In 1997, JK Rowling changed the world forever when she published her first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The first in a series of 7 books, it quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. Originally published as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first book transports the reader to a magical world full of wizards, wands, and spells. During Harry Potter's journey through this new, foreign world, he faces many unthinkable obstacles that explore religious and moral principles. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has many explicit references to religion, immortality, and the battle between good and evil woven throughout the book. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Religion is not mentioned overtly in the book, but there are instances where the wording may point to religious sayings and holidays. As the story begins, witches and wizards across the country were celebrating the death of Voldemort, also known as You-Know-Who. As Mr. Dursley, Harry Potter's uncle, was leaving work, he met a wizard who was celebrating. He exclaimed, “Rejoice, for You-Know-Who is gone at last! Even Muggles like you should celebrate this happy, happy day." Rejoice is used in religious contexts as a word of celebration, and reference is often made to the biblical verse from Philippi “Rejoice in the Lord always; once again I will say: rejoice!” Professor McGonagall also says, "I wouldn't be surprised if in the future today was known as Harry Potter Day" (p. 13). Therefore, witches and wizards “rejoice” on the day due to Harry Potter, as if they were celebrating a religious holiday. Additionally, there are many holidays celebrated throughout the Harry Potter series. Christmas seems to be an important holiday in the wizarding world. Christmas comes with snow, presents, holidays from classes, and “festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all round the walls, and no fewer than twelve stately Christmas trees…” . It appears that Christmas is exactly how it appears in the real world, but there is no mention of any religious attachments. Christmas is celebrated as a Christian holiday in the “real world,” commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. In Harry Potter, it's a secular holiday. Later in the book, Hermione mentions the Easter holiday, which is another Christian holiday but does not appear to have any religious affiliation in the story. While holidays and explicit religious references are few and far between, there are many times when religious ideas and symbolism are expressed in the Philosopher's Stone. Harry Potter is a parallel to Jesus Christ, and this shows very early in the book. As a child, both Jesus and Harry Potter were targeted because it was believed that they would one day rise to power. In the Bible, King Herod of Judea ordered the Massacre of the Innocents, which was a decree to put to death all the children of Bethlehem under the age of two, because they had heard the news of Jesus' birth. King Herod saw Jesus as a threat to the throne and therefore tried to kill him. However, it was unsuccessful because Joseph and Mary heard the news and protected their child. Alongside this, Voldemort decided to kill baby Harry because he saw Harry as a threat to his power, which was fully explained later in the series. Voldemort, like King Harod, was unsuccessful because James and Lily also protected their son. These two stories have parallels seen not only between Jesus and Harry, but also between King Herod and Voldemort, and Joseph/Mary and James/Lily. Additionally, Harry Potter's scar has two different religious connotations. First of all, it connects another parallel between Jesus and Harry. Jesus hasscars on his hands, feet and side from his death on the cross. Harry has a scar on his forehead, which was given to him after Voldemort attempted to kill him. These scars not only follow their symbolic “death,” but are also a way for others to recognize them. In John 20:19-31, Jesus appears to his disciples and shows them his hands and side, and it is his way of showing his disciples that he is truly Jesus. Likewise, Harry Potter's scar is what it makes him famous, and it's a way to let others know that he is the Harry Potter. When Harry meets the Weasley family, they don't know who he is until Fred and George point out the scar on his forehead. Secondly, Harry's scar can be paralleled with the Seal of God in the book of Revelation. This seal is a promise of protection for those who follow God and will keep them safe from the antichrist. This is similar to Harry's scar, which he received due to his mother's protection and love, and gives him protection from Voldemort. There are many similarities between Jesus and Harry Potter, and they can be seen even more when talking about the power between good and evil. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is written as a children's story, but when you look into it, you can see a story about the struggle between good and evil and the triumph of good and the human spirit. From the beginning there is this constant battle between what is good and what is bad, and there is a very thin line separating the two. Voldemort, the evil antagonist, appears at James and Lilly's house to kill their child, but fails due to Lily's sacrificial love. Lily very willingly sacrifices her life for the love of her son, and as she dies, her goodness overcomes Voldemort's evil. This love is a driving force behind “good” and Harry continually uses this love for the good of the wizarding world to fight “evil”. Temptation is a recurring theme throughout the novel and intertwined within it is the difference between good and evil. Several times, Harry Potter is tempted. Early on, Harry makes the decision between being friends with Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley. Draco means power and greed, which are Slytherin traits, while Ron means love, truth, honor, which are Gryffindor traits. In that moment, Harry makes the decision to choose between good and evil – and he chooses the former. Furthermore, a very important force behind the temptation occurs when Harry meets Quirrell in the underground chamber. Raptor states that "there is no good and evil, there is only power, and those are too weak to seek it." Quirrell was tempted into this belief by Lord Voldemort, and now Quirrell is in turn tempting Harry into this line of thinking. When Voldemort reveals himself to Harry, he tries to convince him to join him and gives him the ultimatum of death or power. However, Harry explicitly sees the line between good and evil, and for him power is directly related to evil. Harry chooses death over becoming evil, which makes him morally good. This theme of death and immortality is common throughout the book. The first novel in the Harry Potter series explores the concept of death and immortality through the concept of Voldemort and the Philosopher's Stone itself. Voldemort is the ultimate example of immortality and will do anything to avoid death. His greatest fear and weakness is mortality. When he tries to kill Harry Potter, he loses his body, but he doesn't literally "die." Ten years after his death, he possesses Professor Quirrell's body, in the hope that he can acquire the philosopher's stone, which will make him immortal. A unicorn is used as a bridge between good and evil, between mortal and immortal, in the first book. Professor Quirrel/Voldemort kills a unicorn and drinks its blood. Drinking unicorn blood will keep you going.