DaVinci Code

[dev0ra]

I snagged this from another thread. I didn't want to
derail that one any more than it already had been.

"PS: I read The Da Vinci Code. The writing was
satisfactory, the character development was
acceptable, the plot twists weren't completely
predictable, and from the standpoint of a reader, I'd
give it a C+ or a B-. From the standpoint of a Christian
holy man I'd consider it to be the most dangerous book
in many decades. It's low-brow enough to make it to
the mainstream, written well enough to keep the pages
turning, but it's packed with subversive historical
information about the roots and development of
Christianity. Any Christian who reads it is going to have
LEGITIMATE questions about their faith. "

I bought "The DaVinci Code" over a month ago and am
just now about to begin reading it. Anyone else read it,
or thinking about it? I'd love to "hear" your thoughts as
I am reading it.


Thanx in advance.

[Jay Berner]

So we don't spoil it for everybody, we should send private messages to each other about it.

[Moses]

From what I've heard its a formulaic book designed to be a best-seller w/ the usual poorly drawn characters and bad dialogue, with alot of glaring historical inaccuracies -- thus a best-seller.

[Jay Berner]

I've read better, and I've read worse. It's definitely an attack on Christianity, and especially the Catholic Church.

The problem for most Christians is that somewhere along the line everybody decided that Jesus WAS God, so anything which points to Jesus being a mortal man undermines their faith in the Diety. This book does that, and a goodly portion of the material he refers to exists. The Gospel of Mary really is part of the Nag Hammadi scrolls. It's been about 20 years since I read The Nag Hammadi Library, and it was only the third translation, I think. I don't remember too much, except that the picture painted in those Gospels was really, really different from the one presented in the King James version.

[calabi-yau]

Moses said:

From what I've heard its a formulaic book designed to be a best-seller w/ the usual poorly drawn characters and bad dialogue, with alot of glaring historical inaccuracies -- thus a best-seller.

Excerpt from DaVinci code found at Amazon:

The past year had taken a heavy toll on him, but he didn’t appreciate seeing proof in the mirror. His usually sharp blue eyes looked hazy and drawn tonight. A dark stubble was shrouding his strong jaw and dimpled chin. Around his temples, the gray highlights were advancing, making their way deeper into his thicket of coarse black hair.
Although his female colleagues insisted the gray only acccentuated his bookish appearance, Langdon knew better.


Sounds more like Harlequin romance literature or a John Kerry biography for that matter.

[calabi-yau]

Also from Amazon:

People who bought DaVinci Code also bought:

Angels and Demons (by Daniel Brown, author)
Five People you Meet in Heaven (by Mitch Albom, author)
Life of Pi (by Yann Martel, author) **
The Secret Life of Bees (by Sue Monk Kidd)
Deception Point (by Daniel Brown, author)

It does look like Daniel Brown is on a roll here for the best seller list.

** I actually recommend this book. A metaphor on dealing with isolation when one is surrounded by danger. Intelligent humor, humane and well written.

[dev0ra]

I've barely just begun, but so far it's a good read. Much better than I had hoped. I'm a big mystery fan and I need a break from political reading (so depressing these days). So far, it fits the bill. Some of the historical claims he makes I plan on following up on. (In particular, what he says about the pentacle, and how the RC demonized the pagans.) As for it being an attack on the Catholic Church, possibly, but then I take the position that the papacy has A LOT to answer for.

[calabi-yau]

A mystery book.

Would it be anything similar to Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum" ?

Eco went through every hermetic and esoteric sects through that book and I remember feeling a bit cheated, having figured the mystery one third into it.

Good reading.

[Moses]

I think the "cheat" in this book, from what I understand, are the historical inaccuracies and his deliberate inauthenticity -- aiming for a certain demographic of reader and playing fast and loose w/ but theology and history.

E.g. from what I understand, its another one of those "lost gospel of Thomas" type scenarios, but good thing Thomas was not accepted as authentic gospel because he asserted that women could not go to heaven,only men. And yet this author apparently makes Thomas some kind of feminist hero. So its a crock.

Here's a factual site on how the canon was developed :
www.ntcanon.org/