Neal, Connie, and Samuel F. (Skip) Parvin. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004. 69 + xiii pp. $5.95 (USD). ISBN: 0-664-22669-8.

[1] Fans of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series will be delighted by the appearance of this group study guide, one of a growing body of works which examine the Harry Potter phenomenon. Co-authored by Skip Parvin (The Gospel According to The Simpsons: Leader's Guide for Group Study) and Connie Neal (The Gospel According to Harry Potter), the guide consists of study outlines for ten lessons (expandable to twelve) which attempt to bring Neal's book, the first two Harry Potter books and movies, and the Bible into fruitful dialogue with one another.

[2] Each lesson follows a similar format: a list of suggested readings from Neal's The Gospel According to Harry Potter, a list of relevant scenes from the Harry Potter films, and both an Old Testament and New Testament passage for study. There follows a bulleted list of questions for discussion and, since this is a leader's guide, possible answers. Each study concludes with a prayer and with a suggestion for an activity that could be assigned in the coming week as a way of fostering further reflection on the topic.

[3] The prime focus of the study guide is on the biblical texts, with discussion of the Harry Potter books and films framed in the light of these biblical contexts. Although the book is designed as a companion to Neal's The Gospel According to Harry Potter, participants need not have read that book in order to appreciate and benefit from this study. On the other hand, familiarity with the first two Harry Potter books (preferably) or movies (at least) is a must.

[4] The book's introduction accurately identifies the audience to whom this study will most strongly appeal: teens and young adults, with the possibility of adaptation for use with adults. Theologically, the book is positioned to appeal to a broad segment of the Christian community, despite the occasional glance at specifically Calvinistic doctrines such as predestination and total depravity.

[5] The study guide does many things well. Neal's foreword offers concise and balanced advice on dealing with the Harry Potter controversy as it has arisen in some segments of the Christian community. Parvin's introduction offers an equally brief and equally biblically grounded apologetic articulating his view of the proper relationship of faith to culture‹a rationale with which all participants in the study would need to be in at least tacit agreement. Finally, the ten lessons themselves should spark excellent discussions, since the proposed study questions are uniformly thoughtful, relevant, and open-ended.

[6] The weakest point of the study guide is its inability to effectively point people to further explorations beyond its pages. While the suggestions for further discussion which close each chapter generally offer viable ideas, the first lesson ends with mere irrelevancy; conversations with a magician (sleight-of-hand artist) offer little promise of shedding light on either the biblical concept of magic or on the issue of magic as it appears in fantasy literature. Indeed, such consultation may do more to confuse the issues than to clarify them.

[7] Although adults engaged in this study might feel a desire to engage in further reading on the various topics, no bibliography nor list of works for further study is included. For example, although the third lesson focuses on the concept of spiritual gifts, the authors fail to mention any of the excellent inventories that are available to assist individuals in identifying their spiritual gifts. The most serious omission in the study guide, however, is its failure to distinguish between the biblical definition of magic and the quite different concepts associated with this term today. Any study attempting to engage, from a Christian perspective, with the magic of the Harry Potter books should begin with a review of the current scholarship in the subject, as embodied in, for example, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (rev. ed., 1979) or Eerdman's Dictionary of the Bible. Their silence on the matter suggests that the authors of the study guide have not done so.

[8] Nevertheless, the study guide offers a useful and welcome tool to encourage biblical reflection in the context of cultural engagement. As the book's introduction points out, "Obviously we cannot prevent children (and adults, for that matter) from being exposed to Harry Potter. So as Christians, what do we do? We use Harry Potter to teach Christian theology, ethics, and values. We teach people to think theologically and help them to become discerning Christian analysts when it comes to popular culture" (xii). The Gospel According to Harry Potter: Leader's Guide for Group Study will help people to do just that.

Anita Helmbold
Taylor University College
Edmonton, Alberta
anita.helmbold@taylor-edu.ca