In his essay Harry Potter and Christian Theology Peter Ciaccio discusses religious and moral undertones and lessons taught in the Harry Potter series. He does not try to give a definitive explicitly religious interpretation of the books but rather examines representations of Christian values and shows parallels to biblical stories and events in the Potter universe. Many of the values he highlights from the books tie in with common notions of Millennials we have previously discussed in class. A sense of community, the importance of friendship and family – in the Potter books this theme is often related to loss or the fear thereof – and individualism opposed to conformity. These topics all have politcal aspects which Ciaccio discusses with special regards to politics and education: In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix the ministry of Magic tries to take control of the teaching methods and subjects at Hogwarts and through that tries to implement political views and practices upon the students. By controlling and navigating the knowledge and ability of young adults/wizards the ministry wants to intervene in society and tries to force a younger generation to adhere to their beliefs and more importantly to their benefits. The correlation between political power and educational practices is a common issue in society: Is education neglected the consequences on society can be grave but many regimes have also used education as a tool for propaganda and brainwash. All of this is alluded to in the fifth installment of Harry Potter.
Other Millennial related topics are addressed as well. By teaching his friends and fellow Hogwarts students in the Defense against Dark Magic, Harry takes on the role of a leader and has to trust in his ablities and accept his status as being special – by doing so he contributes to the good of everyone. All of the characters in Harry Potter have special gifts: Hermione is the clever one who always comes up with solutions; Ron is a loyal friend and sticks with Harry even when this isolates him from others – even though throughout the series he struggles with that; Neville’s is patricularly gifted when it comes to Herbs. By embracing those talents and accepting their individual traits, all of these characters form a strong community. This is a typical Millennial ideology: The synthesis of individuality and the greater good for your community.
A special theme of Phoenix is definitely the question of authority and loyalty. Authority, in this instance the ministry which claims to act in everyone’s interest and based on higher knowledge, is questioned and even challenged. To challenge authorities, belief systems and ideologies is a valid approach in all fields are or at least should be connected to morality: Politics AND Religion. The audience is encouraged to be inquisitive and disobedient. Loyalty should be based on personal convictions and is not tied to mere obligations to an institution or powerful figures. Instead the individual should trust his or her instincts and if necessary take matters in their own hands. This is a message that according to Ciaccio but also Strauss/Howe should resonate strongly with the Millennial readership of the Harry Potter series.