This is part of a series on the Theology of Harry Potter.
The creator of the Harry Potter series is J. K. Rowling. This makes her the god of her created world. This is not to say that Rowling has placed herself above her creator. But in every story, it is the author whose pen (or typewriter, or computer) can give life and take it away; even bring a whole world into being and then discard it.
We can guess the reasons that authors create. One motivation may be wealth: some authors have been well compensated in this world for their creation of other worlds. Yet authors like Rowling, Dan Brown, James Patterson, John Grisham, and Stephen King are the exception. In How Do We Know when It's God, Dan Wakefield -- whose Going All the Way and Starting Over were made into films -- writes about the jobs he has taken to support himself. Though some dream of the book that will make them rich, being an author is not an easy path to financial security.
Another reason may be to deal with one's own life. Les Feinberg's Stone Butch Blues is fiction based on Feinberg's real life. In fact, many authors draw on their own lives, family, and friends to create more realistic stories. Sometimes fiction tells the story of a real life; sometimes it tells of the internal struggles. Certainly, the death of Rowling's mother affected the storyline of Harry Potter.
But for many, there is just plain joy in creating. Rowling began writing at the age of six. And sometimes, as happened for Rowling, a story comes to mind that just must be told.
The reasons authors write books are also the reasons visual artists draw, paint and sculpt; and songwriters and composers create music. Few people in creative arts become wealthy or famous -- many work one or more other jobs in order to have a place to sleep and food to eat. But the ideas, feelings, tunes, pictures, and stories in their heads beg to come to life, and that's what drives most creative people.
The reason I'm writing this series, in fact, is that it came to me while riding my motorcycle to work yesterday. It was something in my head that I had to share.
So why was our universe created? Some say it was because our God was lonely.
Some say God created us so that we could worship God.
Some say that God cannot be God without creation. This makes sense the same way Rowling couldn't be an author without writing.
But I think that most authors don't create to comfort themselves, or to have the admiration of their characters, or just so they can be authors. They tell the story because of their love for the story itself. Perhaps that's why we exist: because God so loved the idea of us, God had to make us real.
More tomorrow.
This is part of a series on the Theology of Harry Potter.
The creator of the Harry Potter series is J. K. Rowling. This makes her the god of her created world. This is not to say that Rowling has placed herself above her creator. But in every story, it is the author whose pen (or typewriter, or computer) can give life and take it away; even bring a whole world into being and then discard it.
We can guess the reasons that authors create. One motivation may be wealth: some authors have been well compensated in this world for their creation of other worlds. Yet authors like Rowling, Dan Brown, James Patterson, John Grisham, and Stephen King are the exception. In How Do We Know when It's God, Dan Wakefield -- whose Going All the Way and Starting Over were made into films -- writes about the jobs he has taken to support himself. Though some dream of the book that will make them rich, being an author is not an easy path to financial security.
Another reason may be to deal with one's own life. Les Feinberg's Stone Butch Blues is fiction based on Feinberg's real life. In fact, many authors draw on their own lives, family, and friends to create more realistic stories. Sometimes fiction tells the story of a real life; sometimes it tells of the internal struggles. Certainly, the death of Rowling's mother affected the storyline of Harry Potter.
But for many, there is just plain joy in creating. Rowling began writing at the age of six. And sometimes, as happened for Rowling, a story comes to mind that just must be told.
The reasons authors write books are also the reasons visual artists draw, paint and sculpt; and songwriters and composers create music. Few people in creative arts become wealthy or famous -- many work one or more other jobs in order to have a place to sleep and food to eat. But the ideas, feelings, tunes, pictures, and stories in their heads beg to come to life, and that's what drives most creative people.
The reason I'm writing this series, in fact, is that it came to me while riding my motorcycle to work yesterday. It was something in my head that I had to share.
So why was our universe created? Some say it was because our God was lonely.
Some say God created us so that we could worship God.
Some say that God cannot be God without creation. This makes sense the same way Rowling couldn't be an author without writing.
But I think that most authors don't create to comfort themselves, or to have the admiration of their characters, or just so they can be authors. They tell the story because of their love for the story itself. Perhaps that's why we exist: because God so loved the idea of us, God had to make us real.
More tomorrow.
This is part of a series on the Theology of Harry Potter.
One of my favorite author is Mario Puzo. One of my favorite books of his is The Fortunate Pilgrim, which he considered his greatest work. It was never a financial or popular success. Another of my favorites is The Godfather. Puzo, however, didn't love The Godfather. He wrote it specifically to make money. He wanted to write a best seller and he did.
Which is not to say that he didn't do a thorough job. He spent years writing it. He researched articles about the mafia. He read through all the Congressional testimonies he could get through the Freedom of Information Act.
He created his universe with care. But, he never loved it.
What does that say about him as a god? He created many universes, but didn't love them all. What does that say about the possibility of God creating more than one universe and not loving them all equally?
I like your question. I keep thinking about the Smothers Brothers (ok, I'm old) and their arguments over who Mom liked more.
You wrote that Puzo didn't love The Godfather, but wrote it for the money. It sounds like The Godfather was a "day job".
But if I think about a truly supreme being, "a being than which nothing greater can be conceived" as Anselm wrote in his ontological argument, what other motivation can I imagine for creating a universe? What needs does such a being have that could be satisfied by such creation? And wouldn't those needs then be greater than the creator?
Even so, I could see multiple universes, with the creator having more passion for some than others. Here I think of Bartleby and Loki in "Dogma" where they discuss -- with a bit of jealousy -- how God keeps loving and forgiving humans. True, they're in the same universe with us, but it illustrates the idea of divine favoritism.
You've given me a great gift, Matthew - I will be puzzling on this for months, if not years.