Derek Murphy's Jesus Potter Harry Christ opened my eyes.
Murphy begins his adventure by noting that the first Harry Potter novels drew scorn from some Christians for seeming to endorse witchcraft and magic. And since those books appeared to be written for children, they were especially malign. Murphy further notes, though, that the later Harry Potter novels silenced some of the criticism when it was alleged that J. K. Rowling was writing an allegory of the Jesus Christ story in the manner of The Chronicles of Narnia of C. S. Lewis.
Murphy then asks the huge question that his book answers, in this reader's opinion: Is the Harry Potter story more fictional that the Jesus Christ story?
Although I was raised as a Christian, I began doubting in my early teens that the virginal birth, miracles, raising of the dead, fulfilling of the prophecies of the Old Testament, and resurrection were true. I assumed that 2,000 years ago the Romans had indeed crucified or otherwise executed a Jewish rebel whom the ordinary, non-ruling people of the time loved.
I also assumed that the supernatural aspects of the story were later add-ons, meant to persuade credulous believers that Jesus Christ was more than just an appealing renegade, by introducing the claim that he was also divine. For example, the loaves-and-fishes story could've depended upon nothing more than the miracle of Adam Smith's capitalism. Jesus Christ drew crowds--who drew entrepreneurs who could profitably cater to a hungry market when they saw one.
Jesus Potter Harry Christ, however, convinced me that there probably was no historical Jesus Christ. He was undoubtedly a cleverly wrought amalgam of pagan gods, especially the sun gods. His birth to a human mother and a god father at the winter solstice, as well as his death and return at the spring equinox, are clearly religious stories revised and retold in the centuries before the establishment of Christianity.
The early Christians, though, needed to insist that there had been a historical, in-the-flesh Jesus who lived, died, and rose to heaven. Otherwise, he was nothing more than yet another pagan myth or allegory.
Murphy explains something else. Why did the Christians succeed while their competing cults, notably the Gnostics, failed? Because the Christian message was simplicity itself. In order to gain immortality, one had only to state one's belief in a historical Christ who died and rose to heaven.
The intolerance, based upon the idea that there was no other worthy idea, began then. The wars and genocides would come later. Would a mythical, allegorical Jesus Christ have served the world and his followers better? Murphy implies yes--asserting that a non-historical Jesus could still be "profoundly meaningful."
Regardless of one's opinion on this matter, Jesus Potter Harry Christ is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
(Ron Fritsch is the author of Promised Valley Rebellion.)
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