Early bird price expires on Jul 01, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Faith, Literature and Harry Potter
What is literature? How does it point us to truth? Do stories have the power to transform us? In this class we will explore whether Harry Potter is literature or not. We will compare it to the Bible and other literature such as Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, Emma, Shakespeare, Grimm Fairy Tales, and the Arthurian legends. We will explore literary references, narrative structure, use of hero’s journey, characterization, and Christian symbolism as well as references to faith and spiritual transformation and good vs. evil. In doing so, students will be challenged to reflect on their own faith and beliefs and the state of their own spiritual journey.
Prerequisite: Must have read at least two of the Harry Potter Books
Ages 11+
Students are expected to bring a Bible to class. Students will be well served if they have previously read all of the books in the Harry Potter series and hopefully are familiar with at least one of the works mentioned above. Students will be assigned weekly reading/listening and/or video excerpts to watch. The workload will be adjusted for younger students who should view this class as a fun introduction to British Literature. However, it can easily be turned into a full literature course for those wishing to do so.
For high school students this class can be equivalent to 0.5 credit of British Literature. As such high school students are expected to read several literary works. Students will cover as broad a sampling of British Literature as the semester allows with the perspective that learning is a life-long adventure that needn't stop. All students will benefit regardless of where they start or end. Students will be required to write a short story, give a presentation and write an essay or complete a final project.
Contact: Mona Koerner [email protected] 505-228-0029
Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30 Del Norte
09/02/2025, 09/09/2025, 09/16/2025, 09/23/2025, 09/30/2025, 10/07/2025, 10/14/2025, 10/21/2025, 10/28/2025, 11/04/2025, 11/11/2025, 11/18/2025
Participants must be 11 years to 19 years old when the program starts.
Registration starts on 05/01/2025 and ends on 11/18/2025.
"This thought-provoking course taught my teens to practice critical thinking skills through studying the Harry Potter series and identifying similarities to other classic literature. One of their favorite high school electives!"
I wasn't sure about this class due to the subject matter, but we tried it for our daughter and appreciated the thoughtful preparation that helped us understand the lessons to be learned. We learned as a family from our daughter. She found it to be a little work (she tends to like no work) and thought-provoking and enjoyed it a lot.
Please contact Parent Led Academic Network Team, Inc. if you have any questions.