Curious about the historical Jesus? Interested in history and mythology? Discover the truth.
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Overview.
Jesus Christ and Harry Potter are two figures of such international status that no introduction is necessary; their stories have been translated into dozens of languages and they each have found international support in many diverse cultures and communities. However the relationship between the two is mysterious, complicated and intriguing. At first glance it may seem that J.K. Rowling’s young magician and the crucified Jesus prophet who became the Christian savior have absolutely nothing to do with one another – and yet the unease and sometimes outright animosity between the followers of these two figures argues otherwise. Just what is it about Harry Potter that Christians find so threatening?
On the surface, the conflict appears simple. The Bible prohibits witchcraft absolutely, on pain of death. Some Christians, therefore, argue that the popularity of Harry Potter (especially among children) can lead them to accept that magic is OK – if used for the right reasons – and thus lure them into Satanic practices that lead to damnation. However, at the same time an analysis of both figures reveals parallels that, in such apparently diverse world-views, have no right to be there. Consider, for example, the following list:
Miraculous birth, foretold by prophecy
Magic father, human mother
Threatened by an evil ruler and had to go into hiding as a baby
Power over animals, time and matter
Symbolized by a lion / enemy symbolized by a snake
Descended into the underworld
Had a mark or sign on his forehead that indicated his power
Broke seven Magical seals
Went willingly to his death
Suffered and died (or appeared to die) willingly, was mourned
Came back to life, defeated his enemies in a final glorious battle
Can this list really be applied to both Jesus Christ and Harry Potter equally? If so, where do the apparent similarities come from? More importantly, why is Harry Potter deemed Satanic, while Jesus Christ is revered as the Son of God? What key differences allow Christians to make the distinction between them? While it is no stretch of the imagination to accept that in writing the story of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling borrowed fictional motifs from elements in classical mythology, alchemy and philosophy, the same claim is not so easily made with regard to Jesus Christ. Although most scholars now accept that The Bible contains at least some pre-Christian elements and mythological symbolism, these components are swept aside in the belief that they have no bearing on the historical Jesus. (Modern scholarship into the historical Jesus defends the idea that there may have been a historical founder of Christianity, even if the gospels can tell us nothing certain about him.) Meanwhile, many Christian believers regard the Bible as historically valid and literally true. Moreover, evangelical Christians who are spreading the gospels overseas are preaching the historically indisputable life and miracles of Jesus Christ – while at the same time refusing to let their children read the Harry Potter books. How and why Jesus Christ, who is traditionally considered a historical figure, shares anything in common with the modern re-telling of ancient folklore that emerges in the character of Harry Potter, is the basis for my new book, Jesus Potter, Harry Christ – a 100,000 word treatise on Christian history, comparative mythology, astrological symbolism, and contemporary culture.
Background.
Interest and controversy over the historical nature of Jesus Christ and his relationship to pre-existing pagan mythologies have been developing steadily in the past several decades, and although the internet today is full of websites and viral videos such as Zeitgeist exploring the origins of Christianity, there have been very few publications giving this topic a full and comprehensive evaluation. Earl Doherty’s The Jesus Puzzle (1999) is too academic and specialized for most readers, and Freke and Gandy’s Jesus Mysteries (2000) is sometimes accused of being sensationalistic. The last successful book exploring the mythical Christ was Tom Harpur’s The Pagan Christ (2005) and sequel Water Into Wine (2007). Due to the interest and lack of modern material, some publishers have begun reprinting older books on the subject, for example, Alvin Boyd Kuhn’s 1944 Who is this King of Glory (republished with a modern cover in 2007). On the flip side, Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ (1998) has enjoyed huge success as a defense for the historical Jesus. Finally, the quickly growing atheist movement is becoming interested in the subject as well, and celebrity thinkers such as Richard Dawkins have recently posted articles concerning the mythical Christ on their websites, generating a great deal of online buzz. This unresolved controversy is a topic of great personal interest for many people, and books exploring the historical nature of Jesus Christ will continue to be relevant for quite some time.
Jesus Potter, Harry ChristIs the MOST comprehensive book available on the real Jesus Christ. It provides answers that no other book on the subject has been able to. Discover for yourself the fascinating history of the mythical Jesus.
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Content.
Jesus Potter, Harry Christ begins by comparing the similarities between Jesus and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, and concludes that the only difference between the two is that Jesus has traditionally been regarded as historical. Rather than launching into dated arguments from Christ-Myth theory, Jesus Potter, Harry Christ moves very slowly – establishing the historical basis and controversy surrounding the historical Jesus, analyzing the modern assumptions and pre-established beliefs, and re-examining critical evidence in the debate. Only after exploring and clearing away the history of the controversy, does it move into concrete parallels between Jesus Christ and earlier mythology and literature, which may have been assimilated into the Jesus tradition. Next, the book traces the universal source of many religious myths and symbols to astrology: the fact that Greeks and Romans identified all of the planets as gods, and believed that mythological figures and events were ‘placed in the heavens’ as constellations, gives this premise firm ground. Finally, Jesus Potter, Harry Christ concludes that the figure of Jesus Christ was a deliberate attempt to bridge Judaism and pagan thought, whose stories were embedded with historical details until a few believers actually began to think he was a real person.
Key Features.
Although some of the ideas in this book have been raised before, all of the evidence and arguments are new. Moreover, Jesus Potter, Harry Christ provides answers that no other book on the subject has been able to provide: exactly how this transformation from myth to history occurred, why anyone would want to combine Judaism and pagan mythology, how followers of Jesus could believe so fervently in his existence to become martyrs, and how a movement as powerful and long-lasting as Christianity could have begun around a myth.
The astronomical foundations for most religious symbolism
The history of biblical criticism that led to modern perceptions of Jesus Christ
The early church controvery about whether Jesus came “In the Flesh”
Biblical evidence that Christianity was originally an initiation cult
Why the martyrs were willing to die for Jesus Christ
Figures from mythology that prefigured Christian motifs and symbols
Pagan rituals, beliefs and customs that became intwined with Christian practice
Exactly how Jesus developed from a literary construct into a historical figure
Chapter Outline.
This book has 10 chapters. The introduction focuses on the background research, motivations and objectives of this study. The conceptual outline is presented, providing the groundwork and information that will be covered in later chapters.
Chapter One: Shared Literary Motifs: Is Harry Potter a “Christ-Figure”?
Harry Potter and Jesus Christ are arguably the most famous icons of contemporary civilization. Their stories have been translated into dozens of languages and they each have found international support in many diverse cultures and communities. At first glance it may seem that J.K. Rowling’s young magician and the crucified Jesus prophet who became the Christian savior have absolutely nothing to do with one another – and yet the unease and sometimes outright animosity between the followers of these two figures argues otherwise. Just what is it about Harry Potter that Christians find so threatening? Moreover, how do Christians respond to the claim that Harry Potter and Jesus Christ actually share far more in common than is generally recognized?
Chapter Two: Problematizing the Historical Jesus: An Overview of the Controversy In order to explore the relationship between Jesus and Harry, it is crucial to identify whether the gospel stories of Jesus that appear similar to Rowling’s series are completely historical, or in part mythological. The claim that Jesus was mythological continues to be controversial and the debate is clouded by the pre-existing social assumptions surrounding the evidence for the historical Jesus. Chapter two also provides a historical overview of the controversy and investigates the reliability of the evidence used in defense of the historical figure of Jesus Christ.
Chapter Three: Mythological Sources for Christian Literary Structures and Motifs After moving past the preconceptions about the historical Jesus, Chapter three will outline the ‘argument from similarity’, give descriptions of the major deities that have been compared to Jesus Christ, list Christian responses to the argument, and counter with ancient testimonies. Special attention will be paid to the timeline so that priority can be established. It will be proven that, contrary to general opinion, during this period there was a strong movement towards the synthesis and translation of religious expression, which even many Jews took part in.
Chapter Four: Astrological Foundations: Journey of the Sun God Next we explore the astrological origins of the spiritual symbols that were preserved into pagan mythology and can be found also in Christian practice. It is demonstrated that astronomy has always been at the heart and root of religious experience, and that gods, heroes and mythical figures were blatantly and openly associated with constellations and planets in the classical world – so much so that our current names for those planets and constellations come from classical mythology. “Ascended into the heavens” meant, for most Greeks and Romans, that a hero had been transformed into a constellation after death. In Chapter Four, the claim is made that many of the biographical details of Jesus Christ actually come from various sun cult traditions, and that this was recognized by early Christians themselves. Moreover, many of our modern myths (Narnia, the Lion King, Peter Pan) preserve symbols from the same sun myth.
Chapter Five: Rediscovering Satan: Draco and Creation Mythologies Chapter Five will reconstruct a universal creation story, centering on the constellation Draco and its role in the development of afterlife theologies; it details the division of one singular divinity into individuals’ souls and, as such allows for the notion that souls may be reunited with divinity after death. (The link between the constellation Draco and spiritual symbols such as the yin-yang is completely unrecognized by scholars – but the connection can be established firmly.) This cosmology is found in 6th century BC Orphism and several other ancient sources; it is the Babylonian version of this creation myth which was persevered pretty much intact in the biblical story of the garden. Traces of this esoteric philosophy can even be found in very ancient Egyptian texts, and in the centuries just before the rise of Christianity, the belief was widespread and common to every spiritual school.
Chapter Six: Jesus the Handsome Prince: Uniting with the Higher Self Next, the various methods of ‘reunification’ or salvation are explored, strikingly similar in both Eastern and Western religions, and it is demonstrated that, although the interpretation of Christianity has evolved, the identical symbolism and language used place Christianity firmly within this universal spiritual tradition. This complex spiritual concept of salvation was taught using folklore and mythology; each culture adopted and updated the myth to make it accessible to its own community. It is preserved in many Greek myths, and also in modern re-tellings such as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.
Chapter Seven: The Jewish Mysteries: Early Christian Initiations If Christianity was originally the same as other similar cults, how did it become so different? How could the transformation from myth to history have been achieved? To answer these questions, it must first be demonstrated that Christianity was a ‘mystery religion’ – in other words it had several levels of knowledge that were accessible through initiatory rites. While early converts were taught strict rules and laws, as well as stories about their savior or founder, higher levels initiates could slacken their precautions and also begin to understand the symbolic meaning behind the stories. After exploring the spiritual traditions of the mysteries, we can more easily identify Christianity as a mystery religion itself with various stages of initiation. This claim is supported with ancient testimonies and biblical quotes. It is hypothesized that the Jesus story was a Jewish construction based on a common and popular mythology designed to give Jews access into the robust cosmopolitan spirituality of the Greco-Roman world.
Chapter Eight: ‘Stupid Galatians’: Emphasis on the Fleshly Resurrection Once we understand Christianity as a mystery religion, we can read the early Christian literature more accurately. The controversies concerning the historical Jesus should not have been possible given the fact of a historical founder. However, they make perfect sense under our hypothesis – that a select group of Christians who had not been initiated in the higher mysteries began to develop independent theology around the stories of Jesus, believing him to be a historical figure. Chapter Eight focuses on the Apostle Paul, whose letters preserve the exact state of communicative decay that lead to the literalist misinterpretation of the Jesus myth, and the revolution that his communities fostered against him when he tried to reveal the higher mysteries. It will demonstrate exactly how, using biblical evidence, new converts and initiates began to preach a historical, newly crucified and resurrected Jewish savior – without having heard the full message of revelation. It will demonstrate also how these communities, who believed in a historical Jesus, developed a doctrine of ‘resurrection of the flesh’ in defense of their beliefs which set them firmly against the spirituality of their times.
Chapter Nine: From Myth to History: Conflict with Authority and Martyrdom Chapter Nine traces the historical motivations which produced martyrdom and the spread of the church, explains the eventual vindication of Christianity in non-miraculous ways (i.e. political and sociological), and demonstrates how Christianity won spiritual supremacy by absorbing wealth and power.
Chapter Ten will give a conclusion, summary and further reflections.
Available Nov. 21st, 2010. Pre-Order now!
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Testimonials.
Particularly absorbing and highly topical: namely, the idea that nothing substantially separates Jesus of Nazareth from Harry Potter except that most human beings believe in the historical reality of the former. Instead, both figures entertain astonishingly parallel personality traits that derive from universal myths. In many ways, the real heart (of the book) seems to be the analysis of early Christianity as being a mystery religion, and, interestingly, one designed to include the Jewish religion within the surrounding Greco-Roman cults. Importantly, the author locates St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians as the site of “communicative decay that lead to the literalist misinterpretation of the Jesus myth.” As part of the continuing debate over the nature of Christ, not only among Christians but between them and today’s wave of atheist thinkers, Jesus Potter, Harry Christ is timely. Linking this analysis, moreover, to J. K. Rowling’s globally popular character further heightens its relevancy. Jeff Crouse, Ph.D – Parmenides publishing
Author.
Derek Murphy is a writer and artist from Portland, Oregon, whose passionate investigation into Christian history began as a theology student on the Catholic island of Malta (the ‘first’ Christian community – St. Paul’s shipwreck and conversion of the Maltese natives is found in Acts). A devoted spiritualist, Derek’s increasing dissatisfaction with Christian dogma and the growing certainty that the historical evidence does not support traditional accounts of Christian beginnings led to the exploration of alternative theories. After living in Italy and Spain, and then moving to Asia, in 2005 he published Dead Little Fish: The Accidental History of Jesus Christ.
Since then, Derek has finished his Master’s degree in Comparative Literature and spent 5 years researching. Harry Potter, Jesus Christ is the much expanded continuation of his research, focusing on the inclusion of ancient mythological symbols and astronomical motifs into contemporary religion and children’s literature. Derek now lives in Taiwan and is finishing his PhD in Comparative Religious Literature.
Guarantee.
The eBook version of JPHC is not some slim pdf full of fluff – it’s the exact same file as the one used for printing, which is massive. The book represents years of research, and while not perfect, it’s pretty darn good. 100% Money-Back Guarantee: If you’re not completely satisfied with your purchase, I offer an eight-week 100% money-back guarantee. E-mail me and I will give you the refund. (Refund only applies to the eBook version).
