The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code: A Challenging Response to the Bestselling Novel

The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code: A Challenging Response to the Bestselling Novel Review

Nationally recognized researcher Richard Abanes, author of Harry Potter and the Bible, looks at three of the most fascinating people in history: Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, and Leonardo Da Vinci. Based on his extensive research, Abanes explores the answers to many of the questions that Dan Brown’s fictional thriller, The Da Vinci Code, raises:

• Are Da Vinci’s paintings really full of clues about an alternative religion?
• Were Jesus and Mary Magdalene married?
• Has the church suppressed the truth about the “Lost Gospels”?
• What is the real nature of the Holy Grail?

Join Richard Abanes as he “de–codes” one of the most controversial novels of our time and goes behind the scenes to separate fact from fiction.

The Real Holy Grail: An Orthodox Response to Dan Brown's Deceptions in Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code

The Real Holy Grail: An Orthodox Response to Dan Brown's Deceptions in Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code Review

Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, by author Dan Brown, have deceived millions of people across the world with a plethora of lies about the one true God, Christianity, the Holy Bible, and the Christian Church. Dan Brown has achieved this by presenting the elements in his novels under the guise of fiction, while at the same time, claiming that they are factual. But even Brown's "facts," which he maintains are historically informed, are full of inaccuracies and historical discrepancies. What Dan Brown is describing in Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code can most certainly not be categorized as fiction, because in reality, the core and foundation of his writing is Theological and Christological. However, the Theology and Christology which Dan Brown has incorporated into his novels is a false Theology and Christology?-?it is grossly distorted and stridently far from the truth. This apologetic work sets out to provide the true Theological and Christological teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church in response to the deceptions in the selected writings of Dan Brown.

Christianity Online: Response to The Da Vinci Code as Impression Management

Christianity Online: Response to The Da Vinci Code as Impression Management Review

The book and movie, The Da Vinci Code, are a cultural phenomenon of the early 21st Century. The book occupied bestseller lists for years and Newsweek magazine deemed the 2006 film version "movie of the year" even before its release. The main storyline smeared the Roman Catholic Church with assertions of secrecy, involvement with murder, and a centuries-long practice of misogyny. It also claimed that Mary Magdalene was the progenitor of the Catholic Church, the wife of Jesus Christ, and that Jesus was not regarded as divine during his lifetime. What may be inconsequential as "fiction" grew more serious for Christian leadership when it became clear after the 2003 book release that the work was challenging the belief system of some Christian faithful. Reactivity grew on the part of Opus Dei-- a Catholic support group depicted in the novel--and various writings appeared on the World Wide Web attempting to debunk the book. The web materials formed a tapestry of information and persuasion about the Da Vinci novel and movie. In the vein of public relations, corporations, agencies and stakeholders use techniques of "impression management" to help negotiate and define perceptions of an issue gone public. The present study employs impression management as a template for understanding how "major Christian religions online" responded, and content-analyzes the messages put forth to deal with public perceptions of The Da Vinci Code. What were the characteristics of these messages? How did they compare to Church reaction toward negative popular fiction of the past, such as 1988's The Last Temptation of Christ? How effective was the Church in addressing public opinion? What could be done more fruitfully in the arena of public relations? The results indicate a generally effective information strategy was employed.