The Da Vinci Code : Curse or Blessing?

By The Dawn Treader -
Sales of The Da Vinci Code have hit an astonishing 36 million copies worldwide. Sony Pictures is set to release a Ron Howard film starring Tom Hanks as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon this May.

Some Christians dismiss the book as a work of fiction and not worthy of a serious response. I think that is a mistake. Stories are influential and so are movies. A Barna study revealed that nearly one-third of adults (29%) contend that movies have had a substantial impact on the development of their personal morals, values and religious beliefs. Don't under estimate the power of narrative, fictional or not.

Here is a better idea.

Look for ways to take advantage of this publicity. The Christian faith is a faith rooted in historical truth. History is not something Christians need to shy away from. Quite the opposite. We should want to talk about it. The Da Vinci Code phenomenon, it seems to me, is a gift wrapped opportunity to do that.

In the words of George Barna,

"Perhaps a more thoughtful and strategic reaction by Christian people would be to use the movie as a springboard for conversation and exploration regarding the roots and foundations of the Christian faith. Igniting such conversations would not be difficult; already, 66% of adults say that in a typical week they dialogue with friends and work associates about the content of movies and TV shows they have recently seen. The reach and slant of The Da Vinci Code will raise countless opportunities for open discussion of such matters. Christians who recognize and engage those moments of opportunity can do much to advance the cause of truth."

If you are into Christian apologetics, look for an opportunity to speak to your church youth group about The Da Vinci Code, the reliability of scripture, the historicity of the Christian faith, and what really took place at the council of Nicea.

Finally, don't neglect to use this opportunity to talk to your kids about the reliability of the scriptures, and how we know that the life, death and resurrection of Christ really happened.

If you haven't read the book, check it out from the library and read it. You will find as I did that the theory Dan Brown trots out is an old one. It has been debunked before. Take advantage of the work of other apologists. No need to reinvent the wheel. BK provides some links to help you get started.

Start getting ready now. Don't wait till May. Be ready to respond when someone asks, so what did you think of The Da Vinci Code?

Comments

Layman said…
FYI, if you are looking for a factual Christian response to some of the claims in The Da Vinci Code, please check out the Cadre Site'Da Vinci Code page:

http://christiancadre.org/Davinci.html

Lots of links to the best responses on the internet, as well as to books and online audio files.
3/24/2006 01:09:00 PM
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