Wizards, Wardrobes and Wookiees: Navigating Good and Evil in Harry Potter, Narnia and Star Wars

Author, speaker, and expert on the intersection between Christianity and popular culture Connie Neal presents Wizards, Wardrobes and Wookies: Navigating Good and Evil in Harry Potter, Narnia and Star Wars, an examination of two popular fantasy epics and one popular space opera, and what they say to Christian readers today. Harry Potter, Narnia, and Star Wars are all inspirational tales of courage and heroism, drawing the reader to imagine himself or herself in the fantastic world. Neal examines specific adventures from the three sagas, true stories from Scripture, and experiences from her own life in order to show the path toward victory - though we don't have Obi-Wan Kenobi or Dumbledore to help us, we do have a divine Everlasting Helper who is always with us. Wizards, Wardrobes, and Wookies embraces the positive aspect of uplifting popular culture stories, and how their lessons can reinforce the Christian faith, and is recommended reading especially for youth pastors seeking to better connect with their subjects through shared media.

***** No one will be surprised to see a book praising the merits of C.S. Lewis' beloved Narnia series to Christians. However, suggesting that Christians can and some have already found echoes of their faith and lessons in, of all things, Star Wars and Harry Potter will probably scandalize as many people as it delights. Ignore those crying "heresy" and give this book a hearing. Ms. Neal brings out a wealth of Christian insights gleaned not only from Narnia, but also from that galaxy long ago and far away and from Hogwarts. In fact, I daresay she finds more to glean from the two strictly secular series than from the conventionally Christian one. The introduction to this tome is enough to reassure parents about the merits of reading or watching such things, but reading the entire volume will enhance your enjoyment of all three sagas. *****

As I read "Wizards, Wardrobes and Wookies", I really enjoyed how Connie contrasted all of the extraordinary events of Harry Potter (and the other wonderful fantasy stories I had enjoyed) against biblical events and our own "ordinary" lives. I was struck by the implications -- where does "ordinary" end and "extraordinary" begin? When opportunities show up in our lives do we have the courage to face our fears and "cross the threshold" and voyage out into the unknown? Connie provides a fun exploration into the world of the hero and their adventures to inspire us and to help open our eyes to the magic that can be found in our own lives. She also has some good tips on how to negotiate our way along difficult paths and how to prepare and arm ourselves for battle.