Harry Potter and the paganization of children’s culture

by Michael D. O'Brien

In the late 19th century there appeared in children's fiction a trickle of books that began the process of redefining Christian symbols and the presentation of occult themes in a favorable light.  Until then, witches and sorcerers, an important element of traditional fables and fairy tales, were consistently portrayed as evil. With the advent of the occult revival more and more material appeared that attempted to shift the line between good and evil.