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MARK RATHEL
Special to Florida Baptist Witness
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Editor’s note: This article by Mark Rathel, a theology professor at The Baptist College of Florida, is the last of five exploring some of the claims of The Da Vinci Code in the weeks leading up to the May 19 release of the motion picture of the same name.
GRACEVILLE (FBW)–Dan Brown’s phenomenal best-seller is a fictional book. Why should Christians be concerned about a book of fiction? First, although written as a fictional novel, Dan Brown claims he based his book on factual data. Second, history reveals the power of novels to shape culture. Third, Brown’s novel will lead many people to adopt the position that the novel’s unhistorical premises about Jesus are correct. According to Lee Strobel, a recent survey revealed that one out of three Canadian readers believes that descendants of Jesus live on earth today. Further, George Barna’s research reveals the shocking influence of the book. Barna commented, “After all, 53% of a national sample of adults who have read The Da Vinci Code from cover to cover stated that the book had been helpful in their “personal spiritual growth and understanding.’”
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All Christians will respond to the movie at some level. Laypeople likely will follow the lead of Christian leaders in terms of response. Four options exist for leaders in guiding believers to respond properly to the book/movie. First, some Christian leaders will ignore the movie. Second, some Christian leaders will motivate their people to protest and perhaps picket movie theaters. Third, some Christian leaders will train their people to deal with the issues raise by Brown’s fictional tale. Fourth, some Christian leaders will use this cultural phenomenon as an evangelistic opportunity.
Some Christian leaders will choose to ignore The Da Vinci Code movie. For these leaders, the less said about the book and the movie the better. They rationalize that talking about the issues promotes the devil’s agenda. A student pastor came to my office recently to discuss the movie. In a gathering of other pastors, he received condemnation because he planned to help his people address the factual errors of the book. Regretfully, this approach leaves our people without ammunition in the battle concerning the person of Jesus.
Some Christian leaders will motivate people to protest the movie. In response to the recent movie about martyred missionaries, The End of the Spear, some Christians rallied and protested at theaters because of the sexual orientation of one of the main characters. While well meaning, such protests at movie theaters are notoriously ineffectual. The news media consistently portrays protesters in a negative fashion. If Christians protest The Da Vinci Code at movie theaters, they will forfeit the opportunity to convey a positive message of Christ.
Some Christian leaders will choose to train Christians to answer the serious fallacies of the movie. The Da Vinci Code attacks the Bible as the inspired Word of God; claims that the deity of Jesus was a political ploy of a power-hungry emperor; highlights lost books that some falsely claim reveal the real story of the Christian church; promotes sex as a means of communing with the divine feminine. Even without the issues raised by Dan Brown, laypeople wonder about the books promoting “lost books” of the Bible in the religion section of every major bookstore. These issues demand answers. Fortunately, several evangelical leaders have produced video and discussion materials to help churches, including Lee Strobel, Josh McDowell, D. James Kennedy, and Mike Licona of the Interfaith Witness Department of the North American Mission Board. Pastors, be proactive. I have received positive feedback and expressions of gratitude for publicly addressing the issues raised by The Da Vinci Code in sermons and other venues.
I encourage Christians to respond with a strategy. First, pray for opportunities to share the truth about the person of Jesus. George Barna claims that sixty-six percent of Americansadults admit they talk with friends and work associates about recent television programs and movies they have seen. The release of the movie grants Christians the opportunity to discuss the issues raised by the movie. Second, prepare yourself. Numerous helpful books address the issue, such as, The Da Vinci Deception (Tyndale Press) by Erwin Lutzer, the pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, Breaking the Da Vinci Code (Nelson Books) by seminary professor Darrell Bock, and The Gospel According to the Da Vinci Code (Lifeway) by Kenneth Boa and John Alan Turner. Third, remember to focus on the major issues. Brown weaved an intricate tale of Catholic secret societies, ancient pagan rituals, and political power structures. Remember, for Christians and our evangelistic opportunity, the key issue is Jesus and the nature of the Bible. Christians will lose the opportunity if we stray from the central issue.
Some Christians face a difficult decision regarding whether they will read the book and/or view the movie. Let me assure you, Christians have no reason to fear the contents of The Da Vinci Code. For some Christians, however, the choice comes down to the issue of financially aiding such an agenda. If you choose not to read the book or view the movie, I encourage you to read one of the fine rebuttals of the book.
Christians, be of good courage. An incredible opportunity awaits us in sharing Jesus in the days ahead.