It seems whenever I have boarded a plane, train or city bus during the past couple of years, invariably there has been at least someone reading The Da Vinci Code, and most often more than one. And now, the cinematic adaptation of the mega-bestseller has carved its place in box-office records.
Yes, it’s a “good yarn,” as far as storytelling goes. But it’s unfortunate that for whatever reason author Dan Brown has so misrepresented the heart of Christianity—the identity and mission of Jesus. (Check out our article beginning on page 8, exploring some of the areas in which Brown’s history and fact-checking come up short.)
Yet, in his recent book Simply Christian, N T Wright finds a deeper and more positive meaning in this publishing phenomenon: “The extraordinary popularity of this book can’t be explained simply in terms of its being a cleverly written thriller. There are plenty of those.
Something about Jesus, and the chance that there might be more to Him than our culture has realised, still awakens in millions a sense of new possibilities and prospects.”
In the end, it’s Jesus—not Brown or Da Vinci—who deserves our closer attention.
—Nathan Brown
Editor of Signs of the Times
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