Harry Potter and the Sacred Text

It’s the English class you didn't know you missed and the meaningful conversations you didn't know you craved. Join Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile as they bring thought, reflection and laughter to Harry Potter; not just as novels, but as instructive and inspirational texts that will teach us about our own lives. Relive the magic chapter by chapter as they explore themes such as commitment, revenge and forgiveness. This podcast creates time in your week to think about life’s big questions. Because reading fiction doesn’t just help us escape the world, it helps us live in it.


All Episodes

Home: The Leaky Cauldron (Book 3, Chapter 4)

Matt and special guest Jolie Doggett (!!!) explore the theme of Home in Chapter Four of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban! This week they discuss Harry’s newfound...

Effort: The Knight Bus (Book 3, Chapter 3)

Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Effort in Chapter Three of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban! This week they discuss the myth of effort as an...

Ignorance: Aunt Marge’s Big Mistake (Book 3, Chapter 2)

Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Ignorance in Chapter Two of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban! This week they discuss news coverage of Sirius Black, the...

Inclusion: Owl Post (Book 3, Chapter 1)

Welcome back for Season 3! This week, Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Inclusion in Chapter One of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban! They discuss Harry’s...

Wrap-Up: The Chamber of Secrets

Vanessa and Matt wrap up their their discussion of The Chamber of Secrets with a look back on the entire book! They discuss Harry’s sense of belonging at Hogwarts,...

Love: Dobby’s Reward (Book 2, Chapter 18)

Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Love in Chapter Eighteen of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! This week they discuss the Weasley family’s reunion, the pattern...

Compassion: The Heir of Slytherin (Book 2, Chapter 17)

Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Compassion in Chapter Seventeen of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! This week they discuss Harry’s introduction to the real Tom Riddle, Fawkes’s heroic entry, and the perils of journaling. Throughout the ep…

Yearning: The Chamber of Secrets (Book 2, Chapter 16)

Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Yearning in Chapter Sixteen of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! This week they discuss Moaning Myrtle’s big reveal, Lockhart’s (lack of) responsibility in crisis, and Hermione’s scrunched up …

Charm: Aragog (Book 2, Chapter 15)

Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Charm in Chapter Fifteen of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! This week they discuss Matt’s charming children, Ernie Macmillan’s earnest apology, and the children’s total inability to charm Ar…

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