Engaging the Da Vinci Code: Resources for Discussion

Jean Uayan 

            By the time this issue of FOCUS gets off the press, the Da Vinci Code movie would have been shown in movie theaters all over the world.  Christians (Evangelical, Roman Catholic, or Orthodox) worldwide would have also read or heard discussions, engaging or critical, about the contents of the book or movie. 

            As a church historian and professor of this discipline, it pains me to know that a journalist could employ such a lowdown method of turning fiction into history, speculation into truth.  And yet at the same time, this issue has created renewed interest into such an oft-perceived-as-boring subject as church history.  Instead of focusing on how the book or movie is befuddling and deceiving the minds of millions, the church can use this book or movie to bring the truth of our faith in the divinity and humanity of our Lord and Savior into the forefront.  This article is interested in offering helpful resources for the thinking and concerned Christian.  To be true to our times and the realities of life, one must not simply swallow hook, line, and sinker all that Hollywood portrays or authors like Dan Brown has dared to write.

            The first in-depth resource for engaging the current phenomenon is of course literature.  Countless books have been written in response to Brown’s book, but for Christians, the first book to focus on is the Bible.  Careful reading (and re-reading!) or discussing of the four gospels and the book of Acts can be easily done in or outside the church setting.  For those who are up to it, reading of first and second century Christian literature, meaning the books written by the early Church Fathers, can also give us the proper historical stage to dispute much of what Brown claims in his “history.”  Thirdly, Christians need to get a good foundation in church history, whether through books, online or institutional courses, or through the church.  Lastly, one can avail of the currently published books dealing directly with Brown’s book.  A short list of these books include:

Fact and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code by Steve Kellmeyer (Bridegroom Press, 2004)

Cracking Da Vinci’s Code by James L. Garlow and Peter Jones (Victor Books, 2004)

Breaking The Da Vinci Code by Darrell L. Bock (Thomas Nelson, 2004)

The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction by Hank Hanegraaff and Paul Maier (Tyndale, 2004)

The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code by Richard Abanes (Harvest House, 2004)

The Da Vinci Deception by Erwin W. Lutzer (Tyndale, 2004)

The Da Vinci Hoax by Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel (Ignatius Press, 2004)

The Gospel Code by Ben Witherington III (Intervarsity Press, 2004)

            The second resource is the Internet.  The sites include:

www.thedavincidialogue.com

www.christianitytoday.com/history/special/davincicode.html

benwitherington.blogspot.com – full of relevant discussions and insights on this and other issues damaging the Christian faith today

www.baptiststart.com - this site has the most exhaustive links that I’ve come across concerning this issue and other related topics such as the Gospel of Judas, another current issue carrying the same agenda as the Da Vinci Code.  Regarding the Da Vinci Code issue, topics such as How to Approach the Subject, Overview, Inaccuracies, Was Jesus Married, “The Holy Grail,” Is Jesus God, the Divine Feminine, Gnostic Gospels, Is the New Testament Reliable, Is the Resurrection Historically Accurate, Constantine, the Places in the Da Vinci Code, Art in the Da Vinci Code, Opus Dei, and Priory of Sion and the Knights Templar are available for quick reference and for more serious research.

            The www.thedavincidialogue.com site offers the opinions and advices of such personalities as Larry Poland, Lee Strobel, Phil Cooke and Robert Johnstone.  Larry Poland is founder, chairman, and CEO of Mastermedia International, a Christian, non-profit structure that provides confidential consulting, personal counsel, and small group support to film and television executives in Hollywood and New York.  Lee Strobel has a M.S. in Law from Yale Law School and was the award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune. His books include The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for a Creator.  Phil Cooke is President & Creative Director of Cooke Pictures.  He is possibly the only working producer in Hollywood with a Ph.D. in Theology and his blog at philcooke.com is considered one of the most insightful resources on the web on issues of faith, culture and media.  Robert Johnston is Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary.  He is co-editor of the “Engaging Culture” series for Baker Academic Books.

            Some of their useful comments and suggestions are as follows:

Phil Cooke says: Before you speak, consider how your non-Christian friends will respond to the message. They don’t operate from our playbook. They don’t understand and therefore respect what the Bible says, so they don’t share our worldview. It’s about PERCEPTION. In a media driven culture, “perception” is just as important as “reality.” How an audience perceives our message is critical to the successful communication of that message. I would submit that throughout history, we could have stopped bloodshed and devastation had we been more sensitive to the public perception of our pronouncements. Jesus was remarkably aware of His audience, and always responded sensitively to different types of people.[1]

Lee Strobel says: (1) Prepare yourself. Pick from one of the slew of Christian books that sets the historical record straight and get educated about the flaws – both obvious and subtle – in the Da Vinci story. (2) Don’t assume anything. Just because your friend has read the book or seen the flick, don’t presume he has bought into the story’s claims. (3) Don’t major on the minors. The big issue is the way the book undercuts trust in the Gospels and Jesus’ deity. When time is limited, focus on these topics rather than trying to resolve every peripheral sidelight. (4) Partner with your church. Take advantage of outreach events, sermons, and other initiatives your church might be undertaking. (5) Remember: you’re not alone. God is the Great Evangelist. Invite him to empower and equip you – and then proceed with confidence and courage.[2]

Larry Poland says: (1) Ask insightful questions more than making strong statements. Especially if the person on the other side of the issue is strident or passionate, an interrogative style always trumps a declarative one. In fact, a person with weak evidence often reveals this weakness more by being asked penetrating questions than by being bombarded with passionate or condescending declarations. (2) Remember, people have differing bases for the positions they hold.  Personal positions can be fundamentally intellectual, emotional, or volitional. If there is a genuine search for information and intellectual answers, providing data from Church history or the Scriptures may be compelling. If the person’s position is rooted in emotion--such as a horrific experience in a church or with Christians--it makes no sense to share facts. Show concern for the emotional scarring. Finally, if the person’s position is based in volition, “My mind’s made up. Don’t confuse me with facts!” then graciously wrap up the conversation and move on. It’s proverbial that “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”[3]

            May our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only giver of Life, grant all of us a diligent mind, a gentle spirit, an edifying tongue, and a loving heart.