Harry Potter Radio

On Friday evening I joined Bob Glass on the radio to talk about Harry Potter.

I start in about two-thirds through the first hour.

We also spent the entire second hour continuing our discussion (though with an occasional diversion).

Bob is a Potter virgin, so I summarized the major story arch for him and for listeners unfamiliar with the stories. We talked a lot about the anti-totalitarian political themes of the series. We also talked about the Christian criticisms of the books as well as the religious themes within them. (I also briefly summarized my view that the religious themes of the books are not very strong or pronounced.)

I had a lot of fun discussing the Potter books and movies with Bob. In general, Bob's show is shaping up with good analysis of current events. You can check him out at BobGlassRadio.com. (He said he'd start updating his page more frequently and even start looking into Twitter.) The online feed works very well, so you can listen to his show 9-11 p.m. (mountain) anywhere in the world where internet is available.

Of course, if you're interested in more of what I have to say about Harry Potter, check out my book and additional essays at ValuesOfHarryPotter.com.

Love in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

When I first read J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it struck me as a "bridge" book -- a crossover between the fantastic fifth book and the finale of the series. I enjoyed it, but it was by no means my favorite. But, once I started digging a little deeper into it, I discovered that the sixth novel offers the riches of human relationships. Of course it also reveals the tragic background of Voldemort's family (without making that an excuse for Voldermort's horrific actions).

I spent much of Wednesday looking through my notes of the novel and writing an essay about its central theme, which is, simply and profoundly, love. Here is the opening paragraph:

J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, soon to be released as a blockbuster movie, is often a grim and frightening book, filled with episodes of murder and mayhem. From Dumbledore, Harry learns the secrets of Lord Voldemort's dark past. And yet, despite all the suffering and the rise of evil, the strongest theme of the book is love. Love for family and friends. Romantic love. It is in contrast with Voldemort's loveless and despicable life that the value of love shines through the story.

Read the entire new essay on love in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince over at ValuesOfHarryPotter.com.

Values of Harry Potter Update

Kirk Barbera's review of my book Values of Harry Potter was republished on his Cedrac blog.

Barbera writes that Values of Harry Potter shows "the morality of the Potter series does not promote sacrificing life on earth, but instead supports the notion of living life fully."

He concludes, "Most importantly the [Harry Potter] books can teach us how to attain the values best suited to each and every one of our lives. Ari Armstrong shows us that, through Harry, we can learn life isn't just what is; but what can and ought to be."

Note that Amazon is behind in its ordering, but the book should become available there again within a few days. Or order Values of Harry Potter directly with free shipping on all U.S. orders (outside Colorado).