Archives For theology

Harry Potter and the Imperfect Christ Figure

Chris —  July 25, 2011

Warning! Spoilers and Theology Ahead! 

The funny thing about the criticism that J.K. Rowling received over the years from right wing Christian groups was the fact that they could ignore the obvious Christian undertones that characterized the books from the beginning.  A chosen child who saves his people from an evil snake?  Come on people, how did you think this book was going to end?

However it would be wrong to consider Harry an outright “Christ figure.” The truly analagous Aslan is both the creator and lord of Narnia, and the one who dies to redeem his people from their evil choices. Harry on the other hand, must kill the evil inside of him, so that he and those he loves will survive.

Harry is like any lover of Jesus: an imperfect replication of Christ.

Christ’s story is the God who died so that all might live.  What Christ accomplished in his death for the cosmos, so we accomplish in our baptism and throughout a life of growing in the way of Jesus.

Jesus put it this way:

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

So we have this image of Harry, having been murdered by Voldemort.  In between worlds, the spirit of Dumbledore points out that a little piece of Voldemort is dying.  Voldemort was inside Harry all along.  There was a part of Harry that made his life miserable.  It disfigured his forehead, gave him migrains and fits of depression, and strange abilities that scared his friends.  That piece of Harry was a piece of Voldemort buried inside of him, and it had to die so that Harry and his friends could live.

Paul, an early follower of Jesus put it this way:

“Our old self was crucified with him
so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with
that we should no longer be slaves to sin

because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”

Harry Potter is not so much a Christ figure as a Christian Figure.  His is not a Passion Play so much as a Sanctification Story.  Christ has already died for the world.  Now we must die ourselves.

What it took Rowling tens of thousands of pages to say, Bonhoeffer put in one sentence:

“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.”

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How Osama bin Ladin Led Me to Anabaptism (Part 2 of 3)

Chris —  June 13, 2011

I have never understood how the Church and the Republican Party became synonymous.  The Religious Right was nothing new, but it seemed like the culture wars reached a new high during the 2000 election.  I often felt alone when I tried to explain why I believe that single issue voting does not make you a better follower of Jesus.  The blurred lines between pop-Christianity and the Bush administration, as well as the enormous flag greeting us every morning, the imminent wars produced a new message: Being a good Christian meant supporting your country in war.

This began to churn something inside me.  I could see why understand dismantling Afghanistan, but chasing WMDs in Iraq was harder.  It seemed that whenever such concerns being voiced, it resulted in one’s patriotism, and likewise their faith, being called into question.

My graduate studies in theology began in the midst of the 2004 election.  There were wars of two fronts.  About the time John Kerry was being demonized for his participation in anti-war protests, I was taking an ethics class.

We read Reinhold Neibuhr, the father of modern Just War theory.  Then we read Stanley Hauerwas’ The Peaceable Kingdom. For the first time I encountered a way of being the church, in the midst of a war torn world, that seemed completely in line with the way of Jesus.

This wasn’t about individual morality or proper ecclesiological structure.  It was a vision that

the church existed to stand with, and alongside the lost world,

as an inviting example

of what the universe would look like when the Kingdom of God was complete.

This was a different way to answer the questions that had flared up since bin Ladin had interrupted our lives.  What if, instead of railing against the prevailing culture, we lived lives that showed how it was lacking? We could respond to abortion by setting an example in adoption.  We could respond to marriage and sexuality discussions by working on our own marriages and standing in contrast to the American divorce epidemic.  We could respond to violence by addressing the root issues of hatred and inequity.

This question begged a much bigger one:

Could the Church be involved in politics at all?

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Unpopular Questions: Do Your Ideas About Predestination Make You Mean?

Chris —  November 17, 2010

Sad facts:

1.  Living in a post-Christendom society means that people are Biblically, and therefore theologically illiterate.

2.  Being Biblically illiterate allows a person to jump from one denomination to another, without any sense of confusion at their radically different theological stances.

My background is a tradition grounded in ideas like anti-institutionalism, non-violence and Arminianism. Strangely, I see people with similar backgrounds abandon their heritage to be a part of the young, popular churches in their city. In many cases, this means moving from Arminianism to Calvinism.

Arminianism isn’t perfect.  When misunderstood, it can lead to chains of legalism and guilt that would astonish even the roman mother church.

Calvinism isn’t perfect. When misunderstood, it can be used to justify anything from being cocky to the vilest racism.

Yet, we have to admit that there are undeniable differences between the two.  How then, do we get along?

1.  Admit, proudly, that we have our differences.

2.  Be the best Calivinist you can be.  Be the best Arminian you can be.  And while you’re at it, teach your people, and your children the difference.

3.  Partner wherever you can.  Feed the hungry.  Clothe the naked.  Visit those in prison.  Share resources.  Share knowledge.

4.  Pray that “thy kingdom come,” not the eschatology that lines up with your viewpoint.

5. Love everyone. 5 point TULIP loving neo-Puritans.  High Church Liberal Wesleyans.  Shifty Open Theists.  Muslims (Happy Eid!) Hindus (Happy Diwali!)  Jews.  Prostitutes.  Murderers.  Bankers.  Soldiers.  Politicians.

Even bloggers.

Important links:
– Letters to a Young Calvinist (From a Young Arminian)

Related Posts:
– Unpoular Questions: Should Christians Be Vegetarians?
– Sex, Politics, Predestination and Animal Rights
– A Jesus Way: Putting it All Together

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