Breaking the Da Vinci Code: Answers to the Questions Everyones Asking

This book is the third title I have read of Christian rebuttals to The DaVinci Code. While the first two books were good, this one is the best yet. Bocks points are clear, concise, and easy to follow. The author here doesnt simply advance his own agenda, but instead offers a defense to the various accusations leveled against Christianity in the best-selling fictional novel. Bock gives detailed attention to Mary Magdalene, a personality central to Browns hypothesis. Bock explains logically and historically why the idea of Jesus being unmarried as a Jewish rabbi is completely acceptable. Bock then addresses the lack of credibility of the secret, Gnostic gospels. He emphasizes that they were considered as non-authoritative long before the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325. The author here also makes a few points of his own about the mindset present in The DaVinci Code and why it has such a powerful appeal to todays society. If you want to read just one book to provide a scholarly, Christian rebuttal, this title is it. The insight contained in these pages is well worth the price.

Mr. Bocks writing style is not the greatest but he does do a good job of explaining very clearly why Dan Browns book is a fictional novel based on a fictional theory. You can call me many things, Actively Religious is not one of them. I read Mr. Bocks book because Dan Browns book was simply too incredible to believe. If you would like a better understanding of what historians and biblical scholars understand about the beginnings of Christianity, I recommend you read it. If by the end of the book, you still believe the Da Vinci Code gives an accurate historical depiction then you probably also believe a vast right wing conspiracy forced Bill Clinton to have sex with Monica.

Ive read some of the Amazon reviews of Bocks Breaking the Da Vinci Code and Im shocked. I think they all miss the point entirely. The main point that Darrel Bock makes, (and I happen to completely agree with), is that Dan Brown has a very clear political agenda behind his famous novel The Da Vinci Code. I have no doubt of that. The great irony is that Dan Brown attacks orthodox Christianity for having an agenda, when in reality, it is Dan Brown who is distorting historical fact for a political agenda. Dan Browns theory (if one can call it thus), is utterly meaningless and unprovable unless one thing should happen: and thats if someone discovered the Holy Grail (or Sangreal). There never has been any proof that a Holy Grail exists, or if it ever did, and there isnt even any agreement on what the Holy Grail would be if it did indeed exist. Until that day comes, Dan Browns book is pure speculation at best, or revisionist history at worst. Darrell Bock explains in simple language what happened in the 1st through early 4th centuries and clearly shows where Dan Brown has his facts wrong in several cases. The flimsiest case is made by Dan Brown that the historical Jesus must have been married because he was a Jew. Read Darrell Bocks insightful book and youll agree how weak Browns argument is, and how little biblical research actually went into such claims. I found Browns claim that Constantine the Great was a sun worshipper to be completely unfounded by any knowledge we have of the man. Typically, oponents of Christianity accuse St Paul of deifying the historical Jesus of Nazereth throughout history. Now, Dan Brown claims it happened in the early 4th Century by Constantine as a political ploy, when clearly the letters of St Paul speak of Jesus as a divinity of sorts. So when was Jesus of Nazereth diefied, with St Paul or centuries later with Constantine? Clearly Dan Browns case is weak at best. Maybe Darell Bocks criticism is non-conclusive, but at least he is a scholar who understands Gnosticism and has read and studied the ancient worlds works and its many diverse religious sects, whereas I am doubtful that Dan Brown has. If Darrell Bock makes assumptions then Dan Brown makes preposterous assumptions with no basis on historical or scientific research.

In response to J.E. Stolls review. Dan Brown is quoted as saying that if he was asked to wirte a piece of non-fiction on these things, he would change nothing about what he claimed in the novel. This was in the first few pages of Bocks book which you REVIEWED! Fiction or not people want facts! Great book!

Professor Bock has written a fascinating historical analysis of the early Christian era, focusing on the seven codes found in the best-selling thriller by Dan Brown, The DaVinci Codes. His explanation of the theological view of the Gnostics is perhaps the most enlightening. The Gnostics were a now-forgotten early Christian group, that postulated the road to Heaven was through intense study, knowledge, and enlightment, which were only achieved by a select group of intellectuals. They also generally viewed Jesus and Christ as two entities, seeing a separation between the Savior and the man. Clearly these Gnostic views are almost unrecognizable to orthodox Christians of our era, where salvation is based on belief and forgiveness of sin, and God had one Son who suffered on the cross. However, Browns characters lean heavily on them. Professor Bock also delves deeply into the code that says Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had a blood line that extends to modern France. These are not new theories. The French descendants have been talking about this for centuries. Many other books in the last 20 years have expressed this. Even the 1970s musical Jesus Christ Superstar, now endorsed by the Vatican, hints at a relationship beyond that of teacher and apostle. However, Bock analyzes carefully all Biblical and non-Biblical sources and finds no evidence whatsoever that Jesus was married or had descendants. This seems to be the one fact that all Biblical scholars agree upon. The other DaVinci codes are similarly dissected in great historical perspective, involving every known source, and all are found to be lacking. Dan Brown has written an interesting thriller, but it has no basis in history, as the Vatican is now proclaiming as well. For example, Browns characters claim the church is anti-women, when in fact, Jesus included women in his ministry, delivered much revelation to them, and had them observe the crucifixion and the resurrection. Mary Magdalene and the other women were the apostles to the apostles with respect to the resurrection. The DaVinci codes also claim that the early church fathers rewrote history as late as 400 years after Christ, to suit their purposes. This area seems to be Bocks real specialty, as he quotes many sources to confirm that the four gospels were established and Jesus was the saviour long before any secretive 4th century gathering. He also gives a fascinating account of how the four gospels came to be written and the relationships between their writers and the early Christians and apostles. There seems to be zero historical basis for one of Browns characters claiming that the 4 known gospels were selected from 80 potential gospels. In sum, I recommend that all who want to understand how Christianity evolved, and also enjoy a good popular thriller, take the opportunity to pick up a lesson in history and theology from Professor Bock. I read many parts of this text several times, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The DaVinci Codes are like the Umberto Eco novels in that one needs some outside historical context to really enjoy the work. By the way, Eco has also studied the DaVinci codes and reached the same conclusions as Professor Bock.

First of all, Im not one of the people who asked the questions Dr. Bock answers in this book. I read The Da Vinci Code for what it was: an entertaining whodunnit with a religious conspiracy twist, one of my favorite subgenres of thriller. And I am utterly amazed that some certain segment of the population took seriously the outlandish conspiracy theory on which Dan Brown based his novel. Read that again. NOVEL. N-O-V-E-L. Meaning, its fiction. F-I-C-T-I-O-N. Meaning, its not true. *takes a deep breath* Relax, avanta. *chants a mantra* Okay. Better now. However (she resumed in a calmer fashion), not too long ago I overheard several of my colleagues, women who I otherwise thought had a grain of sense, discussing the NOVEL and its basis with all seriousness. I mean, they truly believed the story contained a thinly disguised version of the truth. This shocked me. Does it make a difference that these women are for the most part either unchurched or followers of a non-Christian religion? Possibly. I dont know any Christian serious about his faith who takes the theories presented in The Da Vinci Code as anything other than sheer entertainment. I wanted to jump in their conversation and point out the fallacies; unfortunately, I did not have adequate information. I knew they were wrong but didnt have data to make my points. This book provides the data. Dr. Bock sets up each code and knocks it down again with a satisfactory thunk. He quotes Scripture and scholarly research; he provides historical and sociological background; he explains the Gnostic heresy; he discusses the Council of Nicea and what led to its stamp of approval on the Biblical Canon; and generally applies logic, reason, and critical thinking to each aspect of the so-called conspiracy, thereby debunking it in total. A short fast read, overflowing with information, and worth every minute of the readers time. If The Da Vinci Code raised questions in your mind, or if you want to answer someone elses questions, this is the book you need.

Bock is an evangelical, and it shows, even through his scholarship. His discussion of women and Christianity omits, oh,..2000 years of Catholic and Eastern Christian tradition. Hardly a word about art, Priory of Sion, Grail, etc. NOT the questions everyone is asking. Only a couple of them. I want my money back!

A fairly well-written book, but spends too much time evangelizing and sermonizing. I wanted something more factual and simply a straightforward historical reference guide for the non-religious. Something that would simply make a comparison bewteen facts in history and claims fo Brown. Also, too long. And, in my opinion, too expensive. This book, I must say though, is better than the one by Garlow and Barnes. But Id try Abanes short volume The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code, especially for non-scholars out there. Abanes is a bestselling, cutting-edge author who writes more for the popular market, gets to the point, and has great documentation. And it retails for only $6.99 (JUST released).

Obvious agenda Any time a book gets written to debunk another book, one must be on guard. When the subject is religion and the author holds a doctorate in theological studies, one already knows what his agenda is. He will defend the party line, of course, and use all the cliches, like using Christ (annointed one) as a synonym or even as a sirname for Jesus. The authors interchancing of Christ, Lord and Savior shows his bias. He spends a lot of words trying to disprove the DaVinci code, but in the main, his arguments are, for the most part, ipse dixit, with little reference material outside of cannonical text. Having thoroughly read Bloodline of the Holy Grail, Holy Blood, Holy Grail the Mary Magdaline Gospel, The Mystery and Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls, The Way of the Essenes, The teachings of the Essenes From Enoch to the Dead Sea Scrolls, The Hiram Key, The Second Messiah and more, I can say with some conviction that Professor Maloneys book does little to debunk the DaVinci Code and is largely a sermon reflecting his conservative religious opinion and little more. Read it if you want another opinion, but remember that he is strongly biased. For a better researched discussion with more facts and references I suggest The Templar Revelation by Picket and Prince (ISBN 0-684-84891-0) as a better way to spend your money.

Nothing in this book proves anything... If Da Vinci Code is wrong about Magdalene and the conspiracy, this book is not right either... faith is very hard to argue and everybody believes what they wanted to believe...