Tagline: Now Exploring Books One through Seven

A companion to the best-selling The Gospel according to Harry Potter: Spirituality in the Stories of the World's Most Famous Seeker, this ten-session study, appropriate for youth and adults, explores the religious themes that are prevalent in the popular series of children's books and films. Each session recommends scenes from the DVD and video releases of the first two Harry Potter movies, along with corresponding passages from the books, to facilitate discussion.

Contrary to those who reject the Harry Potter books as a threat to Christian faith, Neal demonstrates how the lessons in these books reinforce the central messages of the Bible.

Examines the treatment of religion and spirituality in the animated television series, including its depiction of God, Jesus, heaven, hell, and prayer in chapters devoted to Homer, Lisa, Ned, Reverend Lovejoy, Krusty, and Apu.

Throughout its history, the Christian church has had a troubled relationship with the arts, whether literature, poetry, music, visual arts, or other forms of artistic expression. This volume is not designed to resolve the issues, but it is designed to present a number of different statements about various dimensions of the arts in their relationship to the Bible. The Bible is the document that stands behind the Christian church as an inspiration to it and to its arts. As a result, we have divided this volume into six parts: perspectives on the arts, culture and art, visual enactments, contemporary interpretations, music, and the Bible and literature. Many of the issues that the history of the interaction of the arts and the Bible within the Christian church has uncovered are insightfully and artfully addressed by this book. The wide range of contributors runs the gamut from practicing artists of various media to scholars within varied academic fields.

The Riddles of Harry Potter draws readers into the deeper meanings of these phenomenally successful books, arguing that they launch and pursue interpretive quests in an ongoing effort to understand patterns and their attendant meanings, implications, and consequences.

Everything you need to know about Harry Potter! From plot summaries to refresh your memory (Do you remember which book introduces the character of Luna Lovegood?) to a delightful glossary of characters, places, spells and special objects (Do you know what the spell aparecium does?), this book, authored by Colin Duriez, is designed to be an excellent companion to the Harry Potter books. With loads of quotes from interviews, you'll learn all about J. K. Rowling's life and her literary influences. Chapters on the spirituality of Potter explore the question of how Rowling's faith is reflected in the stories, what she believes about witchcraft and how the stories fit with Christian tradition. (Note: unauthorized version)