davinci code what the heck is it all about??
403228
it is a GREAT movie/book i read the book and it is so addicting!! read this interview:\n\nHOW MUCH OF THIS NOVEL IS TRUE?\nThe Da Vinci Code is a novel and therefore a work of fiction. While the book's characters and their actions are obviously not real, the artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals depicted in this novel all exist (for example, Leonardo Da Vinci's paintings, the Gnostic Gospels, Hieros Gamos, etc.). These real elements are interpreted and debated by fictional characters. While it is my belief that some of the theories discussed by these characters may have merit, each individual reader must explore these characters' viewpoints and come to his or her own interpretations. My hope in writing this novel was that the story would serve as a catalyst and a springboard for people to discuss the important topics of faith, religion, and history. \n\nBUT DOESN'T THE NOVEL'S "FACT" PAGE CLAIM THAT EVERY SINGLE WORD IN THIS NOVEL IS HISTORICAL FACT?\nIf you read the "FACT" page, you will see it clearly states that the documents, rituals, organization, artwork, and architecture in the novel all exist. The "FACT" page makes no statement whatsoever about any of the ancient theories discussed by fictional characters. Interpreting those ideas is left to the reader. \n\nIS THIS BOOK ANTI-CHRISTIAN?\nNo. This book is not anti-anything. It's a novel. I wrote this story in an effort to explore certain aspects of Christian history that interest me. The vast majority of devout Christians understand this fact and consider The Da Vinci Code an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate. Even so, a small but vocal group of individuals has proclaimed the story dangerous, heretical, and anti-Christian. While I regret having offended those individuals, I should mention that priests, nuns, and clergy contact me all the time to thank me for writing the novel. Many church officials are celebrating The Da Vinci Code because it has sparked renewed interest in important topics of faith and Christian history. It is important to remember that a reader does not have to agree with every word in the novel to use the book as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith. \n\nWHAT DO YOU THINK OF CLERICAL SCHOLARS ATTEMPTING TO "DISPROVE" THE DA VINCI CODE? \nThe dialogue is wonderful. These authors and I obviously disagree, but the debate that is being generated is a positive powerful force. The more vigorously we debate these topics, the better our understanding of our own spirituality. Controversy and dialogue are healthy for religion as a whole. Religion has only one true enemy--apathy--and passionate debate is a superb antidote. \n\nPARTS OF THE DA VINCI CODE DESCRIBE THE ACTIVITIES OF THE RELIGIOUS GROUP OPUS DEI. HOW DOES OPUS DEI FEEL ABOUT YOUR NOVEL? \nI worked very hard to create a fair and balanced depiction of Opus Dei. Even so, there may be those who are offended by the portrayal. While Opus Dei is a very positive force in the lives of many people, for others, affiliation with Opus Dei has been a profoundly negative experience. Their portrayal in the novel is based on numerous books written about Opus Dei as well as on my own personal interviews with current and former members. \n\nSOME OF THE HISTORY IN THIS NOVEL CONTRADICTS WHAT I LEARNED IN SCHOOL. WHAT SHOULD I BELIEVE?\nSince the beginning of recorded time, history has been written by the "winners" (those societies and belief systems that conquered and survived). Despite an obvious bias in this accounting method, we still measure the "historical accuracy" of a given concept by examining how well it concurs with our existing historical record. Many historians now believe (as do I) that in gauging the historical accuracy of a given concept, we should first ask ourselves a far deeper question: How historically accurate is history itself?\n\nARE YOU
1100771
What is there to explain???
1180378
You might add more descriptive text.... I just found it on B&N there's only a cover shot. What's it about? Is it fiction or non? etc.\n\nWhatever it's about, find books that are "like that" and find people who have written book reviews on them. Try to find the small books and niche reviewers, not like DaVinci Code\n\nThen contact them, see if they'd be interested. If yes, send 'em a book.
299319
Okay, the big FUSS is that the Christian tradition does not include Jesus being married and having children. The Da Vinci Code is all about the Catholic Church conspiring to keep this "truth" hidden for hundreds of years. Also, the descendents of Jesus have been hidden by the Catholic Church.
563850
Well I´ve read the book and enjoyed it throughly! But sad to say there is a lot of thingd in the book that is false, \nbut it does makes you wonder. \n\nWhat I can´t understand is that a few years ago there were some old scripures found, but wouldn´d be accepted by the church. These scriptures underwent all the neccassary test to prove its validity(and it was found to be written the time Jesus was alive and 100 after he died).But it was a little bit contridicting to what is in the bible.\n\nAnyway what the da vinci code does is start to put doubt in the minds of people, and why did  the church reacted so strange to this book which is a novel! \n\nAnd okay the thought that Jesus actually has a living heir is strange, but Dan Brown was not the first to write about this there are many other listed books. And ´if´ that were true then the church would clear not want that knowledge to be known because it would loss a lot of credibility.\nSome modern writers,including Dan Brown, have come forward with claims that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus. These writers cite Gnostic writings to support their argument. Sources like the ´Gospel of Philip´ do depict Mary Magdalene as being closer to Jesus than any other disciple. \nHowever, there is no known ancient document that claims she was his wife and Gnosticism was generally non-supportive of sexuality. The closeness described in these writings depicts Mary Magdalene, representing the Gnostics, as understanding Jesus and his teaching while the other disciples, representing the Church, did not.\nMary Magdalene appears with more frequency than other women in the canonical Gospels and is shown as being a close follower of Jesus. Mary's presence at the Crucifixion and Jesus's tomb, while hardly conclusive, is at least consonant with the role of grieving wife and widow, although if that were the case Jesus might have been expected to make provision for her care as well as for his mother Mary. Given the lack of contemporary documentation, this scenario cannot be proven, and although some consider the idea desirable to believe, most scholars do not take it seriously.\n\nAn argument for support of the married status of Jesus is that bachelorhood was very rare for Jewish males of Jesus' time, being generally regarded as a transgression of the first mitzvah (divine commandment) — "Be fruitful and multiply". According to this reasoning, it would have been unthinkable for an adult, unmarried Jew to travel about teaching as a rabbi.\nA counter-argument to this is that the Judaism of Jesus' time was very diverse and the role of the rabbi was not yet well defined. It was really not until after the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in A.D. 70 that Rabbinic Judaism became dominant and the role of the rabbi made uniform in Jewish communities.\nPaul of Tarsus was an example of an unmarried itinerant teacher among Christians. Jesus himself approved of voluntary celibacy for religious reasons and explicitly rejected a duty to marry: "There are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. He that can take, let him take it." (Matthew 19,12)\n\nThe idea that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus was popularized by books like the pseudo-historical Holy Blood, Holy Grail (1982) and The Da Vinci Code (2003), a novel heavily influenced by the former book. These assertions have found no acceptance from scholarly circles.\n\nAnd secret societcy are meant to be kept secret so I don´t expect the historians to find a lot of concrete information about the Priory of Sion. \n\nAnd maybe Leonardo did discover something and instead of just saying or exposing it out right he decided to be clever and hide it within his works of art. After all he was known as a genuis.\n\nSo I(am born and raised catholic, but was taught to have an open mind about things.) personally an very intrigued by this idea of Dan Browns, but I am neither for it nor against it. I
534151
Its a Fiction movie!\n\nThe Da Vinci Code challenges Jesus' identity and deeds, the content of the Bible, the origin of the church, the motives of early Christian leaders and the relevance of the church today — but it does so without any historical, logical or theological credibility.
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The answer to your question is actually very simple:\n\nThe idea presented in the "DaVinci Code" about Jesus, if accepted as the truth, will fully destroy the very core of the Christianity -- the Divinity of Jesus.\n\nSince Christianity based the faith upon that, Jesus is Divine as the Son of God as well as Unique; Jesus cannot be a normal human being.  Also, Christianity stated that, Jesus was crucified, died and then resurrected from death; the "DaVinci Code" offered the idea that, Jesus was just a normal human being who eventually died a natural death after surviving the crucifixion.\n\nThink about it, such a grave concept to consider, even shall it be a mere fiction, upon the minds of all Christians.  Their very own faith is attacked in a way which they do not know how to respond, but this is NOT the first time...centuries ago, a few sects of christians were burnt alive for this very belief.\n\nA fiction is a fiction, but this fiction has crossed the line so to speak.  Also, because the "DaVinci Code" is a fiction based on some historical and theorical facts, people will and do starting to ask "what-if" questions: and if one of those "what-if" questions is proven true...Christianity will start to be destroyed piece-by-piece.
671379
the plot:  a man gets caught up in a quest to find the "holy grail. Murder, deceit and high states adventure.\n\nThe underlying theme: The Bible is baloney and Christ was a married mortal man and not the Son of God. \n\nIn numerous places in the book scholarly looking persons with fancy degrees go into speeches about how the Bible is a bunch of bunk. To the average person they seem like powerful arguments but in reality NONE of the arguments (some could say blasphemies) about Christ hold up to the facts of History.\n\nWhats Real?\n\nThe names of places, artwork, historical figures, the names of documents like "Q" and the "gnostic gospels"\n\nWhat's false?\n\nEverything else, the conclusions and "facts" presented about the above people, documents, and artwork.\n\nThe book took great liberty with history (AKA LIED) in order to create a scenereo where the Christ of the Bible could be turned into a regular person. \n\nThe book says that a church council gave christ his deity a few hundred years after the fact; when the gospels were written well before that coucil was even a thought. The book also draws heavily on the errors and traditions within the Roman Catholic Church to attempt to discredit the bible. While the Roman Church did bring in pagan idols (re Icons, praying to saints) This does not alter the integrity of the Bible, but merely of the Church, since these things are in violation of the 10 commandments(ye shall have no other gods before me)\n\n\n(spoiler: (from book - i borrowed a copy)\nOne of the characters turns out to be a descendant of Christ, thus "proving" Dan Brown's point.\n\nAt the end, Langden (main character) bows and prays over the bones of Mary Magdaline\n\nEven most critics are giving the movie bad reviews\n\nBottom Line: \nAs a Christian, I cannot justify sending money to a person who tries deceitfully to destroy the Christ I worship.
489352
Could it be...the DaVinci Code...
345507
First and foremost of all, the "DaVinci Code" is a work of fiction; however, within its pages it contains informations based on historical facts and/or theories.  Now, as to the question asked:\n\nThis is a very grave matter to be discussed because, the very core of this topic can very well destroy, not only the Roman Catholic Church but also, the whole Christianity.  Still, one cannot deny the fact that, the "what-if" can be very possible.\n\nThere are things which were not clear about Jesus as presented in the Christian Bible, and that part is what made people starting to ask these "what-if" questions.  The Bible did state that, Jesus "loved" Mary Magdalene more than his followers; thus, what is meant by this "love"?  Indeed, a very likely hint, isn't it?\n\nSo, what we are left are two choices:\n\n- Stand firm in the Christian Faith and, consider this "DaVinci Code" as just another nonsense.\n\n- Venture beyond the "point of no-return"...
638113
The Da Vinci Code isn't completely true. What bothers me is that the Vatican is complaining. They thought Catholics would see right through a book based solely on speculation and stories that are probably false, oh wait.....
329978
Its about the theory that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene & their blood line still exists protected by a secret society called Priority of Sion. \n\nThough this is the main theme od Da Vinci Code, there are also many controversial facts such as Jesus was a mortal just like any of us, the church has been putting down the role of women in the society & many such things.\n\nIts worth a read, very intresting.
666731
It is a book that was just made into a movie-it is fiction- but hidden in D'vinci's paintings is a code that when they de-sifer it claims to be proof that Christ was a mere mortal and the whole consept of him being the son was God was a haux.\nSome want to expose the Hoax to the world and others want to protect the secret so that religion stays in tact.\nI need to see the movie to get the whole story but that's the basics.
639083
The Da Vinci Code is centered to Mary Magdalene "the holy grail"\n\nand here are the summarizes:\n\nWhile in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon ('Tom Hanks') receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. Solving the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci - clues visible for all to see, and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter. Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion - an actual secret society. In a breathless race through Paris, London and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who appears to work for Opus Dei - a clandestine, Vatican-sanctioned Catholic organization believed to have long plotted to seize the Priory's secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's secret - and a stunning historical truth - will be lost forever.\n\nSummary written by bondish\n\nProfessor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is in Paris on business when he's summoned to The Louvre. A dead body has been found, setting Langdon off on an adventure as he attempts to unravel an ancient code and uncover the greatest mystery of all time.\n\nSummary written by comicfan\n\nWhen respected American religious symbology expert Dr. Robert Langdon(Hanks) is summoned to the Louvre by the French version of the FBI, led by Captain Bezu Fache(Reno), he soon discovered that he is the #1 suspect for the murder of a historian Langdon had been scheduled to meet with.. Assisted by a French cryptographer and government agent named Sophie(Tautou), Langdon is challenged to decipher a chain of cryptic codes and puzzles, all the while trying to stay ahead of Fache's lawmen in a chase through the Louvre, and out into the Parisian cityscape, and finally across the channel to England. Can Langdon and Sophie decipher the nature of a secret dating back to Leonardo Da Vinci and earlier before those responsible for the historian's murder add them to their hit list..?\n\nSummary written by Austin4577@aol.com
658829
I understand your confusion, and to a ceratin extent, I agree with you.\n\nI read the book, and I plan to see the movie (as soon as the hype dies down).  I think that the reason this book is taken so seriously is for two reasons:\n\n1.  Dan Brown begins the book by stating that all of the groups, artwork, etc. are completely true.  People assume that if these things are true and accurate, then the whole book must be as well.\n\n2.  The whole premise, that Jesus was married and that the "holy grail" isn't a cup but is in fact the holy bloodline of Jesus, isn't a new theory and is one that some people have argued for many years.  Plus, it is plausible!  I'm not saying that it is likely, but it is possible.\n\nWhat I don't understand is why this film has to change poeple's faith.  Even if it was discovered with 100% certainty that Jesus was married, that doesn't change my faith in Christianity at all!  (It makes me wonder about the people who made the decision to cover it all up, but it doesn't change my faith in God.)  In fact, learning that Jesus was married might actually make me identify with Him more than I currently do.\n\nI wish that people would think about that more seriously... what has REALLY changed?
621945
It's based on  the theory that Jesus was married to Mary Magdeline and the bloodline continues to this day and that many men DaVinci included knew about it and strived to protect it. Davinci being a genius flaunted hi knowledge of ti by hiding hints in his paintings.
689057
da vinci code is a novel written by the famous author dan brown. he states in his book that jesus was married to mary magdalene and their bloodline is still existing in the world. he also states that the holy grail is not a cup but was the code name of mary magdalene. the most important theme of the book is the most famous artist(all-rounder infact!)leonardo da vinci has shown this in most of his paintings including "the last supper".though it is work of fiction, many christian communities are against this bcoz according 2 them it is blasphemous.but the book is really good.sorry for the looooong explanation though.bye!