| Archive for bridgebuilder.myfreeforum.org bridgebuilding effort, cross culture, cross faith, not bridge construction |
| The Beat |
The Da Vinci CodeVery well written.This is science fiction with a lot of historical fact to go with it. Throughout the reading of the book I googled the names and places mentioned in the book and I can say that roughly 95% of them were confirmed. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a very intriguing book, or anyone interested in some of the lesser known historical facts surrounding a part of the Christian religion. |
| obmar |
http://www.danbrown.com/novels/davinci_code/reviews.html
WOW... Blockbuster perfection. An exhilaratingly brainy thriller. Not since the advent of Harry Potter has an author so flagrantly delighted in leading readers on a breathless chase and coaxing them through hoops. --Janet Maslin THE NEW YORK TIMES A new master of smart thrills. A pulse-quickening, brain-teasing adventure. --PEOPLE MAGAZINE This is pure genius. Dan Brown has to be one of the best, smartest, and most accomplished writers in the country. --NELSON DEMILLE Thriller writing doesn't get any better than this. --DENVER POST This masterpiece should be mandatory reading. Brown solidifies his reputation as one of the most skilled thriller writers on the planet with his best book yet, a compelling blend of history and page-turning suspense. Highly recommended. --LIBRARY JOURNAL Exceedingly clever. Both fascinating and fun...a considerable achievement. --WASHINGTON POST A heart-racing thriller. This story has so many twists -- all satisfying, most unexpected -- that it would be a sin to reveal too much of the plot in advance. Let's just say that if this novel doesn't get your pulse racing, you need to check your meds. --SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE A thundering, tantalizing, extremely smart fun ride. Brown doesn't slow down his tremendously powerful narrative engine despite transmitting several doctorates' worth of fascinating history and learned speculation, "The Da Vinci Code" is brain candy of the highest quality -- which is a reviewer's code meaning, ''Put this on top of your pile.'' -- CHICAGO TRIBUNE One hell of a read. A gripping mix of murder and myth. --NEW YORK DAILY NEWS An international chase...a quest...codes within codes. Brown's novel is a pager-turner... and you'll never view "The Last Supper" the same way again. Favorable review. --THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR Dan Brown's conspiracy-theory thriller is the pulp must-read of the season...an ingenious mixture of paranoid thriller, art history lesson, chase story, religious symbology lecture and anti-clerical screed, and it's the most fun you can have between the sort of covers that aren't 300-count Egyptian cotton. --SALON.COM One of the finest mysteries I've ever read. An amazing tale with enigma piled on secrets stacked on riddles. --New York Times bestselling author, CLIVE CUSSLER Far more than the average thriller. Intellectually satisfying...page-turning suspense. --HOUSTON CHRONICLE I would never have believed that this is my kind of thriller, but I'm going to tell you something--the more I read, the more I had to read. In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown has built a world that is rich in fascinating detail, and I could not get enough of it. Mr. Brown, I am your fan. --New York Times bestselling author, ROBERT CRAIS The Da Vinci Code sets the hook-of-all-hooks. This novel takes off down a road that is as eye-opening as it is page-turning. You simply cannot put it down. Thriller readers everywhere will soon realize Dan Brown is a master. --New York Times bestselling author, VINCE FLYNN Brown has assembled a whopper of a plot that will please conspiracy buffs and thriller addicts alike. --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY A dazzling performance by Brown...a delightful display of erudition. Brown delivers a crackling, intricate mystery, complete with breathtaking escapes and several stunning surprises. It's challenging, exciting, and a whole lot more. The race across France and the United Kingdom leads us on a fascinating journey through a covert, enigmatic world revealed through a seemingly endless collection of codes, puzzles, anagrams, cryptograms, and messages hidden not only in Da Vinci's art but in things we think we know well. --BOSTON GLOBE Dan Brown is my new must-read. I loved this book. The Da Vinci Code is fascinating and absorbing--perfect for history buffs, conspiracy nuts, puzzle lovers, or anyone who appreciates a great, riveting read. --New York Times bestselling author, HARLAN COBEN A stunning new thriller that will provoke much debate. Dan Brown's extensive research on secret societies and symbology adds intellectual depth to this page-turning thriller. His surprising revelations on Da Vinci's penchant for hiding codes in his paintings will lead the reader to search out renowned artistic icons as The Mona Lisa, The Madonna of the Rocks and The Last Supper. The Last Supper holds the most astonishing coded secrets of all and, after reading The Da Vinci Code, you will never see this famous painting in quite the same way again. --BOOKREPORTER.COM Some readers spurn genre fiction, often due to a misguided belief that mass entertainment is always mindless dribble. For those of you who know better, The Da Vinci Code will make you feel justifiably smug. It's that rare book that manages to both entertain and educate simultaneously. Dan Brown has managed to outdo the best of Robert Ludlum in this byzantine....and engrossing story. There is enough medieval history to please any historian and enough action to satisfy a hardcore thrill-seeker. Combined, it makes The Da Vinci Code an early favorite for thriller of the year. --ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS Secret fanatical religious sects...codes hidden in Da Vinci's works...intelligent writing...one whopping fabulous read. --NEW HAVEN REGISTER Brainy stuff. The standard car chases and intrigues are leavened with Crichtonesque discursions on medieval iconography, the formation of the early Christian church, and history's suppression of the "sacred feminine." --ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Enthralling.... Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2,000 years of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail... rich food for thought. -AMAZON.COM Taut and engaging. From the explosive start to the explosive finish, The Da Vinci Code is one satisfying thriller. --MOSTLYFICTION.COM The Da Vinci Code shines--brilliantly--in its exploration of cryptology, particularly the encoding methods developed by Leonardo Da Vinci, whose art and manuscripts are packed with mystifying symbolism and quirky codes. -WIRED MAGAZINE Brown's intricate plot delivers more satisfying twists than a licorice factory. --BOOKLIST A blockbuster with brains. The Da Vinci Code is a thrill-a-minute adventure as well as an educational tour of France and England, symbology 101, riddle-breaking for dummies, the magical powers of anagrams, numerical codes to die for and navigational factoids. --THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Brown's scholarship never slows down the sizzling action [of this] absorbing new novel...a labyrinth of intricate schemes, sidetracks, and deceptions. --BOOKPAGE Moves at the speed of sound from the first page and never stalls. The Da Vinci Code is full of mystery, betrayal, suspense and intelligence. --LAURINBURG EXCHANGE A multi-layered, highly sophisticated tale. Readers with advanced degrees in comparative religion, European history, symbology, art and cryptology, will have a grand old time with Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. The rest of us stumble through, grasping at this clue and that, gasping in surprise at one or another shadow around the next corner, and likewise have a grand old time. The novel is maddening, scary, complicated and almost impossible to put down once you're hooked. --LOUISVILLE VOICE-TRIBUNE A mystery that challenges our intelligence, and enough believable twists and turns to keep the reader turning the pages. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown does all this just right. This is how a mystery thriller should be written. So grab this book, sit back, and prepare to be entertained and educated. It's well-written, it's intelligent, and best of all, it's fun. -- REVIEWS OF BOOKS.COM Calling Dan Brown's latest novel, The Da Vinci Code, simply a "smart suspense novel" is like referring to Harvard as simply a pretty good university. Incorporating massive amounts of historical and academic information is no easy task, but Brown does it in such a seamless fashion that it is almost invisible within the story's natural narrative. Definitely the mark of a master craftsmanÉ --THE MYSTERY READER Fast-paced, intricately plotted. A skillfully written read, complete with secret codes, anagrams, elaborate technology, pagan sex orgies, sudden reversals of fortune, age-old conspiracies, pre-Christian fertility cults, the Knights Templar, Gnostic Gospels, corrupt cops, brutal murders, feminist ÒtheoryÓ, and frantic midnight rides through Paris. --NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER You'll love this. The Da Vinci Code has enough twists and turns in a short amount of time to give you over to gasping "More, Dan, more!" It is thrilling that anyone could contrive such an adventure. --THE SEATTLE TIMES This season's most spectacular read... blends a high-speed thriller with a spellbinding re-examination of 2,000 years of religious history. Hard to put down, and impossible to forget. The chief delights of "The Da Vinci Code" are the endless twists and turns the story takes, from the streets of Paris to the dark, airless cathedrals of England. In the end, Langdon is left alone to solve the final mystery. Look closely at the epilogue, in which Langdon returns to where everything began, and determine if the most viable truth is the one gained from personal discovery. --THE ATLANTA JOURNAL Extraordinary reading. This books sparkles with energy and adventure. It grabs hold of your imagination and answers all riddles in the end. You will never look at a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci the same way again. --NASHVILLE CITY PAPER A real page-turner.... Readers are scrutinizing Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" and "Mona Lisa" for secret codes just as Beatles fans once hunted for "Paul is Dead" clues on album covers. --BOSTON HERALD Word of mouth has pushed this top-notch thriller onto best-seller lists throughout the country, and the word is right. The intelligent, deftly plotted story is the best that the thriller genre can offer. "The Da Vinci Code" is chockablock with fascinating historical detail (the true meaning of the pentagram, for example) that doesn't slow the action but draws the reader into the story. The "code" and all the clues are a true joy, giving this thriller the extra stuff that raises it above being just another spy and chase story. --KATHI KIRBY, POWELL'S CITY OF BOOKS (courtesy of The Portland Tribune) |
| obmar |
“THE DA VINCI CODE”
Captivating the Masses The topic of numerous articles and television specials, and selling more than 30 million copies in less than three years, The Da Vinci Code has become an international success. But is there any truth behind this work of fiction? Mary Magdalene: Speculation and debate as to her true identity have followed her name throughout the last 2,000 years. Some say she was a prostitute. Others claim she was an apostle of Jesus Christ, and that Jesus gave her the authority to start His Church. Still others proclaim that she and Jesus were married, and that they had children together. In the fictional novel The Da Vinci Code, this controversial subject is fused together with the legend of the Holy Grail. The result? The ultimate conspiracy theory, and an instant global phenomenon. Glowing reviews abound. The Da Vinci Code is “one of the best books I have ever read—makes you see the world a little differently after reading it!” one reader stated. Another raved, “You will be amazed at the revelations that come forth in this book.” Yet another reader elaborated, “The Da Vinci Code has to be one of the most remarkable books I’ve read. It is a wonderful—and very effective—mix of history, mystery, action, puzzles and suspense. The pace is so powerful, the book just wouldn’t let go! The story line is almost to [sic] brilliant to conceive, the sheer genius and fascinating craftsmanship that Dan Brown uses in his book are breath-taking. The idea behind the story may seem controversial, but once you think about it, it really does become quite real and even natural” (Envoy magazine). The novel’s storyline is full of mystery, conspiracy and “revelation.” A mystery/thriller, the book hooks the reader through suspenseful plot twists and turns—full of lies, deceit, conspiracy and murder—combined with an overall treasure hunt-like journey for the legendary “Holy Grail,” which is the central focus of the story. During their quest for the Grail, the main characters engage in multiple discourses that present highly speculative ideas and interpretations. For instance, the Holy Grail is revealed to be Mary Magdalene, whose true identity was suppressed by Christianity; she is also said to represent the lost “sacred feminine,” which, if rediscovered, would supposedly bring balance to the world once again; the Bible is reported to be nothing more than a corrupt collection of allegorical stories; and—the most bold of assertions—Jesus Christ is alleged to have been married to Mary Magdalene, and to have been nothing more than a human prophet. It is these contentious discussions—and the wild ideas presented—that have enraptured millions of readers. But is there any truth to the ideas put forward in this novel? Mary Magdalene and the “Sacred Feminine” The “sacred feminine” is a metaphysical concept that has been around for millennia, and is interpreted in a wide variety of ways. As one might assume, it generally appeals to women. In a sense, the sacred feminine is said to “bring balance and wholeness to our vision of the Creator” and to “bring feminine wisdom back into the equation” of the “divine.” The various goddesses of times past are thought to be symbolic of various archetypes, or “universal patterns of behavior,” of the sacred feminine. Generally speaking, it is said that working with the sacred feminine allows a woman to realize that all of her behaviors are different parts of the “divine,” thus freeing her from feeling bad when she exhibits behaviors she does not like. After all, in some mystical sort of way, the sacred feminine exhibits such behaviors as well. The following is one person’s interpretation of the concept, a bit more metaphysical and esoteric than others: “Throughout humanity’s societies, the Sacred Feminine has been identified with the qualities of wisdom, justice, beauty, and compassion. She is also the irresistible power that destroys old forms and brings new ones into being. The Divine Feminine is this unseen dimension of soul to which we are connected through our instincts, our feelings, and the longing imagination of the heart. She is an invisible flow of energy that brings life into being, sustains and transforms it, and withdraws it into a hidden dimension for rebirth or regeneration. This process is rhythmic, and rhythm is a primary characteristic of the Feminine. In a very Masonic definition of Being, She has been described as being the principle of justice that inspires all human laws, She is the invisible spirit guiding human consciousness” (The Lysistrata Project). The need to rediscover this sacred feminine is the underlying theme in The Da Vinci Code. During an interview with CNN, the author hinted at this agenda: “In the early days…we lived in a world of gods and goddesses…Every Mars had an Athena. The god of war had the goddess of beauty; in the Egyptian tradition, Osiris and Isis…And now we live in a world solely of gods. The female counterpart has been erased.” Further, in an interview posted on his website, the author emphasized, “Two thousand years ago, we lived in a world of Gods and Goddesses. Today, we live in a world solely of Gods. Women in most cultures have been stripped of their spiritual power. The novel touches on questions of how and why this shift occurred…and on what lessons we might learn from it regarding our future.” The conclusion is then drawn that the search for the Holy Grail is really the search for Mary Magdalene—who, in turn, is symbolic of the sacred feminine. The Grail is interpreted to mean or symbolize many different things, from the cup or dish that Jesus used at His last supper, to a certain item considered so special that a person must be proved worthy to be in its presence. Now notice the link that two of the book’s characters make concerning Mary Magdalene, the Holy Grail and the sacred feminine: “The Grail is literally the ancient symbol for womanhood, and the Holy Grail represents the sacred feminine and the goddess, which of course has now been lost, virtually eliminated by the Church. The power of the female and her ability to produce life was once very sacred, but it posed a threat to the rise of the predominantly male Church, and so the sacred feminine was demonized and called unclean…Woman, once the sacred giver of life, was now the enemy…The quest for the Holy Grail is literally the quest to kneel before the bones of Mary Magdalene. A journey to pray at the feet of the outcast one [Mary Magdalene], the lost sacred feminine” (The Da Vinci Code, pp. 238, 257). Gnostic Thought Depicting Mary Magdalene as the embodiment of the sacred feminine is nothing new. The idea is usually based upon the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip and the Gospel of Mary, among many other such “gospels.” These works were actually the result of a movement known as Gnosticism (which derived from the Greek word gnosis, meaning “knowledge”). Though it exhibited great influence and posed a serious threat to the early Church, Gnosticism is a difficult movement to define due to its esoteric and decentralized identity. Generally speaking, it views the physical realm and the human body as evil, and believes that some form of salvation can only be achieved through secretive, individualistic means. Adherents of Gnosticism believe that the true God had nothing to do with the creation of the physical realm. The world is supposedly the result of “lowly powers.” And although these powers descended from the true God, they do not know Him, and their teachings prevent the knowledge of Him from being disseminated. Supposedly, humanity’s goal is to escape the evil material realm, which can only be accomplished through “secret knowledge” of the true God. A key concept embraced by many Gnostic followers is that the true God is androgynous (the perfect balance of feminine and masculine), the “great male-female power.” Others stressed that He can be described in either masculine or feminine terms. In The Gnostic Gospels, the author writes, “Proponents of these diverse views agreed that the divine is to be understood in terms of a harmonious, dynamic relationship of opposites—a concept that may be akin to the Eastern view of yin and yang, but remains alien to orthodox Judaism and Christianity.” Since their deity is both god and goddess, the Gnostics came to despise Christianity for suppressing the “true” nature of the Godhead. In The Da Vinci Code, one of the characters states, “…Constantine and his male successors successfully converted the world from matriarchal paganism to patriarchal Christianity by waging a campaign of propaganda that demonized the sacred feminine, obliterating the goddess from modern religion forever” (p. 124). (In actuality, Emperor Constantine merged paganism with professing Christianity, thus creating a false, hybrid religion. Our book The TRINITY – Is God three-in-one? explains this in detail.) According to the author of The Da Vinci Code, Constantine’s actions led to a warped, overly-masculine society: “The days of the goddess were over. The pendulum had swung. Mother Earth had become a man’s world, and the gods of destruction and war were taking their toll. The male ego had spent two millennia running unchecked by its female counterpart. The Priory of Sion believed that it was this obliteration of the sacred feminine in modern life that had caused what the Hopi Native Americans called koyanisquatsi—‘life out of balance’—an unstable situation marked by testosterone-fueled wars, a plethora of misogynistic societies, and a growing disrespect for Mother Earth” (pp. 125-126). Was Jesus Christ Married? Based upon what we have learned so far, it should then come as no surprise to learn that some would claim the outrageous—that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. With its worldwide success, The Da Vinci Code has given this age-old supposition, along with many others, new life. A passage from the Gospel of Philip is often cited as proof of their union: “And the companion of the [Savior] is Mary Magdalene. [But Christ] loved her more than all the disciples and used to kiss her often on her mouth. The rest of the disciples [were offended by it and expressed disapproval]. They said to him, ‘Why do you love her more than all of us?’” How does one refute the above passage? It does seem to indicate that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. However, the Gospel of Philip was written nearly three centuries after the time of Christ, and it has been labeled by most experts as an unreliable document. Yet, to refute this outlandish idea beyond a shadow of a doubt, only one item is necessary. Though it has been rejected by some to be nothing more than a nice collection of Greek and Hebrew literature, or a corrupt “work of men,” the Bible is nonetheless the Word of God. It is the foundation—source—of truth and knowledge. Within its pages are found the answers to life’s greatest questions, answers that human beings dismiss as false. Even most who profess to believe the Bible twist, distort and butcher its words. (You may wish to read our booklet BIBLE AUTHORITY...can it be proven?) Recognize that there is no verse stating, “Jesus was not married” or “Mary Magdalene was the wife of the Lord.” Even so, there is absolute proof that Jesus Christ could not have married while He was human, and it lies within Christ’s own teaching of the marriage covenant, found in Matthew 19:3-9 and Mark 10:2-12. In these parallel accounts, Jesus taught that once a person is married, and that marriage is bound by God, remarriage after divorce is forbidden. In Romans 7:1-3, the apostle Paul explains that the death of a spouse ends the marriage covenant. Under the terms of the Old Covenant, this would be the only way a remarriage could occur. Most have no idea that this understanding can be used to prove that Jesus could not have been married. Here’s why. In the Book of Jeremiah is the passage: “Turn, O backsliding children, says the Lord; for I am married unto you” (3:14). Who is the Being saying this? None other than Jesus Christ! He was the “Rock” of the Old Testament (I Cor. 10:1-4)—He was the Being (known as the Word – John 1:1) who gave the people of ancient Israel the Ten Commandments, thus entering into a marriage covenant with them. He, as their Husband, agreed to lead, protect and bless Israel (His bride), as long as the nation obeyed Him. If Israel disobeyed—breached the contract—He would divorce them. Eventually, Israel proved that she no longer wanted to be a part of the marriage. Notice: “Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of the Lord which He loved, and has married the daughter of a strange god” (Mal. 2:11). “But as a wife betrays her husband for her lover, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel—says the Eternal” (Jer. 3:20 – Moffatt). This disobedience—spiritual adultery—resulted in Christ having to divorce Israel: “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce” (Jer. 3:  .
However, under the terms of the Old Covenant, Jesus was not able to remarry. Remember, only death could break this marriage covenant. The only way that Christ would be free to marry again would be for Him to die, as the people of Israel as a whole were not going to be obliterated from the face of the earth. Of course, Jesus eventually came to earth as a physical human being to die for the sins of mankind. But until His death, He was unable to remarry, even as a human being. Why? Because doing so would have caused Him to commit adultery, thus breaking His own law. If He had married before dying, He would have sinned (I John 3:4), and could not have become our Savior. Death was the only way to officially free Him from His marriage to ancient Israel. This means that it is utterly impossible for Jesus to have been married to Mary Magdalene! Much more could be said about this parallel, including Christ’s future marriage to the nation of spiritual Israel, the true Church of God. (To see the full picture, read our booklet The Purpose of MARRIAGE—Ever Obsolete?) “Philosophy and Vain Deceit” Despite that none of the book’s radical claims are found within the pages of the Bible, The Da Vinci Code will undoubtedly continue to achieve great success due to its radical claims. Human nature is naturally attracted to conspiracy theories and vain babblings. Consider Paul’s warning in Colossians 2:8 against such outlandish ideas: “Beware lest any man spoil [plunder] you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” The following is an example of how the “philosophy and vain deceit” found within the storyline of The Da Vinci Code can “spoil” a person’s mind: “The historical events and people explored in the book are real. But no one knows the Truth…nor will we ever, probably. I think that some things are meant to be a mystery. With all the world’s diverse religions and each individual’s belief in what is Divine—the Truth would have to destroy the beliefs, hopes and lives of many of the world’s population. So, perhaps, in the divine scheme of things, there are many more Truths than one” (reader comment from Envoy magazine). Such unnecessary confusion! With a movie due to be released sometime this year—having a promo that states, “The greatest conspiracy of the past 2,000 years is about to unravel”—this confusion will surely increase. But with the insight you have just gained, you need not be one of the many to be duped by the phenomenon known as The Da Vinci Code! (If you have doubts as to whether the Bible in its present form is really God’s complete, accurate Word, read our in-depth article “Where and How Did We Get the Bible?”) |
| The Beat |
obmar,
don't give me technical reviews. What did YOU think of it?? |
| obmar |
I havent pick the book from the boolshelf, so I reserve my personal comment...
The last book I read was the Dead Sea Scroll Conspiracy. Even that I could not finish it all. My weakness. |