Christianity

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Christianity is a major monotheistic religion. Its followers, known as Christians, believe in and worship God. Christians differentiate themselves from other religions by believing that God sent His son, Jesus of Nazareth to Earth as the messiah. These events are extensively outlined in the Christian holy book, the Bible.^[1]

Christianity is divided into multiple denominations, notably Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodoxy. Christianity is currently the most popular religion of Great Britain with approximately 60% of its population identifying itself as Christian, most of them Protestant.^[1]

Christianity in the Wizarding World

At least some wizards are known to subscribe to a form of Christianity though little concrete information is available on the subject.

Wizards celebrate the two major Christian festivals, Easter and Christmas. Hallowe'en and Valentine's Day also have Christian origins. However, this is not concrete evidence of religion in the wizarding world because many nonreligious people or people of other religions celebrate these holidays as well. More so, Christmas and Halloween have more Pagan origins than Christian.

The Fat Friar was, in his lifetime, a Roman Catholic friar who was executed for witchcraft. Lingering in the mortal world as a ghost, he would thereafter be always resentful of the fact that he was never made a cardinal.^[2]

Albus Dumbledore owned a copy of the Christian Bible. It is therefore possible he was a member of the Christian faith to some degree. However, given Dumbledore's worldliness, he may have kept the copy out of a desire for knowledge and not out of his personal religious devotion.^[3]

Both the tombstones of Ariana and Kendra Dumbledore ("For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also") and of Lily and James Potter ("The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death") in the graveyard in Godric's Hollow, allude directly to the Bible (Matthew 6:21 and 1 Corinthians 15:26 respectively). It is likely that the latter couple had at least some affiliation with the Christian faith. Additionally, their son, Harry Potter was christened shortly after his birth, strengthening these claims.^[4][5]

Sirius Black was possibly a Christian as he was appointed as Harry Potter's godfather.^[6] Likewise, Harry Potter became the godfather of Teddy Lupin, making it possible that not only he was Christian but the couple who appointed him, Remus and Nymphadora Lupin, was as well.^[7] However, assigning godparents to children is not a strictly Christian tradition.

Most Churches do not allow non-members of their church to be buried in their cemeteries making it likely that the wizards buried in Parish Church of St. Clementine graveyard in Godric's Hollow were Christians. Notable figures who were buried here and therefore may be Christians include Ignotus Peverell, Ariana and Kendra Dumbledore, and James and Lily Potter.^[7]

Isobel Ross, a witch, married Robert McGonagall, a Muggle Presbyterian minister, who presumably raised his magic children to follow his religion.^[8]

The coat of arms of Durmstrang, a wizarding school located in Northeastern Europe, features an onion dome, the kind of architectural decoration commonly seen on churches belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church. Thus it can be assumed that at least some of Durmstrang's members have been Orthodox Christian.^{[citation needed]}

Behind the scenes

• J.K. Rowling has admitted to injecting Christian ideals into the Harry Potter series; therefore, it is possible she intended for some of the characters to be Christians.
• In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry gouges a small cross, the major symbol of Christianity, into the tree under which he buried Mad-Eye Moody's eye. As many Christians are buried under some form of a cross, this could be an affirmation of Moody's and or Harry's faith. However, it has also been used merely as a symbol to mark a grave.
• It is rather ironic that some wizards should adhere to the Christian faith, as it was Christianity that was used as the justification for witch hunts aimed at exterminating any magical activity under the misconception that magic was the work of the Devil and using it was evil. As the society at the time then was almost uniformly Christian, it is not surprising many at least would be Christians too though. Given that the charge of gaining magic from the Devil was false, they might not see a conflict, and believe that their ability is a gift from God. Clearly the Fat Friar, who was a member of the clergy, saw no issue with it.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First indirect mention)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) (Indirect mention)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Indirect mention)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Indirect mention)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Indirect mention)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (Indirect mention)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Indirect mention)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Indirect mention)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Indirect mention)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (Direct mention)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Appears in photographs)

Notes and references