Religion in fantasy: propaganda, blasphemy or nonsense?

When we consider the extreme reactions elicited amongst religious groups in the US by the likes of the Harry Potter (1997-2007) books and The Golden Compass (2007) movie (calls for books to be removed from school libraries, street protests outside cinemas, etc), we must wonder how ‘made-up’ fantasy can have such genuine power to explore, challenge, negotiate, move and influence people’s views, beliefs and faith. What is it about fantasy that means it is far more affecting in this way than, say, romantic fiction? If we can understand how fantasy literature is related to religion, then surely it can help us better understand the nature of fantasy, faith, ourselves, the divine, and our place in the universe.