Some have questioned how Christians ought to respond to the popularity of books like Twilight, Harry Potter, and the popular “undead-romance” genre in general. Some say Christians should abandon all media that dramatizes the supernatural powers of darkness. Others say these items are fiction and should not be taken seriously, therefore Christians may read them. The arguments are generally hubbed around notions of what constitutes good Christian fantasy material and what does not. After all, do we ask the same questions regarding the rightness or wrongness of soap operas? What about popular fantasy TV shows that do not glorify the undead or witchcraft but do create an engrossing fantasy world for the viewers? How should the Christian respond to these matters?
First, spiritual darkness does exist therefore it must be taken serious. Evil spiritual beings have real power and exert real influence. In 1 John “the world” is all human and demonic powers united to oppose the kingdom of God. Necromancy, divination and sorcery are medium techniques to consult these dark spiritual beings that maintain rebellion against God. There is no such thing as contacting the dead, so anytime you try you are calling out demons. Believers should not tamper with these dark spiritual forces through any means. Scripture identifies divination and necromancy as off-limits to God’s people (Dt. 18:10 1 2 Kings 17:17
That said, reading Harry Potter is not the same as performing a séance. Reading fiction of any kind has its good and bad. Some fiction is important social and political commentary. Some is just clean fun. However, glorifying demonic forces who oppose God is somewhat like singing the words of the North Korean National Anthem to the tune of the Star Spangled Banner. It’s a problem of allegiance. Any fiction that glorifies demonic activity is sin. Harry Potter or Twilight included.
Second, fantasy itself is problematic. Most vampire, ghost, sorcery, etc. books combine the reality of dark spiritual forces with the fantasy of the undead. This fact makes them particularly enticing and sinister. Saint Augustine taught that fantasy is the least beneficial subject matter on which to spend mental energy. In other words, Augustine thought it was a waste of time. He would say the same about cartoons, TV, or other fiction/fantasy material because it is fantasy. Along with the waste of time, the conflicted allegiance and romantic fiction many fantasy books take toward otherwise vicious spirits precludes them from Christian reading lists.
So the rubric believers ought to use to determine the “should or shouldn’t” of such material seems to work like this:
1. Does the story glorify good or evil? light or darkness?
2. Does the fantasy benefit the reader in some way? Could you learn what you need to learn without the fantasy?
3. Does the fantasy misconstrue the vicious nature of evil, calling it good or noble rather than sinister and wicked?
If the believer can answer these questions in good conscience toward God then the fantasy story may be worthwhile. Otherwise, if at any question your conscience cries foul, leave the book on the shelf and read something worthwhile.
-Pastor Kevin Jordan
Excellent Post!
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