The founding of Hogwarts is said to be about 1000 years ago, which would place it after the Great Schism, but only just. Therefore, it is highly inaccurate to refer "magic users not sanctioned by their High Priest in Rome" as if the Pope was the only supreme authority. He was not. There were five partiarchs: the Patriarch in Rome (who we call the "Pope"), and the patriarchs of Constantinopole, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria (Egypt).
In 1054, not long before Hogwarts is supposed to have been founded, the Patriarchs of East and West were too busy fighting with each other to give much though too what they lay membership was doing. In fact, the Roman church was barely able to rouse itself to make sure that parish priests even knew the Mass properly. This is one of the things that would annoy the snot of St. Bernard in the 12th century and St. Francis is the 13th.
It goes further actually; in the that period of history (centuries before the Reformation and counter-Reformation) the Church was not overly concerned with doctrinal purity. They were more concerned with converting the "elite" (King, Princes, and perhaps more importantly the noble women who had influence at court). They pretty much let the masses do as they wanted as long as it didn't upset the political and social order too much. Of course, when a "native" Christian movement got too much out of line, that would attract dangerous attention (like the Albigensian Crusade).
Therefore, if as you say the Wizarding world was as woefully ignorant of their neighbors then as now, then the fact is, that the character would not hold those views at since there was nothing to base them on. That she does spout such nonsense proves that either the author is injecting too much of her prejudice in, or the character has spent time listening to 20th century Muggle intelligensia spouting nonsense and taken it to heart - which I believe is diametrically opposed to what the character is supposed to be line in terms of her Muggle knowledge/relation.
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Re: The beliefs and actions of (a) character(s) are not automatically those of the author.
Date: 2008-04-28 11:46 pm (UTC)In 1054, not long before Hogwarts is supposed to have been founded, the Patriarchs of East and West were too busy fighting with each other to give much though too what they lay membership was doing. In fact, the Roman church was barely able to rouse itself to make sure that parish priests even knew the Mass properly. This is one of the things that would annoy the snot of St. Bernard in the 12th century and St. Francis is the 13th.
It goes further actually; in the that period of history (centuries before the Reformation and counter-Reformation) the Church was not overly concerned with doctrinal purity. They were more concerned with converting the "elite" (King, Princes, and perhaps more importantly the noble women who had influence at court). They pretty much let the masses do as they wanted as long as it didn't upset the political and social order too much. Of course, when a "native" Christian movement got too much out of line, that would attract dangerous attention (like the Albigensian Crusade).
Therefore, if as you say the Wizarding world was as woefully ignorant of their neighbors then as now, then the fact is, that the character would not hold those views at since there was nothing to base them on. That she does spout such nonsense proves that either the author is injecting too much of her prejudice in, or the character has spent time listening to 20th century Muggle intelligensia spouting nonsense and taken it to heart - which I believe is diametrically opposed to what the character is supposed to be line in terms of her Muggle knowledge/relation.