Debunking Da Vinci’s Code as a Real-Life Threat to Christianity

Dr. Jim Garlow, pastor of one of the largest Wesleyan churches in the country, and his colleague Dr. Peter Jones, a professor, are ready to throw the book at best-selling novelist Dan Brown—academically.

Garlow, pastor of Skyline Church in San Diego and Jones, professor at Westminster Seminary have teamed up to write “Cracking Da Vinci’s Code,” a rebuttal to the popular Brown novel “The Da Vinci Code.”

Since its release last year the Doubleday murder mystery has been at the top of the best-seller list. But many in the Christian community have been disillusioned by the story line which they say distorts the historical truths of some of the most foundational aspects of Christianity.

The novel starts as a Paris murder mystery. But as it unravels, it suggests a conspiratorial, alternative Christian history, one in which Jesus was not celibate — but was married to Mary Magdalene, who bore him a child.

Among the major points of contention are Brown’s presentation that early church fathers questioned the divinity of Christ and that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had children, creating the “true Holy Grail.”

Cook Communications Ministries, which is publishing the Garlow-Jones book through its Victor division, began the process of answering Brown last year. Cook, a non-profit Christian communications organization provides discipleship resources for churches and families in the United States and other English-speaking countries. They are currently working in more than 83 countries and in 150 languages. Victor books specializes in helping Christians understand contemporary issues.

“We want to help Christians understand how ‘The Da Vinci Code’ works to undermine the Christian faith,” Bruce Adair, executive vice president of Cook Communications Ministries, said in a news release. “That’s what we’re here for—to provide materials that help Christians deal with controversies such as this.”

In selecting Garlow and Jones, Cook officials said they have tapped two of Christianity’s “top research authors.”

Garlow, who holds degrees from Asbury and Princeton seminaries, has written numerous books, including “How God Saved Civilization” and “A Christian’s Response to Islam.” His expertise is in church history. Jones, who teaches New Testament at Westminster Seminary, earned degrees from Gordon-Conwell Seminary, Harvard Divinity School and Princeton. He is the author of “The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back” and numerous other works.

Together they have collaborated to provide practical insight to answer questions about the modern heresy, officials from Cook said. Although thoroughly researched, the presentation is made in reader-friendly format designed for the layperson. A discussion guide in the back of the book is provided for personal or group studies. Downloadable sermons have also been created to help pastors address the issue.

“Providing practical resources in history and apologetics is part of our mission as Christian publishers,” Adair said. “Considering the devastating effect the novel could have on Christians, we want to provide a resource to help Christians deal with questions that can arise from the misleading novel. And the knowledgeable authors we have signed are just the right ones to do it.”

Adair said the writing pair not only counter many allegations made by Brown; they also expose what they call the author’s “real agenda.” They actually “crack the code” to reveal, among other things, what the true Holy Grail is. Further, the book reveals pagan influences in today’s culture-including some surprising teachings and traditions in the Church at large.

A second challenge
In addition to the Garlow-Jones book is “Breaking the Da Vinci Code: Answers to the Questions Everyone’s Asking,” by Darrell Bock. The Nelson Books product also exposes what it calls the hidden agenda behind Brown’s book.

Despite a recent court challenge by Doubleday, publisher of The Da Vinci Code, Darrell Bock is on track for the April 22 release of his revealing Da Vinci Code critique.

“I’m generally not a conspiracy theory guy, but there is a conscious agenda that has been declared in the public square in Brown’s novel—an agenda to revise Christian history and reshape beliefs Christians have held for years,” Bock said in a news release.

“If the author of The Da Vinci Code had done the historical and theological spadework Darrell Bock has done, a good mystery novel could have still been the result without the errors of revisionist history,” said Bailey.

Mark Bailey, president of Dallas Theological Seminary, where Bock serves as a research professor in New Testament Studies, commended Bock for his extensive research into the topic.

“As a reputable New Testament scholar, Darrell Bock examines the history and literature of the early centuries and thereby rightfully ‘decodes’ the claims of the novel that the authority of the Gospels and the deity of Jesus Christ were fourth-century creations,” Bailey said.

Published, April 2004

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