J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, has publicly discussed her evolving religious beliefs and admitted that she has a “God-shaped vacuum” in her heart that she believes she could take to her grave.
In an X post published Friday, Rowling responded to a question from a user asking about beliefs she has changed, and she also reflected on her religious views over the years.
“I've struggled with religious faith since my mid-teens,” she wrote. “I appear to have a God-shaped vacuum inside me, but I never seem quite able to make up my mind what to do about it.”
She added, “I could probably list at least twenty more things I've changed my mind about,” and concluded, “I don't currently have a single belief that couldn't be altered by clear, concrete evidence and in all but one case, I know what that evidence would have to be.”
Rowling described the “God conundrum” as the “exception,” explaining, “I don't know what I'd have to see to make me come down firmly on either side.”
She noted that “I suppose that's the meaning of faith, believing without seeing proof,” and stated, “That's why I'll probably go to my grave with that particular personal matter unresolved.”
Although Rowling's books have often stirred controversy within Christian circles, the U.K.-based magazine Premier Christianity reports that she was raised as an Anglican and is currently a member of the Church of Scotland.
In recent years, she has been outspoken and opposed to policies that would allow trans-identified males into women-only, sex-segregated spaces.
“In my early twenties I believed the difference between the sexes was entirely due to socialisation,” she said, emphasizing that her view has changed after reading various studies.
Rowling has become one of the most vocal opponents of transgender ideology, which advocates for the elimination of gender distinctions and insists that trans-identified males should be treated exactly the same as women, and vice versa.
In a social media post published in 2020, Rowling defended the concept of biological sex, stating: “If sex isn't real, there's no same-sex attraction. If sex isn't real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn't hate to speak the truth.”
