The Gospel According to the Da Vinci Code: The Truth Behind the Writings of Dan Brown

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 164 pages
• Published by: B&H Publishing Group May 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0805441905
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0805441901
• Book Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Weighs: 7.2 ounces

Product Description
Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code has become the best-selling hardcover adult novel of all time, spouting a tenuous postmodern worldview akin to the age-old heresy of "Gnosticism." Though Gnosticism has been refuted repeatedly throughout the history of Christianity, and many of Brown's sources have been proven frauds, people are still reading Brown's books to become "enlightened."

The Gospel According to The Da Vinci Code not only refutes the philosophies behind this blockbuster book. It also looks at Brown's other writings to form a clearer picture of the worldview that guides his writings, why this worldview is so popular and what the church must do in response.

Reader Reviews
Most of the responses to The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown deal strictly with facts (or the lack thereof). But what about the big picture? What does the novel communicate and how has it impacted our culture? As Christians, how ought we to respond? The Gospel According to the Da Vinci Code by Kenneth Boa and John Alan Turner seeks to answer these questions. While the novel is actually fiction, our culture is such that many people treat it as non-fiction. "What Dan Brown says he believes is fundamentally incompatible with historic, orthodox Christianity. However, in a pluralistic society such as ours, millions of people seem to think you can pick and choose your beliefs like toppings on your pizza." (2) Through their introduction and 12 chapters, Boa and Turner analyze the problems The Da Vinci Code presents in our current culture and how Christians should respond. "So what is the gospel according to Dan Brown? Simply put, `Everything you've ever heard about Jesus is wrong.'" (23) They discuss postmodernism, truth, and history, while pointing out Brown's problems and errors. The authors ask, "What Would Jesus Do With Dan Brown?" (90) They essentially boil down the proper Christian response to "We've got to stop being foolish. We've got to stop being tacky. And we've got to stop being mean." (118) Though they deal a few of the errors in Brown's novel, they point to Darrell Bock's Breaking the Da Vinci Code for a more thorough critique. There are a number of great points throughout the book, such as, "Saying that Dan Brown's book is about Christianity is like saying Finding Nemo is about marine biology. We have just as much evidence to suggest Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene as we have that clown fish talk." (25) The authors also get points for using Jack Bauer as an illustration (102-103). Unfortunately, these good points are counterbalanced by poor ones. In at least one case they esteem a cheesy slogan as good methodology: "people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care." (106) The book doesn't appear to have a logical structure and often switches focus without reason. The authors make some brief points about Gnosticism and "the sacred feminine," but no thorough analysis of those topics is offered. The Gospel According to the Da Vinci Code has periodic good points to offer, particularly in regards to the status of our culture. In that sense, it succeeds in dealing with the big picture. However, readers would be better off reading a book responding to the historical claims and pagan worldview of The Da Vinci Code.