Headlines and interviews all claim this to be one of
the most controversial books of the 21st century. The Da’Vinci Code, written by Dan
Brown, has been on reading lists everywhere and is in high demand to all avid
book lovers out there. It brings fresh
ideas and talks about a new meaning to the iconology perception of the Christian
religion.
The fictional book describes the life of Jesus and
how women played a more important role in the Christian religion than that
which was written about in the Bible.
The book discusses a series of excerpts from the Bible referring to
icons and translates them to a conclusion that upsets many Christians. Brown
makes many points throughout the novel, all of which are considered
controversial, especially among the Christian community. The central point of
the novel and Brown’s main idea about Christianity is that what Christians
believe and practice is illegitimate and merely false. Brown writes, “almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false."
In early November, Dateline covered the novel in an
exclusive report. The report basically
asked the reasoning and purpose for writing the book. Brown just said it was
research that no one had analyzed.
As we have
read and discussed this book, we have decided that it brings a new element and
theory to the Christian religion. It
brings out the power of women in the Church and shows the human side of
Jesus.
Dan Brown
has done enough research to draw valid conclusions about Christianity. Scholars and people who think that this book
is completely bogus, simply because it is not in the Bible, refuse to look at
the historical connections that Dan Brown points out in his book. Yes, it is not the Bible nor recognized by
any church as a church document.
However, Dan Brown has taken all of our questions and thought outside
the box. He has taken the initiative to
research and find answers that we are all searching for. Followers of faith do
not need to follow nor believe the book and its direct relationship it finds
between Mary Magdalene and Jesus. However, we should not completely reject it, Dan
Brown is simply searching for truth and answers as many other religious
followers are.
For the most part, Dan Brown’s points in the novel
are well thought out and legitimate.
His theory on the marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is
believable. “There are some intriguing things brought up in the novel. I
believe there is some truth in the sources. I think that before Vatican II
there was a concerted effort made by the Church to only put out certain
information,” said religion teacher Kory Delkamiller.
Leonardo Da Vinci, whose paintings are the
main focus of the novel, was a figurative painter. One of the mentioned paintings in the book is Da’Vinci’s
rendition of The Last Supper. In this
painting, Jesus is sitting at the table with his disciples, and the person
sitting next to Jesus is wearing the same color as him. According to the Da’Vinci Code, this
indicates a special relationship and discusses the position between Jesus and
the person forms a “V” which is a symbol of the female. Through this connection, Dan Brown concludes
that the person sitting next to Jesus is Mary Magdelene.
Such examples as this one shows that Brown has turned
this novel into an outlet for himself to challenge some Christian beliefs and
history, especially when it comes to the Church’s take on women and their
power.