Harry Potter's Christian Cousin?

A friend in Wales sent me "Shadowmancer" last year and I read it. When I saw it was being released here in the U.S. and getting a lot of publicity, I decided to write an article on it for my website (which deals with the New Age and the occult, areas I was involved in for many years).

I think the author was trying for a good thing, but the story presents vague and confusing pictures of God and Christ. The author himself, in many interviews, claims the book is not Christian but rather written for Christians, Muslims, and Jews. I have quotes from the interviews at the end of my article.

Also, there are statements in the book to the effect that the villain, the Vicar Demurral, can actually attain the powers of God. I found this disturbing. Quotes from the Bible are in the book but the original Biblical meaning is not kept. The quotes just seem thrown in and generally don't retain the context from the Bible. There are other troubling things. Instead of going on and on, here's the link to my article:
http://cana.userworld.com/cana_Shadowmancer1.html

Shadowmancer: A Tangled Tale

I did it twice in case I messed up.

I commend you for not giving in to the hype and reading Harry Potter. I have read all 5 books, have been on radio shows about them, and have spoken in my talks about them. They basically endorse occult practices -- actual occult practices are listed in them, some of which I engaged in. I have an article on the first HP book, an article on books 2, 3, and 4, and an article on the 5th book on my site. You can find them listed under Articles on my Table of Contents page here, if you or someone you know might be interested:
http://cana.userworld.com/cana_contents.html

 

This is from the author:

I get emails from Muslims who are convinced it is a Muslim book, from Jews who are convinced it is a book about Judaism, and from pagans who are convinced it is a book about paganism. I think the story resonates at a deep level, but my character Raphah is never named as Jesus, so to Jews he could be the coming Yeshua, to Christians he could be Jesus, to Muslims he could be the Prophet and to pagans he is in some ways an avenging angel.

Shadowmancer is not a Christian book, it is a book about good and evil.

I was ordained after youthful experiments with punk rock, druidism, the occult and transcendental meditation. I read the Qu'ran before reading the Bible and I am just as happy to talk about the Talmud. My writing is informed as much by Judaism and Islam as by the Christian tradition. It is the account of an eternal truth.

I wanted to appeal to as many different people as possible, to different faith groups and people of no faith. It's a story which deals with issues of life, death, faith and hope in a "non-Goddy" way... and then people can draw their own conclusions.

SOURCE

 

This is from another interview with the author:

His priesthood is thoroughly New Testament and therefore embraces such issues as gay priests and ecumenical fellowship.

"We've doubled the congregation at Ravenscar by joining up with the Methodists. As for gay priests, I was led to ordination by one. We should be interested in what goes on in a man or woman's heart, not their bed. Anyway who did Jesus mix with? He says nothing about gay people or women priests. He was concerned with much more important matters."

SOURCE

 

NetPublicist, thanks so much for your last post and the source of that interview you gave us. I had read that interview several months ago but had lost it. I searched and searched and couldn't find it -- so thanks!

The other quotes you have I included at the end of my article to show that Taylor did not consider this a Christian book.

I actually met the author a few weeks ago. He was signing books in a children's bookstore one mile from where I live. I talked to him a bit. I am still troubled by these things he said in the interviews and by the book.

Cindy, I'd like to know what you think of my article if you get to read it.

 

Hi, Cindy!

Thanks so much for reading my article and looking at my site, as well as for your encouraging words!

I also appreciate you mentioning my article and posting a link to my site on your blog. I am going to look at that. Thanks so much!