Ready for Da Vinci Code?
With the film set to be released in the next few weeks the hype surrounding this film grows by the day. Even the Archbishop of Cantebury made comment on the film in his Easter Day sermon, which was reported on national news.
I read the book about 12 months ago and it is one of those books that is hard to put down. It is a novel that sells, and not just because it appears to be having a go at the church. It is in my humble opinion a very well crafted novel. But, as the Archbishop remarks, people are attracted by the consipiracy that forms the plot.
Dan Brown begins his book with a statement:
“All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.”
And so the conspiracy begins. So has the church really been engaged in a cover-up for the past 2,000 years?
How should we respond to the book and now the film? Some christians see it as a chance for evangelsim, others are reacting very strongly to counter the claims of the book. I worry about both approaches, but what I know is that people will be talking about Jesus in the next few weeks.
The Da Vinci Code plot is immersed in the world of so-called hidden documents and history of the Christian faith. This has tended to be a world for experts and scholars, or conspiracy makers. Perhaps that adds to the mystery of it all. It will certainly raise questions for people about the orgins of the New Testament, the nature of Jesus and the chruch’s view of women and sexuality.
As we attempt to answer some of those questions, a good place to start is over at the great reJesus site:
Other sites:
Cracking the Da Vinci Code
The offical Book site
The Archbishop of Cantebury’s Easter Message
Buy the book
I think this is one of the times when Christians can be very good at shouting about what they are against, but not so good when it comes to talking about what they are for.
At our church we are going to be talking about the film and making people aware of the rejesus website and also a little booklet by Nicki Gumbel. I am going to be encouraging people at our church to go and see it with a non-Christian friend. We should be using it as a gerat opportunity to talk about what we believe in.