J.K. Rowling Says Harry Potter Books Inspired by Christianity

Posted on October 19, 2007

J.K. Rowling, who is currently on tour in the U.S. has revealed that the Harry Potter books are inspired by Christianity and that the books reflect her own real-life struggle with her faith.

"To me, the religious parallels have always been obvious," Rowling said. "But I never wanted to talk too openly about it because I thought it might show people who just wanted the story where we were going."

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"The truth is that, like Graham Greene, my faith is sometimes that my faith will return. It's something I struggle with a lot."

"On any given moment if you asked me if I believe in life after death, I think if you polled me regularly through the week, I think I would come down on the side of yes - that I do believe in life after death."

J.K. thinks the inspiration and struggles are clear in the novels. She says, "But it's something I wrestle with a lot. It preoccupies me a lot, and I think that's very obvious within the books."

Pope John Paul II enjoyed the Harry Potter books and said they were about the struggle between good and evil. Pope Benedict XVI doesn't like them one bit. And some Christian groups denounce the books as promoting the occult, which is ludicrous.

The religious extremists who think Harry Potter promotes evil are really going to freak out when the learn that Albus Dumbledore is gay. Yes, that's what she said. She said that should give those people yet another reason to despise her books.