Varying Viewpoints on Harry Potter:
Selected Articles and Interviews

The online articles and interviews below were selected to show the range of adult perseptives on the Harry Potter books. They have been grouped into the following categories:

Religious Perspectives on Harry Potter

Other Social/Cultural Perspectives on Harry Potter

Harry Potter in Education

Interviews with J. K. Rowling

Articles are listed in reverse chronological order within each category, so the newest items appear first.

Note: With the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on July 16, 2005, we are trying to add stories to this page on a regular basis.

Go back to the Harry Potter main page.

Religious Perspectives on Harry Potter

(A Bit Less) Positive about Potter by Ted Olsen (Christianity Today, July 26, 2007)

Dobson Officially Renounces Harry Potter by Kevin Jackson (Christian Post, July 23, 2007)|

The Gospel According to J.K. Rowling by Bob Smietana (Christianity Today, July 23, 2007)

Finding God in Harry Potter by Marion Kim (The Christian Post, July 16, 2005)

Thank God for Harry Potter by John F. Sennett (Christian Standard, May 15, 2005)

Harry Potter: Leading the Troops as the War Begins to Turn by Connie Neal (YouthWorker Journal,

June 2003)

Finding the Spiritual Power of Harry Potter by Shelvia Dancy (Washington Post, June 30, 2001)

Bewitched by Harry Potter by Berit Kjos (KJOS Ministries, October 2, 2000)

The Return of Harry Potter (Christian Parenting Today, September/October 2000)

Why We Like Harry Potter (Christianity Today, January 10, 2000)

Positive About Potter: Despite What You've Heard, Christian Leaders Like the Children's Books by Ted Olsen (Christianity Today, December 1999)

More Clay Than Potter by Anne McCain and Susan Olasky (World on the Web, October 30, 1999)

 

Other Social/Cultural Perspectives on Harry Potter

The Offense of Fantasy by James L. Evans (The Anniston Star, July 27, 2007)

Magical Realism: How Harry Potter Explains the World by Daniel Nexon (The New Republic,

July 20, 2007)

How Has Harry Potter Cast Such a Wide Spell?

by Maria Puente (USA Today, July 16, 2007)

Harry Potter: The Good, the Bad, the Muggly

by Jim Watkins (originally pulbished on KPCNews.com, November 14, 2005)

There's Something about Harry by Michael Bronski (Boston Phoenix, June 27-July 3, 2003)

A List of Their Own by Kera Bolonik (Salon.com, August 16, 2000)

Muddled Muggles: Conservatives Missing the Magic in Harry Potter by Chris Mooney (American Prospect, July 11, 2000)

Hands off Harry Potter!: Have Critics of J.K. Rowling's Books Even Read Them? by Chris Gregory. (Salon.com, March 1, 2000)

Harry Potter's Girl Trouble by Christine Schoefer (Salon.com, January 12, 2000)

This Sorcery Isn't Just for Kids by Charles Taylor (Salon.com, March 31, 1999)

Harry Potter in Education

Harry Potter in College by Molly Griffin (The Observer online, August 26, 2005)

School's Out for Harry: Most Teachers Don't Consider Potter Books Required Reading by Kathleen Megan (originally publshed in Hartford Courant, June 4, 2004)

Teachers Incorporate Boy Wizard into Remedial Classroom Instruction by Sue Lindsey (Associated Press, July 12, 2005)

Interviews with J.K. Rowling

In Her Own Words: J. K. Rowling's Fond Look Back at Harry Potter (USA Today, July 25, 2007)

J. K. Rowling Hogwarts and All by Lev Grossman (Time online edition, July 17, 2005)

Potter Author's Content Warning (BBC News, September 29, 2000)

Talking with J. K Rowling by Judy O'Malley (Book Links, July 1999)

Of Magic and Single Motherhood: An Interview with J. K. Rowling by Margaret Weir (Salon.com, March 31, 1999)