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.

Ever order a book that you really had high expectations for, only to find out that it doesnt even talk about what you most wanted to read about??? Well, if thats the kind of book you want, then this one is for you. I am stunned by Bocks audacity to call his book Breaking The Da Vinci Code when his book CONTAINS NOTHING ABOUT LEONARDO DA VINCIS PAINTINGS!!!! Can someone explain this to me??? Some of THE most important questions everyone is asking about Dan Browns book relates to the many claims Brown makes about Da Vinci and his works of art. Bock answers none of these things. Hmmmmm. What does that say? Regarding The Last Supper and all the things Brown points out, Bock says zip, nada, nothing. He is equally silent about the Mona Lisa and the Virgin of the Rocks. What gives??? So what do you get for your hard earned money?-you get Bock beating you over the head saying, basically, Christianity is true, believe like I believe, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Dont get me wrong. being a Christian is fine. Super! But this book is called Breaking The Da Vinci Code NOT Why you should be a Christian in Spite of Dan Browns Bestseller. Bock should have used the second title. Try either the book by Lunn (Da Vinci Code Decoded) or the one by Abanes (The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code). The first is long (208 pp.), the second is short and sweet (96 pp.).

Ok, maybe ths book isnt all THAT fatiguing to read, but it does drag and is dry. Bock is a scholar (good point) and he writes like one (bad point). Also, as the information about this book states in the PR material Darrell Bocks research uncovers the origins of these codes by focusing on the 325 years immediately following the birth of Christ. This is a problem becasue Browns book goes farther back in history than 325 a.d. Browns underlying material dates back to the ancient goddess worship of the Mesopotamian era. I am surprised Bock did not deal too much with things like truly ancient goddess worship, Venus-related issues, etc. Clearly, Bock wanted to clear the name of Christianity more than do a complete look at all the things Brown had to say. Also, precious little material deals with the actual Priory of Sion that Brown discusses in his bestseller. Again, Bock was too concerned with simply proving the Bible, Jesus divinity, and how Christianity is true. Other aspects of the Brown-Da Vinci tale were covered not nearly as nicely as they could have been covered. He missed the more edgy issues Brown raises regarding the Knights Templar, Witch Hunts, paganism, etc. I agree with other reviewers who say that Bocks book is better than most. But it does not beat out The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code by Abanes (a younger, more contemporary author, who I believe much closer to Dan Browns age). Bocks book is hardly different from any history book on Christianity you might pick up in a Christian bookstore.

Darell Bock keeps going off topic and repeating himself. While this is nice in the sense that he gives a LOT of evidence supporting his claims, its no use if you are just a casual reader wanting to find out more. Thus, this book might interest you if youre an amateur in the field, but stay away if youre just an interested reader.

Bock does a very good job in both explanation and simplification of the arguments, so the lay reader could understand this historical revisionism for what it is. He did good research in a field he is accomplished in, the early church. He also exposes how terms such as secret and conspiracy are misapplied into known , rejected works of the early church and debunks the Nicea conspiracy. This is a subject that churches should cover prior to the release of the film, so less than biblically literate members will not be caught up in distortions and revisionism. I strongly recommend this readable book for churches to make available to their members.

This book goes step by step addressing many of the issues raised in the Da Vinci Code. Using logic, biblical and nonbiblical text, and a scholarly knowledge of early christian history Dr. Bock makes a convincing case and keeps the book easily readable. He looks at many of the issues from multiple angles and addresses possible counter-arguments to his claims. The book doesnt come across like a sermon and doesnt require that the reader be a christian, only that the reader be openminded.

This book is a hoax, it has nothing to do with breaking the Da Vinci Code. The name was simply used to tie it to Dan Browns book so that this shallow attack on Dan Brown would sell more copies. The book dismisses everything contained in the Da Vinci Code - in most instances simply stating that the views contained therein cannot be proven and must therefore be wrong, even though there is no proof to the contrary. Bock is more concerned with protecting the status quo than he is with exploring the issues brought up by Dan Brown. Why doesnt he address why Da Vinci placed Mary Magdalene on the right hand of Jesus at the Last Supper? My guess is that he cant explain it - and thereby would be promoting the mystique he is trying to suppress. Dan Browns book is fiction and I never accepted it as fact, but Bock is about as convincing in defense of his views as the Inquisition was in condemning Galeleos view that the Earth revolves around the Sun. In the end, I was left wondering if there is more to the Da Vinci Code than I had previously believed. My advise is to skip this book and buy Holy Blood, Holy Grail.

The people who wrote the last couple negative reviews seem more to be taken in by Dan Brown. Bock is indeed a scholar but yet his book is simple and understandable. It gives a clear look at Browns claims and why they are false. I recommend this book over the others out there. The Wall Street Journal called this the best of the bunch when it comes to books about The DaVinci Code.

Bock has written a very fair and balanced treatment of Dan Browns The DaVinci Code. He does not exhibit any anger at all toward Browns book or Brown himself. Bock simply seeks to explain the questionable (at best) history behind The Da Vinci code and make readers of the book understand that it is wonderful fiction and should be appreciated as such (a direct quote from Bocks book), but thats all it is, FICTION. Bock quotes from several first and second century primary sources, most outside of the books that make up the current Bible, to support his contention that there is very little good history to support Browns claims in his book. In contrast to many reviewers who have dismissed this book as a hatchet job on Brown with a preconcieved idea to dismiss his claims, Bock has no problem with affirming in part a couple of Browns claims, such as the role of women in the early Church. This is the mark of a fair and balanced historical treatment. Bock fully explains that many of the facts presented as contained in actual historical documents in The DaVinci Code, including some of the gnostic gospels, simply do not support the ideas contained in Browns book. Basically, even his own sources dont even support his arguments. Therefore, many of those arguments, such as the contention that Mary Magdelines reputation was denegrated as prostitute in order to suppress her real importance to Jesus. The real historical fact is that the ONLY reference to Mary Magdeline as a prostitute was made by a Pope in the fourth century, and this is most likely due to a misreading of the first Bible passages where Mary appears. Bock explains that that passage actually speaks of another Mary as a possible prostitute but that passage introduces Mary Magdeline as a distinct seperate person from the Mary who annointed Jesus feet and was most likely a former prostitute. Mary Magdeline, most likely followed Jesus after he exercised demons from her in one of his many miracles. Mary was a disciple just as the other 12 were disciples. She also served as a disciple to the disciples in telling the story of the resurrected Jesus. No more, no less. Bock also puts the contention that Jesus as a holy Jew couldnt have been single in historical context. In fact, many strict holy Jews in the first century were single, based upon their reading of Gods instructions to them in the Bible. Bock wonderfully addresses the issue of Jesus divinity and conclusively proves, again using first century sources, some of them outside the Bible, that Jesus was definitely thought of as devine several hundred years before Nicia took place. There was no vote on Jesus divinity as Browns characters contend because that was already a well accepted fact among Christians from the first century forward. Bock does not specifically address DaVincis painting because there is no need to. Once Browns other codes are broken, which Bock does with historical precision and impeccable sources, there is no need to address DaVincis possible role in a secret society. Once the other more important codes are broken, its readily apparent that without the foundation of the book, the details of DaVincis alleged membership in a secret society (which was in fact founded in the 1960s by a French con-man, it is not an ancient society at all) simply arent worth addressing because its apparent by Bocks main argument against the other codes that these details on the face of them have no historical basis. After reading or listening to Bocks very wonderfully sourced treatment of Browns history no one can go away still convinced in The DaVinci Codes history only that it is a wonderfully written novel by a wonderfully creative author, unless they specifically choose to remain blind to well researched historical facts.

I just saw Darrell Bock this week as he shared some of this information in a radio broadcast regarding The Da Vinci Code. A rare blend of grace and scholarly wit, Darrell precisely targets the key Christian information conflicting in the novel. This book will be especially useful for those seeking quotes from the ancient sources that prove the truthfulness behind church history and Christianity. The books only weakness is that its actual dialogue with the text of The Da Vinci Code is limited. Like some of the other Christian-related Da Vinci Code titles, he spends the vast majority of his time demonstrating the weaknesses of the controversial topics rather than picking the specific points of the novel that reveal the controversies. In the end, Ive found it one of the better reads in this area. Having researched this topic heavily (see my The Da Vinci Code Controversy book), I can definitely recommend this as an added tool in defending Christianity in response to Da Vinci Code issues.