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

Individuality: St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies (Book 5, Chapter 22)

This week, Vanessa and Mauricio Bruce explore the theme of Individuality in Chapter 22 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! They discuss Harry’s dream, the Weasley...

Special Edition: Reading as Sacred!

Every once in a while we like to take a step back from our current chapter, and appreciate some overarching themes from the series and our approach to the...

Care: The Eye of the Snake (Book 5, Chapter 21)

This week, Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Care in Chapter 21 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! They discuss Hagrid’s return to teaching, Hermione’s...

Heartbreak: Hagrid’s Tale (Book 5, Chapter 20)

This week, Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Heartbreak in Chapter 20 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! They discuss Hagrid’s mother, the new Gurg,...

Grace: The Lion and the Serpent (Book 5, Chapter 19)

This week, Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Grace in Chapter 19 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! They discuss Harry’s game-saving capture of the...

A Christmas Poem from Matt: The Magi, by William Butler Yeats

Every Christmas, we like to share a favorite poem. This year it’s ‘The Magi’ by William Butler Yeats. We’ll be back with our regularly scheduled episodes on January 5th....

Intellectual Humility: Throughout the Series

This week we’re concluding our collaboration with The Greater Good Science Center, examining the theme of Intellectual Humility as Vanessa and Matt look back at key moments in the...

Possibility: Dumbledore’s Army (Book 5, Chapter 18)

This week, Vanessa and Jackson Bird explore the theme of Possibility in Chapter Eighteen of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! They discuss the Room of Requirement,...

Refuge: Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four (Book 5, Chapter 17)

This week, Vanessa and Matt explore the theme of Refuge in Chapter Seventeen of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! They discuss the clubs at Hogwarts, Umbridge’s...

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