The Da Vinci Code - fact, fiction, or heresy?

self | 1 September, '03 | J, King

[The Right Stuff]

The recent bestseller, "The Da Vinci Code" purports to unveil timeless Christian mysteries, such as the myth of the "Holy Grail". For most, the Holy Grail means the chalice which Christ drank from at the Last Supper - "After He had given thanks, He bid them, "drink" "this is My blood of the New Covenant.."

For author Dan Brown, the Grail is actually the personage of Mary Magdelene, in Scripture a redeemed prostitute, in DVC the wife of Jesus Christ and the mother of his children.

In Mr. Brown's world, the early church found it necessary to suppress the "goddess" woman centered pagan religion by a) demonizing women (i.e. the apple and Eve) and b) stealing pagan ceremonies for its own (see: Christmas).

Much of Mr. Brown's theory is laughable, although the book is an enjoyable and fast paced read. Let the scholars debate:

Although many "creation" and "flood" myths are similar, don't the Hebrew ones predate them all?
Ditto with the virgin or godly inspired birth (see Leda and the swan in Greek mythology)

Have at it, guys..

[NotQuiteCricket]

"Although many "creation" and "flood" myths are similar, don't the Hebrew ones predate them all?
Ditto with the virgin or godly inspired birth (see Leda and the swan in Greek mythology) "

No. No. and No.

[farmfriend]

Although many "creation" and "flood" myths are similar, don't the Hebrew ones predate them all?

I believe that there is one very similar to Genesis that predates the Hebrew one. I don't remember the culture though.

[Shermy]

in Scripture a redeemed prostitute

What scripture says that?

[hergus]

"Although many "creation" and "flood" myths are similar, don't the Hebrew ones predate them all?"

NOOOOOOOOOOO

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Question: "The Da Vinci Code - fact, fiction, or heresy?"

Response: None of the above. The book is blasphemy.

[ChadsDad]

An excellent read. With interesting twists. I highly reccomend it to any one who enjoys a good page turner / suspense thriller.

[ChadsDad]

Not blasphemy, fiction.

[firewalk]

.

[hergus]

I agree, great read for the open minded. His book Angels and Demons is just as good.

[Numbers Guy]

Not blasphemy, fiction.

Brown's a good writer. What he wrote wasn't an advocacy piece for the view advanced in the book, it's just his way of getting a plot rolling for a story. He had another twist on the Catholic Church and so forth in "Angels and Demons". But all his books are worth checking out, only those two deal with religious issues.

[Velveeta]

An excellent read, a thrilling writer. Angels and Demons was terrific as well.

[dogbyte12]

Mary Magdalene was not considered a prostitute for 4 centuries, until a theologian decided that she was the anonymous prostitute being stoned. There really is no biblical basis for it, but it has become tradition. Even though there is 16 centuries of that tradition, it is extremely dubious.

An early sect of christianity followed her, and believed that she was one of Jesus' closest disciples. Their facts may have been off kilter, but the prostitute thing is a 4th century slur against Magdalene.

[SamAdams76]

I read this book back in June in about four days while I was in Alabama. It was a good read, very well written, but I thought the timeline was ridiculously farfetched (all the action takes place over a single evening and a LOT happens).

Yeah, I know it's only fiction but still. I like to have my fiction be somewhat plausible.

I never really gave much thought as to whether the premise (of a secret society that held the secrets of the Holy Grail) had any truth to it or not. The foreword does mention that the secret society really exists and that Leonardo da Vinci, Victor Hugo and Isaac Newton, among others, belonged to it. But as for the Holy Grail, I just don't know.

PJ, I ping you to this thread to see if you read this book and if so, what you thought of it.

I have Dan Brown's Digital Fortress on one of my bookshelves waiting to be read. Has anybody read that one?

[Cicero]

I haven't read the book, because it looked like a piece of junk, but I did read a review of it in the latest issue of Crisis Magazine.

I hesitate to speak of a book I haven't read, but I have no reason to doubt the review in Crisis. It demonstrates that the book is unhistorical nonsense, and makes a good case that it is filled with anti-Catholic bigotry.

Among other things, the author seems to think that the figure of St. John in Da Vinci's Last Supper is Mary Magdalene. Yes, he is depicted with long hair, but he is not Mary Magdalene.

There are very early traditions saying that Mary Magdalene repented and became a saint. In part that depends who you think the woman is who enters the Publican's house while Jesus is at dinner, washes his feet with her tears, and dries them with her hair. A long Catholic tradition going back to early times says that the woman is Mary Magdalene, but she is not named in this particular scene, so many Protestant biblical interpreters denied it.

In any case, there is no reason to believe that Jesus and Mary Magalene married and had children, which I gather is what the novel claims. Destructive nonsense, with an obvious antichristian as well as anticatholic agenda.

[Numbers Guy]

I have Dan Brown's Digital Fortress on one of my bookshelves waiting to be read. Has anybody read that one?

Yes, I picked it up this summer. You'll like it. Very different from the two religion related books, but it flows very well. "Deception Point" is also good. He's 4 for 4 so far in my book.

[ChadsDad]

Read "The Confessor" another great religion based thriller.

[StatesEnemy]

Read the gnostics.

[Cicero]

P.S. I didn't think the review article debunking The da Vinci Code would be online this soon, but here it is:

http://www.crisismagazine.com/feature1.htm

[RikaStrom]

I've read Digital Fortress and I found it highly interesting and also a good read. It's his first book, and I read it after Angels and Demons.

If you didn't already wonder about Big Brother, Digital Fortress will really have you wondering!