| Many
novelists have written copycats, hoping to strike similar gold. On the other hand,
countless Christian writers and theologians have fought an uphill battle trying
to set the historical record straight. Darrell Bock is one of them, and he debunks
Brown's ideas in his new book, Breaking the Da Vinci Code. Many have wondered
why biblical scholars would take such an interest in fiction, but Brown asserts
many spurious claims about Christianity, and his charges must be answered. Among
his assertions: - Jesus
Christ, a mere man, was married to Mary Magdalene, one of his followers.
- Christ’s
deity was invented by a group of men centuries after his death.
- The
church in Rome entered into a 2,000-year-old conspiracy to hide these and other
“facts.”
- The
artist Leonardo da Vinci, among others, knew these secrets and planted clues in
some of his paintings.
Whether
contained in a novel or in a non-fiction book, such allegations are an affront
to Christians and must be dealt with in a reasoned and biblical manner. Bock formidably
rises to the challenge as he exposes the flaws found in the pages of The Da
Vinci Code. Bock’s 188-page refutation, which includes a helpful bibliography
and glossary, is concise and offers a solid biblical defense of the faith. A
professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, Bock presents
seven "codes" that are implied or explicitly stated in Brown’s
book. He methodically breaks down the codes and separates fact from fiction. In
explaining his methodology he writes, “Our research for uncovering the validity
of these codes will focus on the 325 years immediately following the birth of
Christ, for the claims of the novel rise or fall on the basis of things emerging
from this period.” Fans
of The Da Vinci Code often dismiss Christians' concerns by singing a chorus
of "It's only fiction." However, they overlook that the bestseller does
contain a misleading brief section entitled "Fact" at the front of the
book: “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals
in this novel are accurate.” Bock
responds by asserting: “No longer is The Da Vinci Code a mere piece
of fiction. It is a novel clothed in claims of historical truth, critical of institutions
and beliefs held by millions of people around the world.” One
“historical truth” found in Brown’s novel is that Jesus was not
only married to Mary, but that he fathered a child with her. Bock examines the
biblical canon and extrabiblical sources to demonstrate that Jesus and Mary were
not married. This is vitally important because, according to the Bible, Jesus
Christ entered finite time as a human to do his Father’s will, not to marry
and to sire a child. Instead, Jesus came to die on a cross to pay for the sins
of those he came to save. Despite
its inaccuracies, Brown’s book has proven useful in the cultural debate.
In a Christianity Today article entitled “The Good News of Da Vinci,”
Bock writes: [T]he
popularity of... the book... points to our culture's continuing fascination with
Jesus. And even when that curiosity borders on the perverse, we need to be engaged
in the conversation… Christians
are called to be ambassadors of Christ and proclaim his lordship to the world;
thus they must stay engaged and stand firm against secular culture. As Breaking
the Da Vinci Code confirms, Darrell Bock is faithful to that call.
Like this article? Please link to it from your website or blog.
-La Shawn Barber
Discuss
this article on our Christian
message forums.
 | The Real Heaven Book "What
will Heaven be like?" Have you ever wondered? Do
you want to know what the Bible means when it talks about "the New Earth"
and "the Kingdom of Heaven?" If
so, Lee Wilson and Joe Beam have teamed up to provide a fast-paced, exciting book
on Heaven and the afterlife. [...More
information] |
| 
