The Da Vinci Con
As every one in the solar system knows, The Da Vinci Code opens this weekend. With a team like Ron Howard and Tom Hanks, along with the vivid imagination of author Dan Brown, the movie is sure to be a success. Not since George Lucas revived Star Wars has there been this much hype about a movie.
Fiction deserves some license for imagination. And both Howard and Hanks claim to be Christians and say their movie is only entertainment, not a history lesson. On the other hand, Brown's position is that "the documents, rituals, organization, artwork, and architecture in the novel all exist;" only the characters and their theories are fictional. The objective of the book, he says, is to "serve as a catalyst and a springboard for people to discuss the important topics of faith, religion, and history."
The problem is that few will see The Da Vinci Code with these disclaimers in mind. The combination of the rich tapestry of Howard's cinematography, Hanks's compelling performance, and Brown's good yarn will posit a strong challenge to the true history behind Christianity.
I have neither the time nor the energy to work up my own response to The Da Vinci Code. Allow me to post some links for further reading:
- "The Da Vinci Drama Discounted," Brad Harrub
- "The Da Vinci Factor," Josh McDowell
- Commentary on several press releases, Alan Cornett
- "Breaking the Da Vinci Code," Collin Hansen
- "Was Jesus Married?" Darrell L. Bock
- "Deciphering the 'Da Vinci Code," Albert Mohler
- "Dismantling the Da Vinci Code," Sandra Miesel
- "Cracking the Da Vinci Code," Margaret M. Mitchell
- Wayne Jackson's commentary
- "The Da Vinci Code," Greg Tidwell
Even if you don't read any of the above articles, you have to give the authors credit for coming up with all those clever titles.
