This is the first part in the series of blog posts digging in to the references to Christian ideas and themes within the world of Harry Potter. In order to make things more succinct (i.e. not throw too much info out there at once), I will be breaking up each book into parts.
God and the Devil
-In the movie, Mr. Filch is escorting the main trio Harry, Ron, and Hermoine, along with Malfoy to detention with Hagrid. In 3 separate sentences within a couple of minutes, Mr. Filch says "God". However, he says it in a very casual, slang way each time. "God, I miss the screaming", "Good God, you're not still on about that dragon", and "Oh, for God's sake, man!"
That's a lot of mention about God, which would be pointless or not worth bringing up in a conversation if the wizarding world had no concept or knowledge of God. Through these sentences, we come to understand that God is some part of the wizarding world and that the wizards acknowledge God's existence. Granted, this is most likely a case of using contemporary slang and also, in an intense view, it takes the Lord's name in vain. However, it is important to realize that wizards have knowledge and awareness of God.
-One of the obstacles that the trio faces on their way to the hiding place of the Sorcerer's Stone is a plant provided by Professor Sprout. The plant is called Devil's Snare. I think this gives us a few insights into the wizarding world's understanding of the Devil. Notice I capitalize Devil, which is because it differentiates between the term devil, which can be applied to multiple things in a variety of ways, versus the Devil, which refers to the one singular being that is Lucifer the fallen angel.
First, wizards either know that there is such a thing as the Devil or think that something like the Devil exists. Just as God exists for wizards, so does the Devil. Second, the name of the plant tells us what the wizards think the devil does. The plant is a trick. At first, one thinks that it is soft, comforting vegetation then quickly it begins to wrap itself around you and restrains you. The more one struggles against the plant, the tighter it grips. Just as the devil traps people in sin through seemingly-appealing temptations, the plant ensnares its victims by appearing comforting at first.
Heaven
Early on in the story, we get a little glimpse into the wizarding world's concept of the afterlife. In the very beginning, on the night after Harry Potter becomes the Boy Who Lived, Professor McGonagall meets Professor Dumbledore outside the house of the Dursleys. As Professor McGonagall questions Professor Dumbledore about the true events that occurred at the scene where Voldemort failed to kill Harry, McGonagall says "but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?". At first glimpse, this may just seem like a nonchalant line full of British slang. In fact, a lot of the dialogue in this book seems to be full of modern slang, which is interesting since, as explained in the Introduction, the wizarding world tries its best to shut itself off from the Muggle world.
Anyway, McGonagall mentions heaven. This introduces us to the concept of the wizard's belief in life after death. McGonagall's brief mention of heaven can allow the reader to hypothesize that the wizard community does believe in a good, eternal resting place with God after life on Earth called heaven.
This mention of heaven is different from the mention of the plural form of heavens. For example, when Harry first enters the Great Hall of Hogwarts and looks up to the ceiling, the description states "It was hard to believe that there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall simply didn't open on to the heavens". This mention of heaven, heavens, is closer to the way that the centaurs use the term heavens. This is identifiable with the pagan phrasing of heavens, which is the cosmos, the universe, the stars in the sky that people of Earth look up to see.
B.C.
Now, here is a something that can be quickly overlooked. The sign over Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley reads: "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C." That B.C. at the end, as we all know, stands for "Before Christ". Meaning that wizards have some understanding or familiarity with the life of Jesus Christ and organize their timeline according to Christ's life.
Again, this goes back to and connects with the idea that the wizard world is separate from the Muggle world. The wizards could have their own way of telling time, marking days, and forming their own wizard calendars. Instead, they follow the Muggle format of 12 months that include October, December, and May and they mark their timeline based on B.C. and A.D.. They could have months like Gryfember, Merlinuary, and Percelvay, and they could mark their time according to some other major event in their history, but they follow the Muggle format (which was started by Catholic Christians).
At some point in history, Christians interacted with wizards enough to influence the wizarding world's calendar and track of the year. This is a huge influence, meaning that the wizards at some point in the past were greatly connected with the Christian community.
Friars and Monks
-One of the ghosts that everyone first meets at Hogwarts is the ghost known as the Fat Friar, the ghost of Hufflepuff House. In the next installment, I will discuss ghosts and souls, but the identity of this particular ghost is what most interests me. I think the character of the Fat Friar gives the reader some insight into the history of the wizarding world. At some point, wizards came in contact with Christian missionaries like monks. Meaning that the wizards have had direct contact with Christianity at some point in their history. This shows that religious men like friars have reached out to wizards. Now one of them, the Fat Friar, spends his afterlife as a living soul floating around Hogwarts, keeping that connection between wizards and Christians going to the present time.
-One of the potions ingredients that Snape asks Harry about on the first day of class is called monkshood. As in monks hood or monk's hood. While this is not a tremendous find, I think it shows that wizards have been connected with Christians long enough to know what a monk's hood or what a monk with a hood on looks like. Whoever had discovered this particular potion ingredient must have particularly been connected with an order of monks.
The next installment in this series will continue to explore findings from the first book in the Harry Potter series.
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