Over the years, some religious people, particularly Christians, have decried Rowling's books for supposedly promoting witchcraft. Rowling identifies as a Christian. She once said, "I believe in God, not magic." Early on and in response to the criticism, she felt that if readers knew of her Christian beliefs they would be able to predict plot lines of characters in her books. In 2007, Rowling said she was the only one in her family who went regularly to church and that she was an adherent of the Church of England. As a student, she became annoyed at the "smugness of religious people" and attended less often.
Religion
J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling | Religion
She identifies herself as a Christian; She believes in God, not magic; she is an adherent of the Church of England; believes in an afterlife, and that her faith plays a part in her books. She identifies as Christian and is a member of the Scottish Episcopal Church. She identifies as a Christian. She identifies as a Christian,  she once said, "I believe in God, not magic."
when did jk rowling wrote the harry potter books
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Her debut novel was written between approximately June 1990 and some time in 1995.
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who is j.k. rowling?
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A British writer and philanthropist.
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what is her full name?
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Joanne Kathleen Rowling
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who were her parents?
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Science technician Anne and Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer Peter James Rowling.
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did she get married?
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Yes -She married Portuguese television journalist Jorge Arantes in 1992 but they separated. Then she married Neil Murray a Scottish doctor in 2001
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how many kids does she have?
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3 kids - Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes, David Gordon Rowling Murray, Mackenzie Jean Rowling
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where did she study?
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Wyedean School and College, University of Exeter.
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what are her views on religions?
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Over the years, some religious people, particularly Christians, have decried Rowling's books for supposedly promoting witchcraft. Rowling identifies as a Christian. She once said, "I believe in God, not magic." Early on and in response to the criticism, she felt that if readers knew of her Christian beliefs they would be able to predict plot lines of characters in her books. In 2007, Rowling said she was the only one in her family who went regularly to church and that she was an adherent of the Church of England. As a student, she became annoyed at the "smugness of religious people" and attended less often.
J. K. Rowling | Religion
Later, she started to attend a Church of Scotland congregation at the time she was writing "Harry Potter". Her eldest daughter, Jessica, was baptised there. In a 2006 interview with "Tatler", Rowling noted that, "like Graham Greene, my faith is sometimes about if my faith will return. It's important to me." She has said that she has struggled with doubt, that she believes in an afterlife, and that her faith plays a part in her books. In a 2012 radio interview, she said that she was a member of the Scottish Episcopal Church, a province of the Anglican Communion.
J. K. Rowling | Religion
While many describe the books as secular or Satanic, many writers, including Rowling herself, have gone to great lengths to demonstrate that the books actively promote Christian values. Rowling attended a Church of Scotland congregation while writing "Harry Potter" and her eldest daughter, Jessica, was baptised into that faith. "I go to church myself", she told MTV in 2007, "I don't take any responsibility for the lunatic fringes of my own religion". In 2000, when asked if she was a Christian by journalist Max Wyman of "The Vancouver Sun", she replied: Yes, I am, which seems to offend the religious right far worse than if I said I thought there was no God.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Christianity in the novels
Every time I've been asked if I believe in God, I've said yes, because I do, but no one ever really has gone any more deeply into it than that, and I have to say that does suit me, because if I talk too freely about that I think the intelligent reader, whether 10 or 60, will be able to guess what's coming in the books. "Personally", she said of her religious faith, "I think you can see that in the books. Of course, Hogwarts is a multifaith school." Rowling claims to have been very careful not to colour her novels in an overtly religious way, lest one faith be given prominence over any other.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Christianity in the novels
Rowling's work invites children to a world where witchcraft is 'neutral' and where authority is determined solely by one's cleverness. Lewis invites readers to a world where God's authority is not only recognised, but celebrated — a world that resounds with His goodness and care." Rowling's attitude toward the Inklings, and to Lewis in particular, has undergone change. In 1998, in one of her earliest interviews, she said that she had a lifelong love of C. S. Lewis. "Even now, if I was in a room with one of the Narnia books I would pick it up like a shot and re-read it." However, in later interviews she expressed a different opinion.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Rowling and the Inklings
Rowling said that to her, the moral significance of the tales seems "blindingly obvious". The key for her was the choice between what is right and what is easy, "because that, that is how tyranny is started, with people being apathetic and taking the easy route and suddenly finding themselves in deep trouble." In an interview with MTV after the publication of the last book, she is quoted as saying, "To me [the religious parallels have] always been obvious, but I never wanted to talk too openly about it because I thought it might show people who just wanted the story where we were going."
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Christianity in the novels
Her teaching has been praised by Harry Potter commentator John Granger on his Hogwarts Professor website. Tumminio Hansen stands in opposition to those in Christian circles who call the "Harry Potter" series heretical based upon the characters' use of witchcraft. She has said that in order to consider whether they truly are heretical, Christians must analyze whether the writings of J. K. Rowling violate a number of core theological doctrines, including sin, evil, sacrifice, and grace. In 2008, she offered an innovative seminar at Yale seminar in order to offer students an opportunity for sustained discussion about the status of the series.
Danielle Elizabeth Tumminio | Beliefs about Christianity and Harry Potter
Far from promoting a particular religion, some argue, the "Harry Potter" novels go out of their way to avoid discussing religion at all. However, the author of the series, J. K. Rowling, describes herself as a practising Christian, and many have noted the Christian references which she includes in the final novel "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". In America, calls for the books to be banned from schools have led to legal challenges often on the grounds that witchcraft is a government-recognised religion and that to allow the books to be held in public schools violates the separation of church and state.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Introduction
You do not have the right to decide what everyone else's children are exposed to. So that's how I feel about it". "Practicing Wiccans think I'm also a witch", Rowling told "Entertainment Weekly" in 2000. "I'm not."
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Rowling's response
Another response to the claim that the books promote the religion of witchcraft, which has been raised as much by Christians critical of the books as those who support them, is that, far from promoting religion, the books do not promote religion in any way. Apart from celebrating Christmas and Easter and a non-denominational clergyman presiding at both Dumbledore's funeral and the Weasleys' wedding, religious practices are largely absent from the books. In her critical editorial on the books, Focus on the Family's Lindy Beam comments, "The spiritual fault of "Harry Potter" is not so much that Rowling is playing to dark supernatural powers, but that she doesn't acknowledge any supernatural powers at all.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Secularism
I always knew [that] if I could use them at the beginning of book seven then I'd cued up the ending perfectly. If they were relevant, then I went where I needed to go. They just say it all to me, they really do." Raymond Keating also outlines several Christian themes of the last book in an article in "Newsday", concluding that "It's possible to read "Lord of the Rings" and "Narnia" without recognizing the religious aspects. That's even more so the case with "Harry Potter". But Christian themes are there nonetheless". Christian commentator Jerry Bowyer says of Rowling's "fundamentalist bashers", "So much of the religious right failed to see the Christianity in the "Potter" novels because it knows so little Christianity itself [...] The gospel stories themselves, the various metaphors and figures of the Law and the Prophets, and their echoes down through the past two millennia of Christian literature and art are largely unknown to vast swaths of American Christendom." As regards Rowling's belief that discussing her faith would spoil the books, Bowyer says, "For once, I disagree with her: I don't think [the bashers] would have guessed the ending.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Christian allegories in "Deathly Hallows"
The British author J. K. Rowling, known for writing "Harry Potter" and other Wizarding World works, has a variety of political views. Rowling stated in 2000 that she is left-wing and said "there is a certain amount of political stuff in ["Harry Potter"]. But I also feel that every reader will bring his own agenda to the book. People who send their children to boarding schools seem to feel that I'm on their side. I'm not. Practicing Wiccans think I'm also a witch. I'm not." In 2002, she said her biggest literary influence was muckraker Jessica Mitford, whom she described as a "self-taught socialist".
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Introduction
Religious debates over the "Harry Potter" series of books by J. K. Rowling are based on claims that the novels contain occult or Satanic subtexts. A number of Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians have argued against the series, as have some Shia and Sunni Muslims. Supporters of the series have said that the magic in "Harry Potter" bears little resemblance to occultism, being more in the vein of fairy tales such as "Cinderella" and "Snow White", or to the works of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, both of whom are known for writing fantasy novels with Christian subtexts.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Introduction
His guest, "Entertainment Weekly" Senior Editor Tina Jordan, called his "indoctrination" claims "a shallow argument", saying "indoctrination is a very strong word" because "we all know gay people, whether we know it or not." O'Reilly continued the following day saying that the real problem is Rowling is teaching "tolerance" and "parity for homosexuals with heterosexuals". His guest Dennis Miller said that tolerance was good and didn't think you could indoctrinate a child into being gay. Zenit, a news agency dedicated to promoting the message of the Catholic Church, accused Rowling of betraying her readers by disclosing Dumbledore's sexuality, and said Rowling is the wealthiest woman in Britain thanks to the lack of political, social or moral propaganda in her books.
Politics of Harry Potter | Education versus indoctrination
In response to a question asking if the magic presented in the "Harry Potter" series should be considered in the same light as some New Age practices warned against in the document, Fleetwood stated, "If I have understood well the intentions of Harry Potter's author, they help children to see the difference between good and evil. And she is very clear on this." He added that Rowling is "Christian by conviction, is Christian in her mode of living, even in her way of writing." This comment was seized on by the media as an endorsement of the novels from the Catholic Church, and by extension, the Pope at that time, John Paul II, though there is no evidence that the Pope officially approved of the novels.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Catholicism
The statement was met with an ovation from the audience. "If I'd known it would make you so happy, I would have announced it years ago!" Rowling said. In an appearance three days later in Toronto, she responded to questions about Dumbledore's "outing" by saying that she had decided his sexuality "from very early on. Probably before the first book was published."
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Dumbledore's sexual orientation
The head of Human Life International, an American-based Roman Catholic activist pro-life organisation, taking a negative view of the books and "their literary offspring", said that Harry Potter indoctrinates young souls in the language and mechanics of the occult and said that Rowling's portrayal of Dumbledore socialises if not indoctrinates young people into tolerance of gays. The "Berkeley Beacon" said that one parent's perception of indoctrination is another's education, in their article, "No Politics in Harry Potter", which countered charges that Rowling promoted homosexuality in her books. Discussing the controversy, Rowling told the BBC that "Christian fundamentalists were never my base" and thought it ridiculous to question if a gay person could be a moral compass in the 21st century.
Politics of Harry Potter | Education versus indoctrination
In 1982, Rowling took the entrance exams for Oxford University but was not accepted and earned a BA in French and Classics at the University of Exeter. Martin Sorrell, a French professor at Exeter, remembers "a quietly competent student, with a denim jacket and dark hair, who, in academic terms, gave the appearance of doing what was necessary". Rowling recalls doing little work, preferring to read Dickens and Tolkien. After a year of study in Paris, Rowling graduated from Exeter in 1986. In 1988, Rowling wrote a short essay about her time studying Classics titled "What was the Name of that Nymph Again? or Greek and Roman Studies Recalled"; it was published by the University of Exeter's journal "Pegasus".
J. K. Rowling | Education
She began thinking on the subject after reading a manuscript from Thomas Broughton's "Historical Dictionary of all Religions from the Creation of the World to the Present Times" (1742).
A View of Religions | Introduction
J. K. Rowling has repeatedly denied that her books lead children into witchcraft. In an interview with CNN in 1999, she said, I absolutely did not start writing these books to encourage any child into witchcraft. I'm laughing slightly because to me, the idea is absurd. I have met thousands of children and not even one time has a child come up to me and said, "Ms Rowling, I'm so glad I've read these books because now I want to be a witch." In an interview on the "Donny & Marie Show" in 1999, Rowling said that "You have a perfect right, of course, as every parent does, and I'm a parent, to decide what your child is exposed to.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Rowling's response
These stories are not fueled by witchcraft, but by secularism." The "Harry Potter" books have been lauded by atheists and secularists for their determinedly non-religious outlook. Mika LaVaque-Manty of the liberal website Left2Right notes, "Religion plays no role in the books. There are no churches, no other religious institutions, nobody prays or meditates, and even funerals are non-religious affairs." When considering the role of religion within "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", Christopher Hitchens observed the apparent secularism in the novel, stating that the characters of Harry and Hermione possess certain moral virtues while also expressing an ignorance of Christian ideas.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Secularism
Rowling has garnered attention for her support of the Labour Party under Gordon Brown and criticism under Jeremy Corbyn, as well as her opposition to the Conservative Party and the Republican Party under Donald Trump. She opposed Scottish independence in a 2014 referendum, and opposed Brexit during the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union. On the topic of transgender people, Rowling has opposed terms such as "people who menstruate". She said that she was a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault, and stated that "When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman ...
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Introduction
Later in the work, he aligns himself with a "renascent or modern religion ... neither atheist nor Buddhist nor Mohammedan nor Christian ... [that] he has found growing up in himself". Of Christianity, he said: "it is not now true for me. ... Every believing Christian is, I am sure, my spiritual brother ... but if systemically I called myself a Christian I feel that to most men I should imply too much and so tell a lie". Of other world religions, he writes: "All these religions are true for me as Canterbury Cathedral is a true thing and as a Swiss chalet is a true thing.
H. G. Wells | Religious views
In June 2007, the Anglican Church published "Mixing it up with Harry Potter", a 48-page book designed to use parallels from the novels to teach the faith to 9–13-year-olds. The author of the book, Kent youth worker Owen Smith, argued that, "These sessions draw parallels between events in the world of Harry and his friends, and the world in which we are seeking to proclaim the gospel to young people [...] To say, as some have, that these books draw younger readers towards the occult seems to me both to malign J. K. Rowling and to vastly underestimate the ability of children and young people to separate the real from the imaginary."
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Anglicanism
then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside", while stating that most trans people were vulnerable and deserved protection. These views have been praised by some feminists and criticised by organisations including GLAAD and Mermaids.
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Introduction
She argues that the existence of heterodoxy in all major religious traditions implies that religious belief per se does not have definite cognitive content.
Kelli D. Potter | Introduction
When an interviewer suggested her books portrayed a conservative world, Rowling replied, "So I'm told repeatedly. The two groups of people who are constantly thanking me are Wiccans and boarding schools. And really, don't thank me. I'm not with either of them. New ageism leaves me completely cold, and [my daughter] would never go to boarding school. I went to a comprehensive." Rowling says she gets frustrated with the "conservative world thing". She made Hogwarts a boarding school so that action could happen in the middle of the night and to create a sense of community among the characters. Harry also reflects the modern world, she argues, in that he is mixed race — his father being pure-blood, his mother being Muggle-born." She also says her feminist conscience is saved by Hermione, "who's the brightest character" and is a "very strong female character".
Politics of Harry Potter | Accusations of conservative and sexist themes
Rowling expressed her opposition to Mexico City Policy, when it was reinstated by Donald Trump, and said that she supported abortion rights, especially in Third World countries.
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Abortion
Above all, believers are called to love, even at the highest cost." In a 1999 interview with Rowling, "The Guardian Unlimited"s Joanna Carey said, "JK Rowling is every bit as witty and subversive as you'd expect. Rowling described her admiration of Jessica Mitford since age 14, her time at Exeter University "not quite the chance to be the 'radical' I planned", and said the later books dealing with Harry's hormones, and deaths would be unlike other children's series like the Famous Five. Carey suggested a parallel between Harry Potter and Prince Harry which Rowling laughs off saying a friend said never let the press make you discuss the royal family." James Morone, a political science professor at Brown University, wrote in the liberal "American Prospect" in 2001, "Magical headmaster Albus Dumbledore practically awards bonus points for breaking rules.
Politics of Harry Potter | Subversive and anarchistic message
"I adored [Lewis' books] when I was a child," she told "The Sydney Morning Herald" in 2001, "I got so caught up I didn't think C. S. Lewis was especially preachy. Reading them now I find that his subliminal message isn't very subliminal." In an interview with Lev Grossman in 2005, she said, "There comes a point [in Lewis' "The Last Battle"] where Susan, who was the older girl, is lost to Narnia because she becomes interested in lipstick. She's become irreligious basically because she found sex. I have a big problem with that."
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Rowling and the Inklings
The Orthodox church of Bulgaria and a diocese of the Orthodox Church of Greece have also campaigned against the series, and some Catholic writers and officials have voiced a critical stance. The books have been banned from all schools in the United Arab Emirates. Religious responses to "Harry Potter" have not all been negative. "At least as much as they've been attacked from a theological point of view," notes Rowling, "[the books] have been lauded and taken into pulpit, and most interesting and satisfying for me, it's been by several different faiths."
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Introduction
On 22 October 2015, a letter was published in "The Guardian" signed by Rowling (along with over 150 other figures from arts and politics) opposing the cultural boycott of Israel, and announcing the creation of a network for dialogue, called Culture for Coexistence. Rowling later explained her position in more detail, saying that although she opposed most of Benjamin Netanyahu's actions she did not think the cultural boycott would bring about the removal of Israel's leader or help improve the situation in Israel and Palestine.
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Israel
Until she was twenty years of age, Adams's reading had been limited mostly to works of imagination and feeling. She had never been directed to those of a controversial nature, nor to a study of the disputed points between the various sects. Her curiosity being awakened by a small manuscript from Broughton's "Dictionary", giving an account of some of the most common of the religious denominations, she began to read all she could find on the subject. At about the age of 30, becoming disgusted with the intolerance and lack of candor of the authors, she decided to write in a blank book what seemed to her to be the truth.
A View of Religions | Development
It's "Pilgrim's Progress" for a new audience." (This quotation predates Rowling's revelation that Ginny Weasley's full name is Ginevra, not Virginia.) Other Christian writers find Rowling's treatment of magic less acceptable than Lewis's and Tolkien's. In his essay "Harry Potter vs. Gandalf," Steven D. Greydanus notes that in the works of Tolkien and Lewis, magic is confined to alien realms with their own laws, whereas Rowling's world coexists with our own; he thinks this is wrong: "Lewis goes to great lengths to make clear just how dangerous and wrong, how incompatible with Christianity, is any form of attempted magic in our world." John Andrew Murray similarly observes that Rowling's work portrays magic as a natural force to be manipulated, while Lewis and Tolkien portray magic as a gift bestowed by a higher power: "Despite superficial similarities, Rowling's and Lewis' worlds are as far apart as east is from west.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Rowling and the Inklings
The radical feminist Julie Bindel stated that Rowling has always been a feminist and has inspired people "to look into issues of sex-based discrimination".
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Transgender people
"Time" magazine said in 2005, "Rowling adapts an inherently conservative genre for her own progressive purposes. Her Hogwarts is secular and sexual and multicultural and multiracial and even sort of multimedia, with all those talking ghosts." To mark the French publication of "Deathly Hallows", prominent French center-left paper "Liberation" devoted the front cover and two more pages to answering the question "Why Harry Potter is of the Left". In 2007, responding to a question from a child about Dumbledore's love life, Rowling revealed, "I always saw Dumbledore as gay." Filling in a few more details, she said, "Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald...
Politics of Harry Potter | Progressive values and diversity
Cavendish's views on God and religion remained somewhat ambiguous. From her writings, it is clear that she was a Christian but she did not often address her religious orientation. In her Physical Opinions, however, she explicitly acknowledges her belief in the existence of God, writing "pray account me not an Atheist, but believe as I do in God Almighty." Still, she seeks to split philosophy from theology, and therefore avoids debating God's actions in many of her philosophical works. Uncertainty regarding her theological viewpoints is unusual for a woman writer of her time period, considering that much of early modern women's writing was oriented around religion.
Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne | Religious beliefs
On 19 December 2019, Rowling tweeted her support for Maya Forstater, who lost her employment tribunal against her former employer, the Center for Global Development. Forstater's contract was not renewed after she tweeted "men cannot change into women", and at the tribunal she asserted that her "gender critical" beliefs should be protected under the Equality Act 2010. However, the tribunal judge ruled against her, describing her views as "absolutist". On 6 June 2020, Rowling criticised a Devex article's use of the phrase "people who menstruate" instead of the word "women". She went on to tweet, "If sex isn't real, there's no same-sex attraction.
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Transgender people
"Entertainment Weekly" noted that the post-9/11 generation's "ideas about war, about leadership, about the dangers of consolidation of power and of dictatorship, about the importance of dissent, and about heroism and sacrifice, have been shaped at least in part by Rowling," and that their concept of freedom of speech has been influenced by Rowling's weathering of her books' routine challenges. Bill O'Reilly joined in the political fray over Harry Potter character Albus Dumbledore's outing by asking if it was part of a "gay agenda" to indoctrinate children. He called J. K. Rowling a provocateur for telling fans about Dumbledore's sexuality after the books were written.
Politics of Harry Potter | Education versus indoctrination
Although she drifted away from these beliefs and later adopted a more permissive theology, "Thoughts" is "steeped in orthodox attitudes, advocating 'fixed principles of religion' and warning of the dangers of rationalist speculation and deism". Wollstonecraft even agrees with Rousseau that women should be taught religious dogma rather than theology; clear rules, she maintains, will restrain their passions.
Thoughts on the Education of Daughters | Religion
Indeed, says Granger, the themes of love triumphing over death and choosing what is right instead of what is easy are very compatible with Christianity.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Orthodox
Several Christian writers have compared Rowling to the Inklings, a group that included C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams, who explored Christian themes and morality in a fantasy context. Dave Kopel, citing John Granger's book, draws comparisons between Rowling's and Lewis's common usage of Christian symbols, such as lions, unicorns and stags. He compares the work to Lewis's Christian allegory: "In the climax of "Chamber of Secrets", Harry descends to a deep underworld, is confronted by two satanic minions (Voldemort and a giant serpent), is saved from certain death by his faith in Dumbledore (the bearded God the Father/Ancient of Days), rescues the virgin (Virginia Weasley), and ascends in triumph.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Rowling and the Inklings
On 10 June 2020, Rowling published a 3,600-word essay on her website in response to the criticism. She said that she was a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault, and stated that "When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman ... then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside", while stating that most trans people were vulnerable and deserved protection. She also wrote that many women consider terms like "people who menstruate" to be demeaning. The essay was criticised by, among others, the gender non-conforming children's charity Mermaids.
J. K. Rowling | Transgender people
As a child, Rowling has said her early influences included "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C. S. Lewis, "The Little White Horse" by Elizabeth Goudge, and "Manxmouse" by Paul Gallico.
J. K. Rowling | Influences
Actress Noma Dumezweni initially expressed support for Rowling but rescinded her stance following backlash. Radcliffe responded on behalf of The Trevor Project, writing: "Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I." Rowling later published an essay on her website in response to the criticism. She said that she was a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault, and stated that "When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman ...
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Transgender people
Rowling later said that she based the character of Hermione Granger on herself when she was eleven. Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth, owned a turquoise Ford Anglia which she says inspired a flying version that appeared in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". Like many teenagers, she became interested in rock music, listening to the Clash, the Smiths, and Siouxsie Sioux, adopting the look of the latter with back-combed hair and black eyeliner, a look that she would still sport when beginning university.
J. K. Rowling | Childhood
Oates was raised Catholic but as of 2007 was an atheist. In an interview with "Commonweal" magazine, Oates stated, "I think of religion as a kind of psychological manifestation of deep powers, deep imaginative, mysterious powers which are always with us."
Joyce Carol Oates | Religion
Although Wollstonecraft's comments on female education hint at some of her more radical arguments in "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman", the religious tone of the text—also found in her first novel, ""—is generally viewed by scholars as conservative. The religion presented in "Thoughts" is one that celebrates the "pleasures of resignation", the belief that the afterlife is awaiting and that the world is ordered by God for the best. Wollstonecraft writes: He who is training us up for immortal bliss, knows best what trials will contribute to make us [virtuous]; and our resignation and improvement will render us respectable to ourselves, and to that Being, whose approbation is of more value than life itself.
Thoughts on the Education of Daughters | Religion
The religious views of William Shakespeare are the subject of an ongoing scholarly debate dating back more than 150 years. The general assumption about William Shakespeare's religious affiliation is that he was a conforming member of the established Church of England. However, many scholars have speculated about his personal religious beliefs, based on analysis of the historical record and of his published work, with claims that Shakespeare's family may have had Catholic sympathies and that he himself was a secret Catholic.
Religious views of William Shakespeare | Introduction
Analysts note the criticism of racism in J. K. Rowling's texts. When asked about the theme of racism and if her books have changed how people think, Rowling said, "I do not think I am pessimistic but I think I am realistic about how much you can change deeply entrenched prejudice, so my feeling would be that if someone were a committed racist, possibly "Harry Potter" is not going to have an effect." When asked in a post-"Deathly Hallows" webchat about Hermione's future, Rowling said, "Hermione began her post-Hogwarts career at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures where she was instrumental in greatly improving life for house-elves and their ilk.
Politics of Harry Potter | Racism, mistreatment of minorities and totalitarianism
On 19 October 2007, Rowling spoke at New York City's Carnegie Hall. When asked by a fan whether Albus Dumbledore, the books' wise mentor-figure, "who believed in the prevailing power of love, ever [fell] in love himself", Rowling replied: My truthful answer to you … I always thought of Dumbledore as gay. … Dumbledore fell in love with Gellert Grindelwald, and that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was … falling in love can blind us to an extent … he was very drawn to this brilliant person, and horribly, terribly let down by him.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Dumbledore's sexual orientation
As a resident of Scotland, Rowling was eligible to vote in the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, and intended to vote "No". She donated £1 million (US$1,694,000) to the Better Together anti-independence campaign, led by former neighbour and friend Alistair Darling, and used the "Death Eaters" characters from her "Harry Potter" series—who reject wizards unless they have pure blood—as a reference in her blog-post explanation of her donation; Rowling's words are: "However, when people try to make this debate about the purity of your lineage, things start getting a little Death Eaterish for my taste." In Rowling's post-donation blog post in mid-June 2014, she explained that she is "friendly" with members of both campaigns and stated a belief that "there are intelligent, thoughtful people on both sides of this question".
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Scottish independence campaign
Rowling stated she was proud to sign the letter to defend "open debate and freedom of thought and speech". Objections to the letter included accusations that Rowling and the other signatories had powerful means to publish their opinions, and that it was disingenuous to attempt to silence others who might offer criticism of their views. Some thought that Rowling was trying to specifically suppress criticism about her statements concerning transgender topics. After learning who also signed the letter, Jennifer Finney Boylan expressed regret over her support, and stated she would not have signed had she known who the other signatories were.
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Open letter on justice and open debate
As a child, Rowling attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the "Harry Potter" headmaster Albus Dumbledore. She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother worked in the science department. Steve Eddy, her first secondary school English teacher, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English". Rowling took A-levels in English, French and German, achieving two As and a B and was head girl.
J. K. Rowling | Education
In 2009, Duff stated, "I am a Christian, but I also don't really see myself as a religious person. I see myself as more of a spiritual person. There are a lot of things that I do agree with in Christianity and things that I don't agree with. I'm not a regular churchgoer, but I do think that I have my own beliefs that I feel strongly about."
Haylie Duff | Religious beliefs
In June 2016, Rowling opposed Brexit and campaigned for the United Kingdom to stay in the European Union, in the run up to the referendum to leave the European Union, stating on her website that, "I'm the mongrel product of this European continent and I'm an internationalist. I was raised by a Francophile mother whose family was proud of their part-French heritage ... My values are not contained or proscribed by borders. The absence of a visa when I cross the channel has symbolic value to me. I might not be in my house, but I'm still in my hometown." Rowling expressed concern that "racists and bigots" were directing parts of the Leave campaign.
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Brexit
Vowell is an atheist, though she describes herself as "culturally Christian." In an interview with "The A.V. Club", when asked if she believed in a god, she stated, "Absolutely not."
Sarah Vowell | Personal life
In a blog post, she added: "How can a retreat into selfish and insecure individualism be the right response when Europe faces genuine threats, when the bonds that tie us are so powerful, when we have come so far together? How can we hope to conquer the enormous challenges of terrorism and climate change without cooperation and collaboration?"
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Brexit
Although Gardner was exposed to Christianity throughout her early years, she was an atheist later in life. Religion never played a positive role in her life, according to biographers and Gardner, in her autobiography "Ava: My Story". Her friend Zoe Sallis, who met her on the set of "" when Gardner was living with John Huston in Puerto Vallarta, said Gardner always seemed unconcerned about religion. When Sallis asked her about religion once, Gardner replied, "It doesn't exist". Another factor that contributed to this was the death of Gardner's father in her youth, "Nobody wanted to know Daddy when he was dying.
Ava Gardner | Religion and political views
Randi's parents were members of the Anglican Church but rarely attended services. He attended Sunday School at St. Cuthbert's Church in Toronto a few times as a child, but he independently decided to stop going when he was not answered when he asked for proof of the teachings of the Church. In his essay "Why I Deny Religion, How Silly and Fantastic It Is, and Why I'm a Dedicated and Vociferous Bright", Randi, who identifies himself as an atheist, opined that many accounts in religious texts, including the virgin birth, the miracles of Jesus Christ, and the parting of the Red Sea by Moses, are not believable.
James Randi | Views on religion
She explains her view of "Muslim hatred" against West and other religions, writing:
Because They Hate | Summary
Maugham said that he remained agnostic to the questions concerning the existence of God. He considered that the misery and bitterness of the world suggested that God did not exist. He said that "the evidence adduced to prove the truth of one religion is of very much the same sort as that adduced to prove the truth of another." Maugham did not believe in God or an afterlife. He considered notions of future punishment or reward to be outrageous.
Somerset Maugham | Religious views
In 2018, Rowling tweeted that she was tired of "blood and soil ethno-nationalists marching with" civic campaigners. She also said that Scottish nationalism "contains traces of bigotry".
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Scottish nationalism
Critics and commentators have long agreed that Austen was "a conscientious and believing churchwoman." References in her remaining letters suggest to Oliver MacDonagh that Austen was an orthodox Anglican, that she conceived of the Anglican church (in patriotic terms) as national in character, and that she was pleased with "the increasing religiosity and advance in public morality" in England during her lifetime. In 1939 Canon Harold Anson argued that "Austen's novels are religious not because they contain religious controversy or 'a strong ecclesiastical motif' ... but because they show 'the underlying principles upon which men live their lives and by which they judge the characters of others'." According to Gary Kelly, "this has become the dominant view of those critics who find Austen to be a religious novelist.
Styles and themes of Jane Austen | Religion
That is, Harry and his friends cast spells, read crystal balls, and turn themselves into animals—but they don't make contact with a supernatural world. [It's not] the kind of real-life witchcraft the Bible condemns." Austin Cline notes that, "The Harry Potter books simply aren't about Wicca as it is currently practiced. J.K. Rowling researched Wiccan practices and incorporated a few elements in order to give her books a bit more of an air of reality, but she and Wicca are drawing upon the same corpus of ancient traditions and stories so similarities are inevitable. They certainly aren't a sign that the books work to "indoctrinate" people into Wicca as a religion." In his book, John Granger makes a critical distinction between what he calls the dangerous "invocational" magic (calling a spirit) and Rowling's "incantational" magic, in which the formula one speaks gets the job done, and says that her presentation to the materialistic world that there is more out there than is visible is doing a service for the cause of Christian evangelism.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Occult vs. fantasy and fairytale magic
The "Harry Potter" series has been criticised for supposedly supporting witchcraft and the occult. Before publication of "Deathly Hallows", Rowling refused to speak out about her religion, stating, "If I talk too freely, every reader, whether 10 or 60, will be able to guess what's coming in the books". However, many have commented on Christian allegories that appear in "Deathly Hallows". For example, Harry dies and then comes back to life to save mankind, like Christ. The location where this occurs is King's Cross. Harry also urges Voldemort to show remorse, to restore his shattered soul. Rowling also stated that "my belief and my struggling with religious belief ...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | Christian allegories
if you are a male you say, 'Thank You, O Lord, for creating me in Your image'; and if you are a woman you say, 'Thank You, O Lord, for creating me as You saw fit.'" She also began reading existentialist philosophies during this time period, causing her to turn away from Judaism even further. While she married Pollock in a church, Krasner continued to identify herself as Jewish but decided to not practice the religion. Her identity as a Jewish woman has affected how scholars interpret the meaning of her art.
Lee Krasner | Religion
Having been the first to note and explain the traditional alchemical and Christian imagery in the novels, he has become involved in the debate with those who criticize Ms. Rowling's novels, critics who believe the adventure stories encourage children to consider paganism and witchcraft as alternative faiths. In The Deathly Hallows Lectures, he explains the predominant eye symbolism of the series finale in light of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's natural theology and the consequent tradition of eye and mirror symbolism in Romantic literature.
John Granger | Works about Harry Potter
Don't forget, falling in love can blind us. [He] was very drawn to this brilliant person. This was Dumbledore's tragedy." Melissa Anelli, webmaster of the fan site The Leaky Cauldron, told The Associated Press, "Jo Rowling calling any Harry Potter character gay would make wonderful strides in tolerance toward homosexuality... By dubbing someone so respected, so talented and so kind, as someone who just happens to be also homosexual, she's reinforcing the idea that a person's gayness is not something of which they should be ashamed." Of the ensuing controversy, Rowling said, "I know that it was a positive thing that I said it, for at least one person, because one man 'came out' at Carnegie Hall." "Entertainment Weekly"s Mark Harris said "her choice to make a beloved professor-mentor gay in a world where gay teachers are still routinely slandered as malign influences was, I am certain, no accident." Harris also says that there is a drastic underrepresentation of gays in the population, and it is a failure of decency and nerve on the entertainment industry— "including the tremendous number of gay producers, writers, and executives who sacrifice their convictions so they don't look too "strident" or "political.""
Politics of Harry Potter | Progressive values and diversity
Virginia Woolf was born into a non-religious family and is regarded, along with her fellow Bloomsberries E. M. Forster and G. E. Moore, as a humanist. Both her parents were prominent agnostic atheists. Her father, Leslie Stephen, had become famous in polite society for his writings which expressed and publicised reasons to doubt the veracity of religion. Woolf's mother, Julia Stephen, wrote the book "Agnostic Women" (1880), which argued that agnosticism (defined here as something more like atheism) could be a highly moral approach to life. Woolf was a critic of Christianity. In a letter to Ethel Smyth, she gave a scathing denunciation of the religion, seeing it as self-righteous "egotism" and stating "my Jew [Leonard] has more religion in one toenail—more human love, in one hair." Woolf stated in her private letters that she thought of herself as an atheist.
Virginia Woolf | Humanist views
The way you vote, the way you live, the way you protest, the pressure you bring to bear on your government, has an impact way beyond your borders. That is your privilege, and your burden." The Presidential Medal of Freedom was allegedly refused to be awarded to Rowling under George W. Bush, because her writing "encouraged witchcraft". This was claimed by Matt Latimer, a former speechwriter for Bush, who went on to write a memoir about his time in the administration, although then First Lady Laura Bush had declared a fondness for the books.
Politics of J. K. Rowling | US politics
There has been a substantial amount of writing done on the subject of An Collins' religious beliefs. As Ostovich and Sauer state it, "An Collins' religious beliefs have been variously defined as anti-Puritanical, Calvinist, Catholic, anti-Calvinist, and Quaker..." All of these can be seen as true at different points in "Divine Songs". In "The Discourse", Collins presents a very standard primer on Protestant teachings, and her exceptional focus on sin has led some to call her a Calvinist. However, the lack of focus on predestination makes this prospect seem unlikely. Some scholars have put forth the idea that Collins shows a tendency towards Catholicism.
An Collins | Religious views
Writing for "Lenny Letter", Kesha stated that she views "God [as] nature and space and energy and the universe. My own interpretation of spirituality isn't important, because we all have our own. What matters is that I have something greater than me as an individual that helps bring me peace." According to her "Paper", "Homophobia and false piety eventually alienated [her] from Christianity and she's since settled on a non-denominational cocktail of meditation, mindfulness, and astrology." Kesha said she is occasionally a nihilist. She is "obsessed with religion."
Kesha | Spiritual views
Hecht was raised Jewish and believed in God until she was twelve when she had what she describes as a "Talking Heads headshift", standing in her parents’ house saying, "This is not my beautiful couch, I am not your beautiful daughter." In the days that followed she came to see that "we are one species among great nature, and as the trees very slowly rot, so do our pampered haunches." Eventually, she replaced faith in God with faith in humanity. Hecht has been an outspoken member of the secular community since 2003, accepting the label "atheist" somewhat reluctantly. "Initially after writing my book Doubt, I avoided the atheist label, saying only that I did not believe in God.
Jennifer Michael Hecht | Atheism
Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village of Winterbourne when Rowling was four. As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories which she frequently read to her sister. Aged nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great-aunt gave her a copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, "Hons and Rebels." Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling read all of her books. Rowling has said that her teenage years were unhappy. Her home life was complicated by her mother's diagnosis with multiple sclerosis and a strained relationship with her father, with whom she is not on speaking terms.
J. K. Rowling | Childhood
In a 2012 interview, Radcliffe stated: "There was never [religious] faith in the house. I think of myself as being Jewish and Irish, despite the fact that I'm English." He has stated: "We were Christmas tree Jews", and that he is "very proud of being Jewish". In 2012, Radcliffe was quoted as saying: "I'm an atheist, and a militant atheist when religion starts impacting on legislation", though in a 2009 interview, he stated, "I'm very relaxed about [being an atheist]. I don't preach my atheism, but I have a huge amount of respect for people like Richard Dawkins who do.
Daniel Radcliffe | Religion
In respect to the Harry Potter series, Granger holds, contrary to several Christian critics of the series – including Berit Kjos and Richard Abanes – that the books' magic is incantational rather than invocational, and, as such, require and support a Christian worldview rather than undermine it. Granger has debated Abanes and Catholic Potter critic Michael O’Brien on the Christian content and value of Rowling's work. This argument was later validated by Rowling in her 2007 Open Book Tour, when she commented that she thought the Christian symbolism and content of the "Harry Potter" novels was "obvious". Latter-day Saint critics of Granger's exploration of Stephanie Meyers’ Mormonism and its place in her "Twilight" novels have dismissed his work as a cursory engagement with Mormonism, uncovering subtlety where none was intended, giving Meyer the benefit of doubts never demanded, and getting Mormon popular culture plain wrong.
John Granger | Criticism
Crow was raised Presbyterian, but moved towards a more general affiliation and now describes herself as Christian.
Sheryl Crow | Religion
Rowling then sarcastically tweeted that Boylan should incur public penance for her association with her. Stanford Law professor Richard Thompson Ford, a signatory to the letter, stated it should not matter who has signed because it did not mean they all endorsed the entire gamut of viewpoints and deeds of their co-signatories. Writer Bari Weiss said she was proud to stand with Rowling and the other signatories. Several of the signers also defended their letter, saying there is a very diverse group of people supporting their stand against excessive retribution by what they called the "forces of illiberalism".
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Open letter on justice and open debate
Flather has described herself as a "Hindu atheist". Broadly, she is an atheist with affinity to the most important sayings from the Bhagavad Gita and following them. She is an honorary associate of the National Secular Society.
Shreela Flather | Religious views
The quotation on Dumbledore's family tomb, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also", is from , and refers to knowing which things in life are of true value. "They're very British books," Rowling revealed to an Open Book conference in October 2007, "So on a very practical note Harry was going to find biblical quotations on tombstones, [but] I think those two particular quotations he finds on the tombstones at Godric's Hollow, … almost epitomise the whole series." Tom Willow stated that "Harry Potter going knowingly to his death at the hands of Voldemort, willing to sacrifice himself to save his friends, is reminiscent of Aslan similarly sacrificing himself in C.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Christian allegories in "Deathly Hallows"
Later, Bloom said that the speculations did not go far enough, and perhaps he should have identified J with the Biblical Bathsheba. In "Jesus and Yahweh: The Names Divine" (2004), he revisits some of the territory he covered in "The Book of J" in discussing the significance of Yahweh and Jesus of Nazareth as literary characters, while casting a critical eye on historical approaches and asserting the fundamental incompatibility of Christianity and Judaism. In "The American Religion" (1992), Bloom surveyed the major varieties of Protestant and post-Protestant religious faiths that originated in the United States and argued that, in terms of their psychological hold on their adherents, most shared more in common with gnosticism than with historical Christianity.
Harold Bloom | Religious criticism
To many, Rowling is known for her centre-left political views. In September 2008, on the eve of the Labour Party Conference, Rowling announced that she had donated £1 million to the Labour Party, and publicly endorsed Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown over Conservative challenger David Cameron, praising Labour's policies on child poverty. Rowling is a close friend of Sarah Brown, wife of Gordon Brown, whom she met when they collaborated on a charitable project for One Parent Families. Entering the sphere of American politics, Rowling discussed the 2008 United States presidential election with the Spanish-language newspaper "El País" in February 2008, stating that the election would have a profound effect on the rest of the world.
J. K. Rowling | Politics
It also contains an inscription written on one window-frame, "Joanne Rowling slept here circa 1982". Rowling also drew inspiration from the adjoining church graveyard, and the local countryside. She attended the nearby primary school in Tutshill, before moving on to Wyedean secondary school, and later named one of her fictional Quidditch teams as the "Tutshill Tornados".
Church Cottage, Tutshill | J. K. Rowling
Christian authors who have criticised the books include fantasy author J.K. Rowling on ethical grounds and literary critic John Goldthwaite in "The Natural History of Make-Believe" for elitism and snobbery in the books. J. R. R. Tolkien was a close friend of Lewis, a fellow author and was instrumental in Lewis' own conversion to Christianity. As members of the Inklings literary group the two often read and critiqued drafts of their work. Nonetheless, Tolkien was not enthusiastic about the Narnia stories, in part due to the eclectic elements of the mythology and their haphazard incorporation, in part because he disapproved of stories involving travel between real and imaginary worlds.
Religion in The Chronicles of Narnia | Religious and secular reception
Rowling's statement that Dumbledore was gay caused a great debate among critics. Melissa Anelli, webmaster of the fan site The Leaky Cauldron, told The Associated Press, "J.K. Rowling calling any "Harry Potter" character gay would make wonderful strides in tolerance toward homosexuality. ... By dubbing someone so respected, so talented and so kind, as someone who just happens to be also homosexual, she's reinforcing the idea that a person's gayness is not something of which they should be ashamed." "Entertainment Weekly"s Mark Harris said "her choice to make a beloved professor-mentor gay in a world where gay teachers are still routinely slandered as malign influences was, I am certain, no accident." The stars and director of the "Harry Potter" films were supportive of Rowling's revelation as well.
Albus Dumbledore | Sexuality
S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". There is no doubt that Aslan's sacrifice was modeled by Lewis on Jesus Christ going to Golgotha. It is logical to assume that, directly or indirectly, that was also the model for Harry Potter's sacrifice." "Deathly Hallows" begins with a pair of epigraphs, one by Quaker leader William Penn and one from Aeschylus' "The Libation Bearers". "I really enjoyed choosing those two quotations because one is pagan, of course, and one is from a Christian tradition", Rowling said. "I'd known it was going to be those two passages since 'Chamber' was published.
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Christian allegories in "Deathly Hallows"
Harvey criticized author Alex Sanchez' novel "Rainbow Boys" in her 2002 essay "The World According to PFLAG: Why PFLAG and Children Don't Mix Unless You Happen to Like Child Abuse". After JK Rowling, author of the "Harry Potter" series, revealed that she always thought of the character Albus Dumbledore as being homosexual,
Mission: America | Literary views
But that is human behavior, so you can't lay it down to religion. You can find the same in any power situation, such as politics or ideologies that purport to be atheist. Need I mention the former Soviet Union? So it is not a question of religion making people behave badly. It is a question of human beings getting power and then wanting more of it.In the same vein, Atwood also declared that "In the real world today, some religious groups are leading movements for the protection of vulnerable groups, including women." Atwood also draws connections between the ways in which Gilead's leaders maintain their power and other examples of actual totalitarian governments.
The Handmaid's Tale | Background
Crudeli-Diderot says that believers are guided more by their passions than by their religious belief. He argues that the religious views of the lady are, in the final analysis, utilitarian and pragmatic. The lady says that she is unable to answer him, but is also unable to accept his viewpoint. Crudeli-Diderot replies that he has no intention of changing her views. Religion is like marriage, he says. Just as marriage makes many people happy, so it has made her happy. Similarly, religion has made her a better person; so it is best for her to continue to be a religious person.
Conversation with the Marèchale de *** | Content
Rowling has named civil rights activist Jessica Mitford as her greatest influence. She said "Jessica Mitford has been my heroine since I was 14 years old, when I overheard my formidable great-aunt discussing how Mitford had run away at the age of 19 to fight with the Reds in the Spanish Civil War", and claims what inspired her about Mitford was that she was "incurably and instinctively rebellious, brave, adventurous, funny and irreverent, she liked nothing better than a good fight, preferably against a pompous and hypocritical target". Rowling has described Jane Austen as her favourite author, calling "Emma" her favourite book in "O, The Oprah Magazine".
J. K. Rowling | Influences
He expressed a dislike for all religions, and was particularly critical of Christians.
Jared Lee Loughner | Views on religion
In 1989, the Freedom From Religion Foundation honored her with its Freethought Heroine Award. "I'm an atheist," she had declared, "and Christianity appears to me to be the most absurd imposture of all the religions, and I'm puzzled that so many people can't see through a religion that encourages irresponsibility and bigotry." She told a reporter, "As my ancestors are free from slavery, I am free from the slavery of religion." This quote was used by the Freedom From Religion Foundation in advertisements inside Madison, Wisconsin, buses in 2009 and in an Atlanta market in 2010. She lamented that, if humans had focused on Earth and on people, rather than on mythology and on Jesus, there would be less hunger and homelessness.
Butterfly McQueen | Atheism
If sex isn't real, the lived reality of women globally is erased", while also saying she was "empathetic to trans people". The term "people who menstruate" is used to include some trans men and non-binary people who also menstruate. The media advocacy group GLAAD called the tweets "anti-trans" and "cruel", and wrote: "JK Rowling continues to align herself with an ideology which willfully distorts facts about gender identity and people who are trans. In 2020, there is no excuse for targeting trans people." Several actors known for portraying Rowling's characters criticised her views or spoke in support of trans rights, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Eddie Redmayne, Evanna Lynch, Bonnie Wright and Katie Leung, as did the fansites MuggleNet and The Leaky Cauldron.
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Transgender people
In 2003, Wood described herself as Jewish. However, in 2012, she denied belonging to any religion, stating, "I believe in God but I am not religious. I am spiritual. My definition of God isn't in any religion. It's very personal." Wood's mother is a convert to Judaism, and Wood's father is Christian.
Evan Rachel Wood | Religion
When asked if being Jewish is important to her, Leibovitz replied, "I'm not a practicing Jew, but I feel very Jewish."
Annie Leibovitz | Religion
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is unruly, even slightly anarchic. Harry's classmate Hermione 'had become a bit more relaxed about breaking the rules,' writes Rowling near the end of "Philosopher's Stone", 'and she was much nicer for it.' There's more than a touch of anarchy when all the students sing to their own tune. In her books, the kids are the central agents of their own lives. They make choices. Weigh judgments. Wrestle with freedom."
Politics of Harry Potter | Subversive and anarchistic message
In an article written for "Time" magazine before the publication of the seventh and final book in the series entitled "Who Dies in Harry Potter? God," Lev Grossman argues that, "Harry Potter lives in a world free of any religion or spirituality of any kind. He lives surrounded by ghosts but has no one to pray to, even if he were so inclined, which he isn't." Grossman goes on to contrast "Harry Potter" with other, more explicitly religious fantasies, such as C. S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" and J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings".
Religious debates over the Harry Potter series | Secularism
McFadyen states that she is "saddened" by Rowling's position, but asserts that "It is not my intention here to rebut your arguments, but rather to offer a response." McFadyen writes that the referendum is "the most wonderful gift", as citizens of their own country are asked for their opinion about their nation's future, and the "referendum question has sparked the imagination of the nation". McFadyen concludes with several quotes taken from a speech delivered by Rowling, as well as a poem from Maurice Lindsay, and concludes: "We would be delighted to extend an invitation to yourself to attend one of the many Yestival events taking place across Scotland this July."
Politics of J. K. Rowling | Scottish independence campaign
When asked about the politics and message in "Harry Potter", Rowling explained, "I wanted Harry to leave our world and find exactly the same problems in the wizarding world. So you have the intent to impose a hierarchy, you have bigotry, and this notion of purity, which is this great fallacy, but it crops up all over the world. People like to think themselves superior and that if they can pride themselves in nothing else they can pride themselves on perceived purity. [...] It wasn't really exclusively that. I think you can see in the Ministry even before it's taken over, there are parallels to regimes we all know and love." She also said, "You should question authority and you should not assume that the establishment or the press tells you all of the truth."
Politics of Harry Potter | Introduction