Harry's real-world fans say he has done the impossible - got young boys around the world reading again. They say he is noble, courageous, funny, a champion of the underdog, promoter of goodness, and a perfect representative of the world of 21st century adolescents. Harry's detractors, many of whom are Christians, say that he is quietly promoting witchcraft, is disrespectful to adults, doesn't forgive others, and is becoming too strong an influence on young minds.

So what should Christians do with the Harry Potter phenomenon?

If you or your kids can't see what all the fuss is about, then don't feel obliged to read the book. There's something Voldemortianly sinister about the blanket marketing strategy for this fourth volume which suggests that if you haven't read the book you haven't lived. You'll be missing out on a fun read, but that might not be your idea of relaxation anyway. No one should be forced to like youth fantasy.

But what if you or your kids are the kind of people for whom this fantasy holds deep attraction? Must you fight temptation and leave Harry on the bookshop or library shelf?

We don't think so. There's great value in both the escapism of fantasy and in what might be awkwardly called the “realism” of fantasy - the way a novel like this one helps you to think about the world itself. The Harry Potter books are very interested in morality and in judgement, in who is doing right and who is doing wrong. Some Christians will be eager to read them and discuss them within the framework of the truth that God has revealed to us in Scripture. Harry's creator, J. K. Rowling, does seem to be giving room to the possibility that good might not always triumph over evil. There is some suspicion that, in fact, no single ruling force or person is in control after all. This makes them valuable to contrast and compare with the world as Christians understand it - or with a world such as C. S. Lewis's Narnia. Doing that seems like a good use of a Christian's time. But parents beware - theological exhortations on the failings of Harry Potter run the risk of the response, “Settle down, Dad. It's just a great story!”

A few things grabbed us. First, Rowling crams in a gargantuan number of playful ideas. You can see why she needed 700 pages. And it's funny, scary, exciting fare. Though they may not attain the badge of Great Literature, the books deserve their popularity. Second, a lot of the evil in the series is tied back to the breakdown of the family. The primary mystery to be solved is the murder of Harry's parents, but in many other contexts, too, there is a strong sense that evil comes from and results in the break-up of relationships. Rowling (a single parent) lets her fictional children suffer. Finally, the difference between “the Rules” and “the Truth” is a prevailing series theme. What really bugs Snape, the ex-Death Eater (i.e. very bad guy)-turned-Hogwarts Potions Master, is that Harry won't tow the line, he won't follow the rules, he keeps taking matters into his own hands. Harry keeps acting like he is above the law. But can anyone be above the law, we keep wondering? And if so, who and for what purpose?

We are a long way from hearing J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter's last word on this matter. There are three books still to be written, one each year from here to 2003. Only then will we know what kind of theological universe has emerged from the series. Our own wild guess - just for the record - is that Snape, the unstable convert who cannot choose between good and evil, is the lynchpin. Until then, its fabulous fun if you keep your antennae twitching.