Melissa Wideen
Okay, so today, I'm talking about something kind of serious. I wanted to discuss Harry's death in a theological light. I'm especially interested in the way his sacrifice and death ties into Christian notions about the meaning of the resurrection. I don't mean to exclude anyone who isn't Christian and I certainly recognize that other traditions do have their own stories about death and dying which probably mesh very well with the book, but my interest and background is particularly in Christian theology, and Rowling also comes from a Christian background, so that's what I'll focus on here.
Going into Deathly Hallows, I was one of those people who thought that Harry was going to die. It seemed to me like Rowling had set it all up and I had actually kind of made peace with it. I knew Harry couldn't kill Voldemort and I kind of assumed he would just die trying to stop him. But Rowling wrote, literally, the best ending possible to the series. Our hero dies, but he rises again.
Coming from a Christian background, I've always connected the story of Harry's death with the Passion narratives. I mean, when your hero gets killed and comes back to life, I think it's hard to avoid that kind of comparison. But seeing Harry's death as an extension of the Christian story has made those final scenes that much more moving for me. Harry offered his own life to save the world, just as Christ offered his life to save the world. It reminds me of the words in the Eucharistic prayer: "Before he was given up to death, a death he freely accepted..." It is in accepting death with open arms that Death is defeated in the end.
The inscription on the Potters grave gives us a little clue, too. The phrase at the bottom of their tombstone is a quote from 1 Corinthians 15:26. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Here's the passage:
Of course, it's very significant that Voldemort fears death, though I don't think we ever fully understand why he's so afraid. Is it the loss of control? The journey into the unknown? The fear of judgement? God has made all creatures to die, but Voldemort wants to undo the created order, to rise above the Creator and claim eternal life for himself. But, it is Harry who finally discovers the secret to undoing death. In surrendering, he emerges the victor. Voldemort attempts to subdue Death. He goes to war with it. Harry simply lays down his sword and Death is defeated.
Wow, I love those images. The idea that, in being powerless, we are truly powerful. In surrendering, in refusing to fight, we become the victor. It's a vision of a world turned on its head. It's a world that Voldemort does not understand. He never understood the power of love, of sacrifice, or of friendship, and so he can only cling to his imagined power, never realizing what true power is.
Does that make any sense? It seems like a while lot of scattered thoughts to me, but I can't seem to get them more in order. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy it because I absolutely love thinking about the role religious thought plays in the series.
-- Lisa
Okay, so today, I'm talking about something kind of serious. I wanted to discuss Harry's death in a theological light. I'm especially interested in the way his sacrifice and death ties into Christian notions about the meaning of the resurrection. I don't mean to exclude anyone who isn't Christian and I certainly recognize that other traditions do have their own stories about death and dying which probably mesh very well with the book, but my interest and background is particularly in Christian theology, and Rowling also comes from a Christian background, so that's what I'll focus on here.
Going into Deathly Hallows, I was one of those people who thought that Harry was going to die. It seemed to me like Rowling had set it all up and I had actually kind of made peace with it. I knew Harry couldn't kill Voldemort and I kind of assumed he would just die trying to stop him. But Rowling wrote, literally, the best ending possible to the series. Our hero dies, but he rises again.
Coming from a Christian background, I've always connected the story of Harry's death with the Passion narratives. I mean, when your hero gets killed and comes back to life, I think it's hard to avoid that kind of comparison. But seeing Harry's death as an extension of the Christian story has made those final scenes that much more moving for me. Harry offered his own life to save the world, just as Christ offered his life to save the world. It reminds me of the words in the Eucharistic prayer: "Before he was given up to death, a death he freely accepted..." It is in accepting death with open arms that Death is defeated in the end.
The inscription on the Potters grave gives us a little clue, too. The phrase at the bottom of their tombstone is a quote from 1 Corinthians 15:26. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Here's the passage:
Harry read the words slowly, as though he would have only one chance to take in their meaning, and he read the last of them aloud.
"'The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death'..." A horrible thought came to him, and with it a kind of panic. "Isn't that a Death Eater idea? Why is that there?"This verse appears during a section in Paul's letters where he is explaining the implication of the resurrection. Because Christ died and rose again, he says, so can we expect to die and rise again on the last day. For Harry, the grave stone almost functions as a clue. In order to defeat Voldemort, he must do as Jesus does -- follow the plans of the Father/Dumbledore (Matthew 26:39), do everything in love (1 Corinthians 16:14), and lay down his life to save his friends (John 15:13). And in the end, evil/Death is defeated.
Of course, it's very significant that Voldemort fears death, though I don't think we ever fully understand why he's so afraid. Is it the loss of control? The journey into the unknown? The fear of judgement? God has made all creatures to die, but Voldemort wants to undo the created order, to rise above the Creator and claim eternal life for himself. But, it is Harry who finally discovers the secret to undoing death. In surrendering, he emerges the victor. Voldemort attempts to subdue Death. He goes to war with it. Harry simply lays down his sword and Death is defeated.
Wow, I love those images. The idea that, in being powerless, we are truly powerful. In surrendering, in refusing to fight, we become the victor. It's a vision of a world turned on its head. It's a world that Voldemort does not understand. He never understood the power of love, of sacrifice, or of friendship, and so he can only cling to his imagined power, never realizing what true power is.
Does that make any sense? It seems like a while lot of scattered thoughts to me, but I can't seem to get them more in order. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy it because I absolutely love thinking about the role religious thought plays in the series.
-- Lisa
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