The Da Vinci Code
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 9:48 am
Well. no doubt, this is going to be a hot topic in the days ahead.
Here's a link to a recent article regarding one claim represented in the Da Vinci Code book regarding the Trinity by Rich Deem on the main board.
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/trinity.html
As people read the book or see the movie and have questions, maybe we can discuss some of them here. I am not an expert on the book itself and all the claims made, but I am pretty familiar with Gnosticism which is very present in the Da Vinci Code. Rich Brown was apparently influenced greatly by Elaine Pagels who is a modern day, new age, type scholar who has been pretty influential in resurrecting much of the ancient heresy of Gnosticism and recycling the old claims.
The common tactic is to appeal to authority and claim that Gnostic Literature has equal validity to canonical scripture and that modern orthodoxy is simply the side that won, not necessarily the side that was correct.
Literarily and historically, it makes about as much sense as comparing "The Grapes of Wrath" with a Bazooka Joe comic wrapper and stating that both accurately reflect 20th century America. (OK ... maybe a little hyperbole there, but not too much.)
We should probably shore and up and be prepared for a lot of questions and confusion over the next several weeks as this movie works its way into our culture and people, who are more visual than written word oriented, begin to wrestle with what is being presented.
Here's a link to a recent article regarding one claim represented in the Da Vinci Code book regarding the Trinity by Rich Deem on the main board.
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/trinity.html
As people read the book or see the movie and have questions, maybe we can discuss some of them here. I am not an expert on the book itself and all the claims made, but I am pretty familiar with Gnosticism which is very present in the Da Vinci Code. Rich Brown was apparently influenced greatly by Elaine Pagels who is a modern day, new age, type scholar who has been pretty influential in resurrecting much of the ancient heresy of Gnosticism and recycling the old claims.
The common tactic is to appeal to authority and claim that Gnostic Literature has equal validity to canonical scripture and that modern orthodoxy is simply the side that won, not necessarily the side that was correct.
Literarily and historically, it makes about as much sense as comparing "The Grapes of Wrath" with a Bazooka Joe comic wrapper and stating that both accurately reflect 20th century America. (OK ... maybe a little hyperbole there, but not too much.)
We should probably shore and up and be prepared for a lot of questions and confusion over the next several weeks as this movie works its way into our culture and people, who are more visual than written word oriented, begin to wrestle with what is being presented.
