The Gospel in Harry Potter,

riday, July 20, 2007
Courier Journal

Harry's "Gospel"

Lots of people will be reading the final "Harry Potter" installment as fast as they can, but Connie Neal of California has an especially strong moThat's because she has a book deadline of her own: a new edition of her work, "The Gospel according to Harry Potter."

Neal's book -- published in 2002 by the Louisville-based Westminster John Knox -- was a response to Christians who wanted to boycott Harry Potter because they felt the tales of magic amounted to occult practices forbidden in the Bible. Neal wrote that readers find what they're looking for in the books. Those who search for the positive, she wrote, can find Christian-friendly themes such as the sacrificial love of Harry's mother.

The book, along with a study guide offered for church and other group discussions, together have sold nearly 100,000 copies, according to David Dobson, director of product management at Westminster John Knox.

"It's been one of our best-selling books during that period," Dobson said.

He said Neal, whose first book covered the first four Harry Potter books, is working on a revised edition that add material about the final three. It's due out in the spring.

The book is part of the publisher's series of "Gospel according to" various pop-culture phenomena, including Oprah, the Beatles and J.R.R. Tolkien. It recent put out a revised edition of one about "The Simpsons," which has its own big product roll-out later this month with the cartoon's first movie.