The Da Vinci Code

ok, this book has me intrigued. its a murder mystery that delves deeply into the history of christianity, the divinty of christ and his relationship with mary magdalen. it suggests they were married and had a child.
although im aware this book amplifies a theory, the theory is obviously quite deeply researched and has been looked into for many years.

i wont go too much into it, because its intensely complicated, but if you read the book i was wondering (as an atheist), how credible this theory is to you guys as christians. and also how you may have reacted to reading something that tears apart the christain faith so bluntly.

 

The book is a compelling work of fiction. Brown did do some research, but he does have some pretty severe innacuracies. I have not looked into it much, but there are a ton of books out there what debunk the DaVinci Code. All in all, the Code is fiction built upon a ruse planted by a Frenchman in the 1800s I believe. The Frenchman owned up to it being a ruse (like the secret societies in the DaVinci Code), but Brown still mentions it as though it was fact. Brown also makes some pretty blatant errors for something so well "researched." He mentions, when discussing the gospel of Thomas how the original aramaic word for companion meant "spouse." Thomas was written in Greek, not aramaic, and even in Aramaic, the word doesn't mean "spouse."

Errors like that are prevalent throughout the book.

Like I said, good fiction, but nothing more than that.

 

it doesn't tear apart christianity. just tears at it.



i dunno. it was an interesting read. nothing to get wortked up about as many people have done since its release.



he's got a head for fiction and everyone loves a conspiracy.

it was interesting all the same. but people should take it with a spoon of salt.

 

Um....well i havent read it...but probably will cuz it sounds cool. As a christian im so sure of my faith that it wont alter my relationship with God. I find all sorts of research and theories credible...after all it takes a great mind to come up with them and audience interpretation is a key element of any research of texts (including the Bible) Its cool to see different ideas, true or not. I have read many things that attempt to tear christianity apart so bluntly and it has not altered me...just made me a lot sadder about the state of the world. Cool post! I'll check that baby out!

Roly.xxx

 

A friend and I are going to be organizing a study group studying and debunking the Da Vinci Code. Much of it is based on pseudo-scholarship. Robert Price has a book on it coming out called "The Da Vinci Fraud". I'd suggest if you want to read criticisms of Brown and Baigent, you read Price, and not some Tim Lahaye wanna-be apologist, as that's just as bad as Brown is.

- Laz

 

i suppose i'd be interested in criticisms of Da Vinci Code, but the truth is, the book itself is a criticism. to me it was refreshing to hear what he had to say because it criticised mainstream ideas that we all have come to know about.

whether or not we're christian, we're exposed to the idea that Jesus was the son of God, that he didnt marry or have children, and that ideologically the male gender has always had the power over female. however, Brown's book smashes this idea to pieces. whether or not its entirely accurate, to me, isnt the main focus, but rather that it came out and said that.

im glad that christians can read it and have their faith still intact in the end, because that says to me that they believe the essential parts of their religion - love, compassion for others, respect for a 'God' - as opposed to the bureaucratic leadership of an institution such as the church.

this book re-inforces to me what i believe - that religion can be a superb thing, but the institutions that control it are the detriment of our society. we need spirituality but we dont need another power base to control our minds/actions/beliefs.

any thoughts?

 

If you want to read a great book about Christs bloodline, his possible marriage to mary mag... And the societies that protected the secret. The book is Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Micheal Baigent, Richard Leigh, Henry Lincoln. Its a great book if you like conspiracies and secret societies and the ruling class.

 

I have read The Da Vinci Code, Holy Blood And Holy Grail, and also a book called Secrets of the Da Vinci Code. Anyone interested there are archives of Paul Smith in the internet with a lot of reasearch done about Prior of Sion and its true history. Also there was one interesting writing about it in some esoteric history webpage, which said it is a fraud.


In this book Secrets of Da VInci Code there is some web page where they have listed what errors occur in the book. Dan Brown says places in the book are real, wel yes they are real, but they have been put together in a way that is not possible. If he uses real places, why not to use them with map? Now streets are where they should not be and people drive the wrong way one way streets and wrong way concerning where they are heading.

I found that the same way Brown uses real places he uses real issues and happenings. He has bought what the writers were selling in their book Holy Blood And Holy Grail, and he really hasn't done that much research he makes it to look like. That was also checked in the book The secrets of The Da Vinci Code.

It was nice book to read, just don't believe what it claims. It does not earn it.

 

i read the da vinci code, actually i listened to it on cd. lol.
it was a good book but it is fictional, so i say enjoy it for what it is but don't put anymore into it then any other good fiction.

 

the da vinci fraud?

oh my stars.

you wonder what's wrong with people to actually waste their time doing that.

i mean now really. thats just a bit silly.


UNLESS however...its more based on the theories that are brought to attention in the book itself....as in th facts from which the book is merely "based" on......in which case that's pretty cool.

but something tells me its my former assumption.

 

Well no. Robert Price is an historian who takes issue with the "historical findings" expressed by Baigent in HBHG and then by Brown in the DVC.

Hence, he dubs his book, "The Da Vinci Fraud", exposing the many errors of what he has outright called, "pseudo-scholarship".

Price is an agnostic and was a Fellow of the Jesus Seminar. I look forward to reading a criticism of the theory from someone who comes from such a background - as he shares many of the background opinions that I do, and can rationally evaluate the arguments provided by Baigent from that groundwork. I tire of wanna-be apologists who gain support from people like Tim Lahaye, providing arguments from their own naive perspective of scripture which amount to nothing better or more factual than Brown and Baigent offer.

- Laz

 

You guys might also try a book called "The DaVinci Code: Fact or Fiction" by Hank Hannegraf and Dr. Paul Maier. They are pretty far removed from Lahaye-type theology and apologetics. Dr. Maier is a Professor of Ancient History at the University of Michigan is a Harvard Graduate.

Anyway, back to the thread...

 

just like the bible

 

ther's always one.




thatnks laz that clears it up for me.

 

'S always funny that, when I go to a book store, in the religion section there's always a whole row of books dedicated to refutin' tha DiVinci Code. Religious devotees were so up-in-arms about a proposition that Jesus did tha bump-n-grind.

 

With A Prostitute No Less

 

An alleged prostitute. She may have very well been just an unwed adult woman.

 

Nevermind, was thinking of a different book.

 

she wasn't a prostitute. people just love dwelling on hookers and orgies. let it go. it's like every time someone hears a song, somehow they decide it's about masturbation (wink wink). sheesh.

 

Despite it being a fictional story, it does make some extremely interesting points about Christianity and Catholisicm.

Without having read the book, it's hard to make those kinds of judgements, Alsharad. Now I've read it, as well as a few books that both support and debunk the DaVinci Code. I would suggest that you do the same before passing this kind of judgement.

The same arguement that you make can be done with - oh let's say - the Bible. Someone can say, 'well, I haven't read the Bible cover to cover but there are a lot of books out there that prove it wrong therefore it's inaccurate.' It's a poor assessment to say without making your research first.