I’ve seen a multitude of interpretations of the Harry Potter book series, and for me the most interesting ones emphasize the ideas in the narratives, instead of arguing over the books’ literary quality. (The latter seems to me a moot point.) One of the best brief summaries I’ve seen is Jerry Bowyer’s, published today.

An excerpt:

Jo Rowling has a wonderful talent for tapping into Biblical and literary symbolism. From the very beginning, I’ve believed that Hogwarts is the literary representation of the Christian Church. Towered over by stone spires, filled with living icons of great men and women from the past, Hogwarts is a place where ancient books are studied to relearn great wisdom from the past. Hogwarts was founded by four great wizards over a thousand years ago who were united in the belief that their knowledge should be passed on. Like the four evangelists in early church literature, each has its own seals and symbol and its own special focus of virtue. Many of those wonderful names, such as Godric Gryffindor, Rowling revealed in a recent interview were, taken from medieval Christian saints.

The full article is available here.