The Da Vinci Code
Yes, I read the novel. And yes, I thought it was well crafted.
But as one reviewer said (I think it was in Time Magazine about three years ago) — it’s well-written, but it’s one of the few novels that leaves you dumber after you read it than you were before you read it.
That’s because if you’re not careful you’ll start assuming that Dan Brown is dealing with well-documented facts. He’s not –despite the deceptive foreword.
Combine that with the eagerness on the part of so many people for secret, insiders’ information that has now wonderfully been revealed to them (an eagerness that has made several Christian novels popular, too!), and you can have some real problems.
However, having said that I don’t think this will undermine the Christian faith! Here’s what could happen:
First, believers could be forced to ask questions about why they believe what they believe. It would do lots of Christians good to consider the possibility that they may be wrong. This story of God coming in the flesh, living and teaching among a predominantly Jewish audience in the first century, dying on a cross, and being raised on the third day — well, it isn’t a scientific fact. It is a truth, a story, that we believe by faith. (Of course to “believe by faith” certainly doesn’t exclude the use of our reasoning abilities.)
Second, for nonbelievers it could lead them to investigate the Jesus story. They might find that they, too, have to decide something about this remarkable person named Jesus. They could decide that the Christian story is a hoax — that he really was just a man who got married and had kids. Or . . . they could have the experience of Paul — the experience of encountering the Risen One in a way that all of life turns on a dime.
At least this is what I hope will happen!
I am in the middle of this book and totally sucked in. It’s a great story.
I don’t worry about this affecting my faith at all, but I now will have the ability to have a conversation about it with others. I know why people are so intrigued with this “new revelation” about Jesus…it’s a very convincing book with an interesting story. We just have to be ready to back it up with the truth.
Early reviews haven’t been great: http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/17/film.davinci.protests/index.html
Our preacher announced that he’s going to be doing a sermon series on The DaVinci Code. Are you planning something like that, Mike? I’ve got mixed feelings about it.
believers could be forced to ask questions about why they believe what they believe.
On this point, can I add that it might also cause Chrisitans to re-consider whether their beliefs about/depiction of Jesus are limited and two-dimensional? I think Christian orthodoxy is vulnerable to the misconceptions that are being portrayed in DaVinci because our OWN ideas about what Jesus was all about are so limited (right now, I’m thinking about reducing his role as “savior” to helping us get to heaven after we die).
The post-Christian culture, which is much more savvy about spiritual issues than we might think, instinctively knows that this is wrong, and its searching for a more authentic Jesus – one that is relevant to the here and now. The DaVinci Jesus isn’t an authentic one, but – sadly – he’s a lot more relevant than the one that sometimes gets served up by Christians IMO.
Good points, Mike. Thanks for your open-mindedness on this issue.
I went to hear N.T. Wright speak last night. (He’s on tour with his newest book, “Simply Christian.”) He talked some about “The DaVinci Code” and the draw of Gnosticism. He named Gnosticism as one of the things today’s church must wrestle with… Why is this book so compelling for so many people? Why THIS way of telling this myth? Why the deep attachment to ‘finding out who you REALLY are’ and believing the church is in collusion to keep us from knowing the real story of Christ? …
He talked about how much Gnostic thought, 18th century Enlightenment thought, and ‘Western arrogance – modernity’ color our thinking about religion, God, and His ‘space’. The Bible doesn’t talk much about heaven, a separate place. It talks about a new heaven & new earth, where God’s space and our space overlap. An example he gave was the song, “This World is not my home, I’m only passing through…” which reeks of Gnosticism… the world here is bad and evil and there’s a better place where we won’t have this corruptible body anymore. Wow. He’s right, it’s everywhere. Lightbulb time.
He said that one of his goals is to equip people with the language to use to communicate with each other about the basics, a way to bridge the gaps with the basics we have in common and leave the periphal issues where they belong.
I went to his lecture originally because I liked the quotes you posted from his books. I came home convinced he is a clear voice in the muddle of today’s “religions” with a clear Biblical perspective that he is able to elucidate articulately and convincingly. His arguments are compelling and he’s a great speaker besides.
Thanks, Mike, for introducing me to his work. N.T. Wright is definitely a thought provoker and definitely, for me, in a good way.
P.S. I liked “The DaVinci Code” novel, too. Dan Brown does what any good novelist does and makes it seem plausible that the events in the novel actually happened.
Joyce, If I could chime in on your preacher doing a series. I don’t personally see much usefulness or helpfulness in that. I guess to each his own. I have read the book; I planned on making a short piece of my sermon this Sunday address the book/movie (Col.1:15 – it fits). I plan on seeing the movie, but I wanted to approach it in a similar way to what Mike said today in his post. Very well said, Mike!
Mike, I promise not to rip you off totally, but this was along the lines of how I was thinking: Any time time we get to dialogue with others who don’t know Christ, about Christ and any questions they have, well, that cannot be a bad thing. AND, anytime something challenges our faith, well, that cannot be bad thing either if it leads us into a stronger faith, and like Paul says in Col. 4:6 – “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive (and seasoned with salt) so that you will have the right response for everyone.” (NLT)
Lisa – You got to hear N. T. Wright last night? I’m jealous! Joyce – No, not planning to do a series like that.
http://caritas2.blogspot.com/2006/05/da-vinci-dementia.html (Greg Stevenson – Rochester College Prof) has some good points about the whole situation as well.
Mike, I agree with your thoughts about The DaVinci Code but disagree about part of it also….yes, good story….well written, no. Yes, it pulled me in but parts were sloppy and kind of boring and kind of contrived. Sorry, I am picky. But no, I don’t think it should shake anyone’s faith.
My concern isn’t so much that the faith of some believers might be shaken, rather that, much like the erroneous teaching in the Prayer of Jabez, the theme of this book could lead the non-believer farther down a trail away from God.
Satan will use any tool at hand to open the door of cynicism and disbelief in the hearts of the untaught. The Prayer of Jabez disillusioned many non-believers when the mantra of this prayer didn’t bring them hoped for ‘expansion of my territory’ by way of wealth, etc.
So, how are we going to combat these misconceptions? What vehicle of mass communication, if any, do true believers have at their disposal to overcome the misconceptions being spread by this book and movie – to neutralize the ever growing scoffing re. Christian beliefs?
btw-I certainly do not want our government censoring this or any other movie, for that matter.
Offtopic:
Wow, Lisa. I’m glad you got to hear N. T. Wright. Those of us on the other side of the pond who are N. T. Wright fans are indeed jealous! I was surprised how difficult it was for me to find his books when we lived in the UK. I thought he’d be everywhere. I hope that will change – he’s got lots of good things to say.
Sorry. Back to the DaVinci Code.
My two cents worth is that the Da Vinci Code, like any other movie or media event, offers an opportunity to have conversations with people we might not normally get to talk about subjects with eternal/spiritual significance.
I did a sermon last Sunday, with mixed emotions, on the Da Vinci Code. I approached it using Brown’s own fact page idea.
I had slides titled fiction and fact where I shared the absurdity of Brown’s claims in the novel on the fiction slides while asserting the power of Scripture and Christian witness on the fact slides. (I am happy to share anything I have with you if you want to see it–smpuckster@mac.com)
I do believe the Christian community tends to over-react to things like the Da Vinci code. We spent a lot of our time getting overwrought and encouraging things like boycotts when our time would be much better spent listening, talking and ministering to those who might be the readers and watchers of these books, movies or TV programs.
I would encourage you to read the Da Vinci code if you haven’t. For me it was an interesting mystery that fizzled at the end. As far was well written murder mysteries, I prefer a good John Grisham, Michael Connelly or Patricia Cornwell novel.
For good reviews on new and old movies, I recommend http://www.screenit.com. This site is especially good for parents looking to help kids with movie decisions.
Peace.
I loved watching the cast of the movie on the Today show this morning. One of the comments from one of the actors was as follows.., Ron Howard called him and asked him if he would be interested in playing the part of the Albino monk, Ron asked the actor if he had read the book, he lied and said yes. After he got off the phone with Ron Howard he went right out to the local bookstore and went straight to the fiction section, and picked this book up right off the fiction shelf, because this movie is a fictional movie. I thought the people involved in the movie project who were interviewed this morning did a great job of labeling this movie as purely entertainment, not a history lesson.
I, personally, loved the book! I thought it was brilliantly written with many surprising twists throughout. I’m really looking forward to seeing the movie. For me, reading the book has caused me to examine some of the “whys” of what I believe. I’m reading a book right now by Bart Ehrman titled Truth and Fiction in the DaVinci Code. I know books about the book are a dime a dozen, but I’ve found this one interesting. The author is a religious studies professor at UNC at Chapel Hill and he takes a historical look at many of the “claims” Leigh Teabing makes in DaVinci Code. He calls it like it is… a very well written fiction book. I also saw part of an interview with this Ehrman guy on a special on the History Channel (I think). Thanks to Matt Ritchie for loaning me the book!
I love Brian McLaren’s take on the book.
You can read it here.
Still off topic: N.T. Wright is actually in the U.S. just now. San Francisco on Monday, Washington DC on Tuesday, and Nashtoah WI on Wednesday & Thursday … http://www.ntwrightpage.com
Question for all of you. My 15 year old, avid reader, wants to read the book. I’ve put him off until I learn more about it, but haven’t had time to read it myself. What do you guys think about it for a 15 year old?
Well stated, Mike. I recently solicited input from my church family about preaching a lesson or series of lessons, which would be timed to coincide with the release of the movie. I thought might be a good topic for outreach. About 85% of the respondents said NO! Their reasons were varied, but, for the most part, they didn’t want us to be seen as making a mountain out of a mole hill. One comment was something like, “Oh no! Here comes the reactionary right again, telling us what’s wrong with everything and everybody.” I did, however, include an analysis of the book as part of a series on the Power of Story some time back. It made sense to include it there. Shalom.
I read it and liked it as a story. Well-written? Not so much, but he keeps the action moving and the suspense at a high pitch. It was a good “traveling to the parents in the car” read.
It was a LOT better than the “Left Behind” series, in my opinion. Those weren’t well-written AND didn’t tell a good story.
Hmm. Sorry – wrong Lisa maybe? Or perhaps I’m getting names confused.
Kelley, I let my 14 year old daughter read it recently when she asked. I just told her to remember it’s fiction. It’s been a while since I read it, but I couldn’t really think of any reason for her not to read it.
Anyone else have teens that have read it? Or reasons why they shouldn’t?
Kelley-
I have a fifteen year-old boy myself, and I’ve got to say that it would be a close call for me, though I’d probably give the go-ahead to him if he was really interested.
Here are the things you may be concerned about:
1. Sexuality – this is actually the biggest issue to me. There is a description of a quasi-pagan ritual that has some adult content in it. I would describe it as PG-13.
2. Violence – the body count is pretty low, but there’s definitely some blood and gore. If he plays stuff like Halo, though, I wouldn’t worry about this angle very much.
3. Screwy Church History/Theology – There’s PLENTY of this. But if you’re armed with the right answers (Ehrman’s book – which Amy described – is a good place to go), and are prepared to talk with him about it, this could actually be a positive thing – a chance to interact a little about scripture, Jesus, etc. in a more accurate light…
(email me if you have more questions – m a t t r i t c h i e@ m s n.c o m)
The amazing thing to me is that the church has done most of the marketing on this movie. There could have been no commercials for it at all and people would have known this movie is coming, simply from the churches.
I talk about it here.
Amy – If you want some further reading that will be a good examimation of “some of the ‘whys’ of what I believe” you should definitely check out some of Bart Ehrman’s other books, such as _Lost Christianities_. While I don’t always agree with his interpretation of things, his overall study of the history of early Christian schisms and heresies is fascinating. It really made me view my understanding of theology in a new way. Ehrman is one of the premier early Christian scholars in the world today, so he’s not a bad choice for your supplemental reading — you can know that the research is solid even if you come to some different conclusions.
I saw someone comment about the Today Show interview this morning.
Here is what stood out to me about it. Matt Lauer asked if any of the actors would be OK if a disclaimer was put at the beginning of the movie about it being fiction. Ian McClellan commented that he thought a disclaimer should be put in the front of the Bible that it was fiction. “I mean, walking on water?”
Another actor said the movie was good because it made you think, “What if?”
I have heard of an exit poll done in Canada where many people who had just watched The Davinci Code thought that it could possibly be true.
I love great books, but I feel that this book could be so harmful that I don’t wish to spend any of my money or time supporting it.
Let me get this straight. The entire action of the book was supposed to take place between 1:00 in the morning until about sundown on the same day? That was the great scope of my willing suspension of disbelief for Mr. Brown. I’ve walked through Paris in the middle of the night, and let me say that it’s bigger than Jackson, Mississippi.
Thanks, Tiffany. I’m reading Ehrman’s The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture: The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament. Anxious to follow up with other writings of his.
I read about half of the book. I was uncomfortable with some of it although I really enjoyed the twists and turns. A girl at the office loaned it to me and when I gave it back to her, I explained that I liked the story but that I was just a little uncomfortable and didn’t know what to do with that. She has asked if I will see the movie… I don’t think I’m interested in it anymore. We had a discussion about the book in Sunday School. I was there to study the Bible and was disappointed to hear about some work of fiction.
After my open heart surgery in March 2004, a friend gave me The Da Vinci Code to read, but I didn’t want to read it at that time, really wasn’t interested at all and let it sit. My husband, an avid – as in 2 or 3 books a week, mostly fiction – reader, picked it up to read and didn’t get very far into it, thinking it was a totally awful, unreadable book, and he’s about the best book critic I know (as well as excellent editor and writer, being a newspaper publisher).
I eventually gave it to Goodwill and forgot about it, but later wondered if I should have tried to read it, too, since the hype has gone on and on.
But now – today – msn.com reports the critics of the movie are really panning it, so I figure it will go its way – the way of questionably “good” fiction and less than compelling movie.
Here’s how I look at it – bottom line. It’s okay for those of us as Christians who want to read the book to do so, so we may be able to discuss it with others who have read it. Or see the movie for the same reasons, or just because we like movies. We’ll probably see it at some point.
But in the end, I think – practically speaking for the majority of us – we would be better served – perhaps BEST served – by spending our time and energy in sharing God’s “good news” with everyone we can along our way and quit worrying about getting all worked up and and being rabidly vocal and negative against whatever the latest fad is.
If we can reach others in a positive way for Christ using The Da Vinci Code – that’s great. If it’s by serving people in our communities, starting with our families and neighbors and those across town in a poorer section, perhaps, even better.
Let me give you a quick example here that I think perfectly illustrates my point. Years ago when I was working as Community Editor/Journalist for the daily newspaper here in Picayune, Mississippi – a “dry” county – a liquor referendum came up to be voted on in the next election. This is staunch Baptist territory with something like 40 or more Baptist churches throughout the county. They got up in arms, big time.
They were going door to door, knocking on doors to talk with people and distribute flyers and literature, etc, etc. So the First Baptist Church here in town planned a big rally one night with a well known area minister who lived down in the French Quarter of New Orleans and was known as the “Bourbon Street” evangelist working with whoever he met on the streets down there, and believe me, there were all KINDS of people in desperate straits and stresses down there (are still, for that matter).
They called him because they thought he would be the perfect person to come in to preach and rally the Lord’s army to go out against the evils of drinking and such.
I asked for, and was assigned to go cover the story for the front page of the next morning’s paper and I did. I sat on the front row over to the side next to a local Baptist minister who probably weighed 350 pounds on a good day. Some 900 or so Baptists showed up, most by busloads, from all around.
There was much singing and praying and then the Bourbon Street evangelist took the podium and all were quiet and attentive.
Much to everyone’s surprise (shock, I would say on many parts), he preached mightily (and it was mightily, because that was years ago and I remember it well) that all of the good Christians present would be doing the Lord’s work much more effectively and positively if they were out knocking on doors to spread God’s word. If they were living as they should be themselves in not being drunkens or gluttons (that one caused a visible zing to the minister sitting next to me) or ignoring their kids or spouses, etc.
He didn’t dismiss the evils of drinking at all. He merely chose his time and scriptures in front of the vast audience he had to convict them of the beams in their own eyes they should be concerned about first. And in then exerting their energies to doing the Lord’s work ALL the time, day by day, instead of in a negative way once every four years when a liquor referendum came up.
He asked each one present how many times before had they been to the same doors they were knocking on to share God’s love for those living there. Questions like that, for over an hour, and not one sound could be heard the entire time.
I was surprised, myself, at his message, because it was certainly not what I had expected to hear, but you know what. I thought it was exceptional.
So – things like the Da Vinci Code and the Passion of the Christ and Left Behind series come and go, but God’s word is eternal and vital and so very needed today, somewhere close by where each of you are. Somewhere within the reach of your hands and your mind and your heart.
If we can use the Da Vinci Code to reach someone within our scope, all the better for us having used it. I think that’s great. But not something to get all worked up about (IMHO) as a huge sebastion of evil pounding against the Lord’s church.
Oh yeah – as far as “This world is not my home, I’m just passing through” – that’s Gnostic? I suppose it’s all in how you interpret it. But from my perspective here on the “down slope” of my life, I KNOW without a doubt I’m only passing through, so I’d better do all I can to make my time left count. Which reiterates my point above. Today is all we’ve got friends. We need to make the most of it for the Lord.
Mike -
For a slightly different take (but somewhat along the same lines) of what I said above, I’d urge you all to “run,” not walk, over to John Dobbs’ blog post for this afternoon at Out Here Hope Remains he titles “The Bible Disclaimer” about his take on The Da Vinci Code.
I’ve referred you and your many readers to John’s blog before and do again. He’s the minister of the Central Church of Christ in Pascagoula, Mississippi and has done a stupendous job in sharing the work they have been doing there since Katrina hit.
Right now – just yesterday and today – he is sounding a call (again) for ministers and anyone who considers themselves to be, as John says, soul winners, to come for as many days (or weeks) as they can to talk with some of the vast number of people the church there has reached out to since the hurricane who want to know about this Jesus Christians there are serving.
In Pascagoula, Mississippi, the fields are ripe unto harvest and there is a need for workers to come share in the enormous work to be done in gathering those so urgently seeking God.
I thought it was a great read – along the lines of Grisham – nothing more or less. Absolutely amazing how shallowly and uptight some people live. I remember vividly an elder getting up in front of our congregation in the mid-1970′s. God rest his soul he went into a rambling discourse on why the elders determined we should all refrain from seeing the Exorcist. I’m imagining what most of the younger set did that afternoon. Yep – a cold Dr. Pepper, good buttered popcorn and a silly, scary flick.
Thanks, Dee, for your very kind words. You are a blessing to my heart.
And yes… anyone who loves to talk to strangers about Jesus … I have a stack of about a 1000 names for you to work with. When you get through with that, there are more.
I read Brown’s, Angels and Demons first. After that, DaVinci Code was a let down.
I think Christians should understand the difference between fact and fiction. I don’t see it as a big issue. In fact I am going to go see it in Abilene this weekend. Can’t wait.
Christ in not sufficient. The contemporary culture is turned off to Jesus. Of course, it was not our fault. It was Freud, the television evangelists, the right, the left, the center, schools, government, ACLU, Roe vs Wade, Christian Coalition, homosexuality, Hollywood, liberalism, conservatism, moderates, psychology, New Age, Rush Limbaugh, Al Franken, Jerry Falwell, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Pat Robertson, Reverand Ike, Ozzy and Harriet, Bart Simpson, and ……………………………………
Christ in not sufficient. If only we could make a movie about the “real Jesus” then people would flock to our churches. Maybe Davinci has the answer!
I have read the book, and I think the book should cause Christians some concern. I had no concerns about it before I read it thinking once again that Christians were overreacting, but after I read it I decided that the book really could be dangerous. I believe God in not thwarted by man’s fiction, however I also believe Satan can use it to his advantage. A scary thing I heard on NPR today is that people in China are reading it. This is a place where it is hard to hear the truth of Christ because of government restrictions, yet many will hear first about Jesus through Dan Brown’s fiction. That is scary to me, and I worry about how it dishonors and slanders God. Just like some people I met when travelling Europe in the early 90′s thought there was a huge US governmental conspiracy to kill JFK based on their watching of the Oliver Stone film (they truly accepted the film as fact), I fear that many in countries like China will accept the DaVinci Code as fact because it does seem so real when you read / view it.
Here is an interview with Brian McLaren that Sojourners mail ran (I think Brian is brilliant):
Brian McLaren on The Da Vinci Code
An interview by Lisa Ann Cockrel
With The Da Vinci Code poised to go from bestseller list to the big screen on May 19, pastor and writer (and Sojourners board member) Brian McLaren talks about why he thinks there’s truth in the controversial book’s fiction.
Sojourners: What do you think the popularity of The Da Vinci Code reveals about pop culture attitudes toward Christianity and the church?
Brian McLaren: I think a lot of people have read the book, not just as a popular page-turner but also as an experience in shared frustration with status-quo, male-dominated, power-oriented, cover-up-prone organized Christian religion. We need to ask ourselves why the vision of Jesus hinted at in Dan Brown’s book is more interesting, attractive, and intriguing to these people than the standard vision of Jesus they hear about in church. Why would so many people be disappointed to find that Brown’s version of Jesus has been largely discredited as fanciful and inaccurate, leaving only the church’s conventional version? Is it possible that, even though Brown’s fictional version misleads in many ways, it at least serves to open up the possibility that the church’s conventional version of Jesus may not do him justice?
Sojo: So you think The Da Vinci Code taps into dissatisfaction with Jesus as we know him?
McLaren: For all the flaws of Brown’s book, I think what he’s doing is suggesting that the dominant religious institutions have created their own caricature of Jesus. And I think people have a sense that that’s true. It’s my honest feeling that anyone trying to share their faith in America today has to realize that the Religious Right has polluted the air. The name “Jesus” and the word “Christianity” are associated with something judgmental, hostile, hypocritical, angry, negative, defensive, anti-homosexual, etc. Many of our churches, even though they feel they represent the truth, actually are upholding something that’s distorted and false.
I also think that the whole issue of male domination is huge and that Brown’s suggestion that the real Jesus was not as misogynist or anti-woman as the Christian religion often has been is very attractive. Brown’s book is about exposing hypocrisy and cover-up in organized religion, and it is exposing organized religion’s grasping for power. Again, there’s something in that that people resonate with in the age of pedophilia scandals, televangelists, and religious political alliances. As a follower of Jesus I resonate with their concerns as well.
Sojo:Do you think the book contains any significantly detrimental distortions of the Christian faith?
McLaren: The book is fiction and it’s filled with a lot of fiction about a lot of things that a lot of people have already debunked. But frankly, I don’t think it has more harmful ideas in it than the Left Behind novels. And in a certain way, what the Left Behind novels do, the way they twist scripture toward a certain theological and political end, I think Brown is twisting scripture, just to other political ends. But at the end of the day, the difference is I don’t think Brown really cares that much about theology. He just wanted to write a page-turner and he was very successful at that.
Sojo: Many Christians are also reading this book and it’s rocking their preconceived notions – or lack of preconceived notions – about Christ’s life and the early years of the church. So many people don’t know how we got the canon, for example. Should this book be a clarion call to the church to say, “Hey, we need to have a body of believers who are much more literate in church history.” Is that something the church needs to be thinking about more strategically?
McLaren: Yes! You’re exactly right. One of the problems is that the average Christian in the average church who listens to the average Christian broadcasting has such an oversimplified understanding of both the Bible and of church history – it would be deeply disturbing for them to really learn about church history. I think the disturbing would do them good. But a lot of times education is disturbing for people. And so if The Da Vinci Code causes people to ask questions and Christians have to dig deeper, that’s a great thing, a great opportunity for growth. And it does show a weakness in the church giving either no understanding of church history or a very stilted, one-sided, sugarcoated version.
On the other hand, it’s important for me to say I don’t think anyone can learn good church history from Brown. There’s been a lot of debunking of what he calls facts. But again, the guy’s writing fiction so nobody should be surprised about that. The sad thing is there’s an awful lot of us who claim to be telling objective truth and we actually have our own propaganda and our own versions of history as well.
Let me mention one other thing about Brown’s book that I think is appealing to people. The church goes through a pendulum swing at times from overemphasizing the deity of Christ to overemphasizing the humanity of Christ. So a book like Brown’s that overemphasizes the humanity of Christ can be a mirror to us saying that we might be underemphasizing the humanity of Christ.
Sojo:In light of The Da Vinci Code movie that is soon to be released, how do you hope churches will engage this story?
McLaren: I would like to see churches teach their people how to have intelligent dialogue that doesn’t degenerate into argument. We have to teach people that the Holy Spirit works in the middle of conversation. We see it time and time again – Jesus enters into dialogue with people; Paul and Peter and the apostles enter into dialogue with people. We tend to think that the Holy Spirit can only work in the middle of a monologue where we are doing the speaking.
So if our churches can encourage people to, if you see someone reading the book or you know someone who’s gone to the movie, say, “What do you think about Jesus and what do you think about this or that,” and to ask questions instead of getting into arguments, that would be wonderful. The more we can keep conversations open and going the more chances we give the Holy Spirit to work. But too often people want to get into an argument right away. And, you know, Jesus has handled 2,000 years of questions, skepticism, and attacks, and he’s gonna come through just fine. So we don’t have to be worried.
Ultimately, The Da Vinci Code is telling us important things about the image of Jesus that is being portrayed by the dominant Christian voices. [Readers] don’t find that satisfactory, genuine, or authentic, so they’re looking for something that seems more real and authentic.
I think Brian McLaren said a very foolish thing in his response. Differing over how the world is going to end is not even in the same ballpark as differing over the deity of Jesus. That’s foolish and dangerous.
Whether or not we think it should, the stats are in: According to Barna, more than 2,000,000 folks say reading the novel changed their belief system.
As for prompting people to investigate the Christian faith, unfortunately, what are they going to find at Borders or Barnes & Noble? Bart Ehrman’s crazy book MISQUOTING JESUS? Sam Harris’ THE END OF FAITH? Michael Baigent’s THE JESUS PAPERS?
Christians ought to respond, but we ought to respond in thoughtful and Christlike ways. We don’t need to scream and picket, but we should prepare ourselves for the questions that aren’t going away about the deity of Jesus and the reliability of the New Testament Gospels.
My main problem with the Da Vinci Code book is that I didn’t think of writing it first. 40 millions copies sold, wow, I could buy a lot of baseball cards with that kind of dough. (Charlie Brown joke, for those of you old enough to remember). And I’m old enough to remember when we only traded cards to get your favorite Cardinal player… we didn’t sell them.
John Alan Turner-
“Whether or not we think it should, the stats are in: According to Barna, more than 2,000,000 folks say reading the novel changed their belief system.”
Changed in what way? Did the study specify?
Leah,
This particular study did not specify, but a study of readers in Great Britain determined that more than half (53%) said they are now more likely to believe that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had a child than they were before reading the novel.
I don’t believe it but what if Jesus and Mary Magdelene where married and had some kids? What’s at stake? Does Love your neighbor as yourself take on a whole new meaning? I don’t think anything is at stake.