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Letters from 18 to 24 July 2005

Like all letters to the editor everywhere, these letters are the opinions of the writers and not Anglicans Online. We publish letters that we think will be of interest to our readers, whether we agree with them or not. If you'd like to write a letter of your own, click here.

No need to Christianize it—tis already there

It seems to me that people delight in the Harry Potter series for the same reason that many readers delight in science fiction. The characters in the novels are not impeded by the sometimes frustrating limitations of everyday life. Just as it would be wonderful to leave one's troubles behind by flying to some distant planet, so, too, it would be marvelous to accomplish tedious household chores by waving a wand! I don't believe that the children who love the ongoing story of the young wizard consider it anything but fantasy. The world of fantasy, after all, is a very familiar place to them. It's only adults, their imaginations wearied by "the changes and chances of this mortal life", who worry about people being drawn into the occult by these books.

Beyond that, however, I think that the Harry Potter series provides numerous, excellent examples of how often great evil results from what may appear to be the cause of righteousness. The real-life history of the Church, of course, also abounds with such examples. The Crusades, the Inquisition, and the Salem witch trials come to mind. Far from needing to be somehow "christianized", the Harry Potter books already present important themes with which serious Christians have always grappled.

Thank you for your wonderfully thoughtful weekly observations.

(The Rev.) William Bippus
St. Paul's
Marinette, Wisconsin USA
18 July 2005

Not all a bunch of hogwart

I don't know about 'gee, it's just like Hogwarts' but when we went to Gloucester Cathedral a little while ago they were selling maps that could be used to find the bits of the film that were filmed in the cloister - my two youngsters were delighted. Apparently the doorway that provided the 'entrance' to Prof. Dumblebore's study has been left as the set dressers painted it because the colours are better. Life imitating art.

Deacon David Vannerley
St. Laurence-in-Thanet
Kent, U.K.
vannerley@aol.com
19 July 2005

Psynchronized psalms?

How do the Daily Office books used in the Episcopal Church relate to the Daily Prayer of the Church of England? I tried to figure out if there is a one-to-one mapping between the two, but I could not see the relationship. They seem to be out of synch, regarding psalm numbers. Is there a Daily Prayer Worship that all the Anglican Communion uses, such that all the Churches are 'synchronised', using the same chapters of psalms and gospels, for the same dates? If there is no such synchronicity, then why? Thank you.

Mike Quentel
Saint Francis
Springboro, Ohio, USA
mikequentel@yahoo.com
21 July 2005

(Ed: you can reply directly to Mr Quentel if you would like. Since this topic, writ large, is one of global interest right now, we would also welcome letters to the editor in response).

Earlier letters

We launched our 'Letters to AO' section on 11 May 2003. All of our letters are in our archives.