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November 02, 2003
Finally
A decent article in a secular paper on the Da Vinci Code, drawing on scholarly sources
Renaissance scholars and church historians, meanwhile, see "The Da Vinci Code" as something between harmless pulp fiction and an embarrassing mess that may lead readers astray....."I think the idea that Leonardo da Vinci had secret information passed down for 40 generations that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had a child is entertaining, but it is not history," said John Martin, a professor at Trinity University in San Antonio and head of church history for the Renaissance Society of America.
Joseph Forte, an art historian at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, said that there has long been speculation about sexual messages in Leonardo's art, about his reputation as a "court master" of riddles and games, about inconsistencies in various gospels, and other factors that Brown may have seized on in "marrying" Jesus and Magdalene."I know of no serious scholar who has proposed this notion," Forte said.
J.V. Field, an art historian at the University of London and president of the Leonardo da Vinci Society, said that real history requires proof, and the Code offers none that scholars would recognize.
Posted by Amy Welborn | Permalink
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Comments
Nice to get some secular scholars on board. I can't command that degree of credibility since I'm not a professor but TDVC is an agglomeration of historical errors and fantasies. An author who thinks the Merovingians founded Paris and forgets about the Avignon papacy fails the Desk Encyclopedia Test.
The Catholic League is being entirely too mild here about the anti-Catholicism on display in this novel and in the swarm of ugly books follwoing in its wake. For example, one of his sources, Lynn Pickett has just published MARY MAGDALEN: CHRISTIANITY'S HIDDEN GODDESS which is much nastier than Brown and trades on both the pedophilia scandal and the Magdalen laundries. I can bearly make myself read this book but that's what TDVC is conditioning people to accept.
Posted by: Sandra Miesel at Nov 2, 2003 1:31:25 PM
Sandra Miesel: "I can bearly make myself read this book but that's what TDVC is conditioning people to accept."
Perhaps someone could do everyone a favor and collect into one web page all the links to the various articles that have been done by various people which shred TDVC.
That way, if one of your friends start gushing over about about TDVC, you can sigh and politely send them there.
Call it www.DaVinciCodeIsPooDoo.org
Posted by: Oengus Moonbones at Nov 2, 2003 2:50:04 PM
It's about time the scholars waded into this debate. Better late then never, I guess. Maybe they were waiting for someone else to take the lead and the criticism.
Thanks Amy, Sandra, Carl, William, and any others I may have missed.
Posted by: Carrie at Nov 2, 2003 4:50:49 PM
I used to be a scholar, with a Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan. I have read Mrs. Miesel's Crisis article on The Da Vinci Code and I have nothing much to add to it. She has sufficient scholarship to refute what appear to be its nonsensical arguments, if anyone will listen. (Not that it takes much scholarship to refute such arrant nonsense.) I myself have not weighed in on the argument for the simple reason that I have not her fortitude and cannot bring myself to read any such drivel, especially if no one is paying me to do it. Getting drunk appears to me a more profitable use of brain cells. Moreover I fear that mere facts and logic are not going to be enough to convince those who believe this stuff.
Posted by: Henry Dieterich at Nov 2, 2003 5:47:01 PM
Henry Dieterich: "I used to be a scholar, with a Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan."
You might just be the person to do a great public service by collecting all the links and assembling them at the new web site I proposed.
Posted by: Oengus Moonbones at Nov 2, 2003 10:02:17 PM
John Martin was a professor of mine, and I think very highly of him. I am glad to see him quoted and even more glad to see a non-Catholic scholar debunking TDVC. He's very knowledgeable about Catholicism and was quite unbiased in the classroom, despite his personal beliefs to the contrary. Here's hoping people will finally see the book for the rubbish it is.
Posted by: MrsSpeed at Nov 2, 2003 10:28:53 PM
"Call it www.DaVinciCodeIsPooDoo.org"
LOL! And a great idea. I have a few friends to whom I would send that link. Last week one of them was gushing over this book (a lapsed Catholic now a New Age human mess inflicting madness on her two ex's (within a year!) and two kids, sister and parents, etc.) and she cited the Gnostic Gospels as fact and the Bible as fiction perpetrated on the gullible masses in order to retain power in the clerical world. Of course the Church surpressed the Gnostics and their writings. She can't wait to watch the special on Monday night which "proves" Jesus was married to Mary Magdelene - it all ties in she tells me.
I know I should read The Da Vinci Code if only to be prepared... but I just can't spend the money and bump this book up any higher than it is and I'd be embarrassed to put my name on the library waiting list.
Posted by: colleen at Nov 2, 2003 11:34:29 PM
"Moreover I fear that mere facts and logic are not going to be enough to convince those who believe this stuff."
And that is the crux of it Henry. I guess we can then argue for intellectual virtues but even so, that would not be enough. In the ultimate sense, our faith is revelatory. Without His light, our sin blinds us to the truth or keeps us in wilful rebellion.
Christians on the whole have been very slow to respond to the likes of the Jesus Seminar, Thiering, Da Vinci code and whatever junk comes our way. It should inspire us to guard against error and preach the gospel loud and clear. But there is only One who is the final answer.
Posted by: saint at Nov 3, 2003 2:06:10 AM
