Not long ago while attending a class, Principles of the Life of Christ, the instructor was introducing various historical documents that man has used over time to justify his religion. He spoke briefly of the Bible, of course, as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Apocrypha, and the Gnostic Gospels. What really got this man on a tear, however, was Dan Brown and his megahit The Da Vinci Code. The good reverend was extremely upset that Mr. Brown had the audacity to present his book as a historical source work. When I mentioned to the instructor that I had read - and thoroughly enjoyed - the book and found nothing that suggested such a claim (in fact, there is a printed disclaimer that reminds us that the overall work is a piece of FICTION). Mr. Instructor then suggested I go online to Mr. Brown's website to which I responded, "I have, and I stand by what I say." Did I mention that I got a "B" in the class?
Hence the title link to "Common Questions" on Dan Brown's website about The Da Vinci Code. There is no claim to historical accuracy even though there are some historic references such as ancient organizations and practices, but the plot of the whole story required that Mr. Brown take some artistic license with some of these references. Mr. Brown is not, to my knowledge, trying to sell this work as a "text" book for some future class in religion history.
I can only say that I have not enjoyed a book as much as I enjoyed this one (with the possible exception of The Grapes of Wrath). It was an incredible ride that kept me on the edge of my seat AND my sanity (I kept having to reread some portions to make sure I was not trying to "learn" something historic that was not meshing with what I had actually "learned" in some history and theology classes!)!!
If you choose to read this book, try to remember that it is a work of FICTION. This means that the story itself is not true even if some references are accurate. He is not trying to attack the Roman Catholic Church, and he is not necessarily trying to dispute 2000 years of Christian teachings (though I must admit that some portions of the book did force me to stop and think. In fact, I think one or two sermons came from this book!).
Did I mention that The Da Vinci Code is a work of FICTION? That's F*I*C*T*I*O*N.
The only reason I get so worked up is because I still read snippets here and there from some theologians who insist that Dan Brown is challenging the very foundation of the Church itself. One thing I can be sure of is this: what Dan Brown or I may think about the Church will not change its foundation one tiny bit. He thinks, and I think. That's just about it except for the fact that he probably gets paid a lot more than I for what he thinks.
3 comments:
I too read The Da Vinci Code and found it a entertaining book. I also am fully aware of it's fictional nature. My concern is that there are many who don't have the Biblical knowledge to distinquish between fact and fiction. Therein lies the danger in this book.
On the other hand, I think The Da Vinci Code offers pastors an excellent opportunity to teach Christian doctrine because people are asking questions and looking for guidence.
You bet! I've warned some I've known away from it since they are pretty early in their journey. There would be much more than they can take. I admit I got tripped up a couple of times, but I think that's part of what made it so exciting!
As fiction, I think it's a great read. It was the fastest read book I've had for the past couple of years.
I go as far as to say that it raises some big questions. On most of them you do not get reliable answers from the book and like Mike, I would advise some away from it or at least advise them to discuss issues raised with experienced Christins. But nothing takes awayfrom the fact that as fiction, it's a rattling good read.
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