I finally read The DaVinci Code to see what all of the fuss is about. My initial impression is that this is the same old heresies packaged with new ribbons. It's a not-so-great novel written with the bias of someone who is angry at God and the Church. Or, if not "angry", at least a bit jaded and skeptical in his beliefs. It reminds me of a Tom Clancy novel with a religious agenda. (For example, thinking "The Code" is true is akin to believing that "The Hunt for Red October" is a true story, when "The Hunt" is a work of FICTION with some historical pieces in it.)
However, I can see why The DaVinci Code is convincing some that it is "true", as they are reading it without enough Bible background or knowlege of Church history. It does not surprise me that the gullible, disenchanted or spiritually isolated would get sucked in by this book.
So why read it?
- I have no fears about facing heresy dead-on. I can not discuss what I have not considered personally. I may not have all the answers, and actually, I'm pretty lousy at argumentation! But to NOT read it 'because it is bad' is knee-jerky and I really don't like to live my faith like that.
- It is a chance to do a little review of Church history, polity and the sacredness of Scripture. I don't want to pretend I've got it all memorized! History has NEVER been my strong point. So as a student, I will continue to read and learn.
- There is never a better time to recommit myself to living like what I believe. That means reviewing what it is that I DO believe!
- I don't want to stick my head in a holy cocoon and not read books because they are "not Christian". Neither would I insist that every Christian read this book. The author has made plenty of bucks off of it already. (You can borrow my copy if you really want to read it...) At the same time, I sense the need to be spiritually aware and wary of books like this one which masquerade as something they are not. Jesus prayed for us: My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. [John 17:15] I am counting on His protection!
Having said ALL THAT...
If I were to rate it I'd give it a 3: it doesn't have a good beat and you can't dance to it...
from our home to yours...
Deb
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4 comments:
Oh! I totally loved DaVinci Code. I'm a sucker for fiction and also for anything set up in such a way that it feels like I'm on some kind of amazing scavenger hunt. I also enjoyed Angels and Demons which is all about the relationship between science and the church (ancient and contemporary). Again, I am a sucker for fiction and although I found myself laughing at many things throughout the book, it did it's job as a work of fiction...it entertained me. I echo your thought about being able to see how such a book could intrigue those who don't know much about church history, art history, or have a strong personal faith in Jesus and the Bible (like my best friend, Sara)...but I am so glad that you are not one of those annoying people who separate themselves from all things secular. The positive side of this is that people who wouldn't necessarily be asking questions about such things will be...and as a church, we can be prepared to answer them! :)
I read it when it first came out at book club. It was worth reading simply because people would say "You're a Christian, what do you think about..." At least I had something semi-intelligent to say. But, you're right, its just a hack-fiction book. One friend at book club summed it up quite nicely by stating straight out,
"So what if DaVinci believed it, that doesn't make it true."
There are much better books to spend my time on, but it was good to read what all the hoopla was about and have a response.
Deb
That was the OTHER Deb (as in Deb D) in that last comment. I do talk to myself, but not normally in comments... ;)
I was just not that impressed with the book. Tom Clancy writes a better, more gripping novel in terms of a who-dunit. Worth the #1 ranking? Not in my opinion. Worth a second read? Eh...
Besides, if you take ANY basic art history class, you'll find out that Brown has his theories about "who" is in the Last Supper picture all wrong.
deb (as in this blog Deb)
I actually watched a special on Discovery that was all about what was wrong in the DaVinci Code(interesting that not ONLY the Christians have issues with the ideas represented). Everything from the Priory of Sion to the history of the Knights Templar. It was very interesting and very informative.
I like Tom Clancy, too. I have to admit that I got in to him because I'm a huge Harrison Ford fan and loved Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger (both of which I ended up reading in high school). It's been a while since I picked up a book by him, but I remember liking him. I do remember that his stuff took me a while to get in to where as DaVinci Code hooked me from the start. But I enjoyed Clancy's stuff in the end as well.
Then again...nothing beats Harry Potter...SO ADDICTED! :)
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