click here for a preview of The Da Vinci CodeA thoroughly ridiculous line of reasoning, as far as the plot goes, but along the lines of a good John Grisholm thriller, this is a highly enjoyable book. I'm not a big JG fan, but when a rebuttal to this book showed up in the orthodox messanger, I thought I should have a read, so I could at least pretend to know what I was talking about!
It was entertaining, but that's it. Nothing terribly profound to take away from the experience, or even very thoughtful. It was one of those books you buy at an airport stand for a long flight. So I was really surprised to discover how so many people have taken this book to heart, and lent it a credence it doesn't deserve.
I found a good article you may want to peruse. Understandably, the Catholics have jumped on this thing with a lot of vehemence. Anyway, it looks like it will be a good movie.
Hmmm. This brings up so much. I was reading a blog the other day that I stumbled upon, about how this movie would present an even better opportunity than "The Chronicles..." as far as evangelism opportunities go.
It made me wonder. About evangelism, that is. And are our protestant brethren putting us to shame in this matter? They are so much more unabashed about it. And concerned about it. Proselytising the unsaved. And in much more than "another notch in my evangelistic belt" sort of way. They think about it a lot. It's enough to make me wonder why I don't think about it so much...
5 comments:
when was the article in the messenger? and is there an online edition? i know also a long article was in the antiochian magaznie as well...
I like the way FrLawrence puts it, remember the example he gave about having a BBQ with a neighbour (who also just happens to be Muslim) and talking over the kids soccer game and as natural conversation takes it's course that's when it comes. And to listen twice as much as we speak.
I find sticking to the course of our prayers, morning and evening most times is plenty for me.
That being said as opportunities present we should be brave and clear, in God's strength; no need to be covert about our Faith.
I have concerns about responding too much to the mainstream pop culture controversies as they come, in a general way. Some churches in the city have these: "After THE PASSION" programs and whatnot, which God Bless them, may be causing someone to be drawn closer, but it sends a weird feeling to my gut, somehow. It seems sensational.
I liked your post though Vic. It reminds me that in everything there are opportunities for God to draw us closer. For example the sheer quantities of books some of you guys consume enable you to get past the small talk with people that you just meet through discussing a story or a character. It broadens you somehow. All things that rise must converge.
FWIW, I thought The Da Vinci Code was a page-turner and thus fairly entertaining, but in the same disposable way that National Treasure was an entertaining movie. I wouldn't turn to either of these items for any information on the history of the faith, but, dismayingly, it seems a lot of people do.
I don't know much about Renaissance art, but I do know enough about "Christian origins" (as the university types call it) to know that some of the claims made by the book are just flat-out wrong (e.g. that there are bits of the gospels in the Dead Sea Scrolls; there aren't). Not surprisingly, the book also reflects a purely Western point of view, passing off purely Catholic traditions as though they were those of "the early Church", such as the non-Orthodox tradition that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute.
There is also a huge problem with the book's basic premise. It wants us to believe that Jesus was merely human. But it also wants us to believe that Mary Magdalene represented "the sacred feminine" -- a claim that is based on the idea that she was married to Jesus. So everyone makes a big deal about finding Mary's bones (as though the Orthodox and Catholic churches did not already have her relics), but no one seems to care about Jesus' bones. See the problem?
FWIW, I jotted down some other quibbles with the book here.
It will be interesting to see how faithful to the book this new movie is. I haven't seen the trailer yet, but I am told that Sophie does not have red hair -- which, if true, is a glaring error, since red hair is very, very important on a visually symbolic level throughout the book.
"FWIW, I jotted down some other quibbles with the book here."
wow, a very thorough analysis of the book, peter. thanks!
That's hilarious, Kai. I've also heard it called "bovine processed grass."
Great critique, Peter. I shared it with a friend of ours here who was looking for something like that.
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