cracking the da vinci code

got this in an email...


>
> LECTURE will CRACK THE DA VINCI CODE AND EXPLORE THE DECONSTRUCTION OF
> CHRISTIANITY
>
>
>
>
> PENSACOLA- Dr. Terry Prewitt, professor of Anthropology, will present a talk
> titled "The Da Vinci Code, Modern Mystery Sects, and the Deconstruction of
> Christianity" March 14 at 3:30 p.m. in the University of West Florida Center
> for Fine and Performing Arts Mainstage Theatre, Bldg. 82. Admission is free
> and open to the public.
>
>
>
> "The Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction that references Christology
> including Jesus and what his life meant," said Prewitt. "The book
> intertwines mystery traditions, history and liberal interpretations. During
> my lecture, I will discuss The Da Vinci Code in terms of non-traditional and
> traditional gospel criticism taking into account the Dead Sea Scrolls and
> Gnostic gospels."
>
>
>
> Resting on a far-reaching synthesis of diverse backgrounds, The Da Vinci
> Code is an international murder mystery that reveals controversial religious
> societies and cover-ups including an alleged marriage between Jesus and Mary
> Magdalene. The lecture will sort among the documents, communities and
> opinions through which Christianity is being renegotiated in popular
> culture. Prewitt's discussion will also draw from the works of John Dominic
> Crossan, Geza Vermes, Margaret Starbird and Elaine Pagels.
>
>
>
> Prewitt has been a faculty member at UWF since in 1981. Prior to coming to
> UWF, he taught at the University of Houston and University of Tulsa. Prewitt
> is the author of A Gospel for James and The Elusive Covenant: A
> Structural-Semiotic Reading of Genesis as well as numerous other books and
> articles on religion and semiotics. He holds a bachelor's degree in
> anthropology from San Diego State University and master's and doctorate
> degrees from the University of Oklahoma.
>
>
>
> This lecture is sponsored by the UWF FreeThinkers Society.

 

is the da vinci code anything like the "holy blood, holy grail" stuff? that stuff is cool.

 

Yep, Brown draws heavily from "HBHG." The Priory of Sion plays a piviotal role in the book. Fun read.

 

i need to try reading that book again... it was interesting, but sorta dry as well. my friend was all into it -- even went to the church in france when he visited europe.

 

im on the waiting list for the book at our library. my sister read it. she liked it a lot. i like religious mysticism.

 

Dangit, I can't decide whether I want to read this or not. I was all fired up about getting it, then I skimmed the cover and got the impression it was just a murder mystery, so I passed. Now it sounds like it's more doctrinal commentary with fiction window dressing. Can someone give me some in-depth info or recommendation?

 

i dont read many books, but this kind of stuff interests me.

one book i did read was the celestine prophecy. i can't exactly say what it was about this many years later, but it was fairly enjoyable.

 

HB, it is a Suspense/thriller using some theories on Christs life and the role Mary Magdalene played in it, popular Conspiracy theories regarding secret societies & the Catholic and their role in hiding the "truth" and traditional genre devices to tell a story, that at it's heart is nothing more than a traditional thriller.

I don't believe there is any doctrinal commentary other than the authors fascination with conspiracy theories as a backdrop for his hero. Dale Brown will never win awards for his writing skills but it is an entertaining read that throws quite a bit of intriguing esoteric religious ideas out for readers who are unfamilar with them.

 

I thought I had read it was about an art theft, or something. Is that totally off-base? What time period is the story set?

 

It is set in the present and starts off in Paris. The mystery begins with a murder at the Louvre with cryptic clues left by the victim. The hero is a professor of symbology and the heroine is a cryptologist so puzzles play a big part in the plot and pacing of the story.

The book brought more than a few of my interests together: the Knights Templars, the early chuch, the black madonna, Rennes-le-Chateau along with some mentions of Gnosticism. Even with that, the book is really nothing more than what it is, a genre thriller.

Oh, the author's name is Dan Brown, Dale Brown is a military thriller author.