral philosophy book on Harry Potter than a Christian philosophy book. For those looking for proof that Harry Potter is as Christian as the Narnia books, this book may not suffice 100% and the author does not pretend that it should. Bridger rather opens the reader's minds to ideas surrounding the books and their place within a Christian/moral/spiritual understanding of reality.

If you don't want to dig deeper into the meaning behind Rowling's masterpieces, this is clearly not the book for you. Harry Potter can be enjoyed on many different levels. For some people, digging deeper "ruins" the excitement and the effect of Rowling's creativity. For me and many others, digging deeper adds an even more magical (and truthful) dimension to Harry Potter.

Bridger assumes that the reader has read all four books and freely discusses the endings and surprises. Don't read this until you've read the first four Potter books.