After sales of more than seven million copies,
this novel shows no signs of fading in popularity. It has sold more copies than Gone With the Wind. The paperback edition will be published in March.
A major motion picture version is in the works, and is due to be released in May. Brown is working on a sequel to the novel,
which will be published next fall. The Bible is still the all-time best seller in the world, however.
The Da Vinci Code features Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology
and art history, who is called to investigate a murder at the Louvre. Clues from the works of Leonardo Da Vinci serve as keys
to decoding an ancient mystery related to the killing one of the museum’s curators. As Langdon and cryptologist Sophie
Neveu sort through clues, they discover secret religious societies, a holy bloodline, and the location of the burial of the
Holy Grail. Da Vinci’s painting of the Last Supper provides major evidence to the investigators.
Novelist Brown makes strange assertions about the meaning of Da Vinci’s painting, as well
as other dubious claims. The Presbyterian tradition places a high premium on historical evidence and accuracy. It concerns
our group that this work of fiction stretches historical facts in order to entertain readers and to sell books. One lesson
to learn from The Da Vinci
Code (or any other work that makes claims about Jesus and the founding of the church) is to question everything
one reads, watches, or hears. For example, The Da Vinci Code asserts that
Constantine, the Holy Roman Emperor in the early fourth century, chose all the books in the Bible, transformed Jesus
into a divine savior, and turned Christianity into a male-centered religion, in order to consolidate his power across the
civilized world. Brown’s conspiracy theory also asserts that the early church suppressed the role of women, and censored
all books from the Bible that portray Jesus as a human being. Brown writes, in the preface, that all assertions in the novel
are true, but provides no documentation. After consulting many sources from a
wide variety of viewpoints, we learned that scholars do not agree on every aspect of church history, and that quite a few
of Brown’s “facts” are inaccurate.
Our Bible study group is now meeting from 11:00 A.M. to noon every Tuesday--a better time
for everyone than the lunch hour had been in earlier years. Our denomination
encourages intellectual inquiry. So when readers come with questions about our faith, we think it is healthy to discuss them.
We are glad to have both Catholics and Protestants in the group. We have purchased
an abridged audio book of The Da Vinci Code, in compact disc form, which can be borrowed from the church library.
Participants in our group include Joan Boucher, co-moderator; Doris Griffin, Barbara Nelson,
Gloria Brown, Claire DiMarco, and me. Since September, we have read four chapters of Exodus, learned about our spiritual gifts
for ministry, and studied scripture lessons for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. The next Bible study series will begin at
the end of January. "TROUBLESOME TEXTS," this six-part discussion, will be based on a new column in Presbyterians Today
magazine. Should women remain silent in church? Does the Bible say slavery is acceptable? These are just a few of the controversial
matters we will discuss. No textbook is needed; just bring your Bible and you
will receive photocopied handouts for each upcoming week. There will be no class Feb. 7. The "TROUBLESOME TEXTS" series ends in mid-March. Come one,
come all; Men are also welcome!
Blessings, Pastor Joyce
