Cracking the Da Vinci Code

Romans 1:1-1:7

1 John 2:22-26

April 30, 2006

( 8:30 Clip from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where Indy discovers the Grail)

Welcome to our special series on The Da Vinci Code book, and soon-to- be movie.

Let’s begin our time today by saying that The Da Vinci Code focuses on a subject that many of us know little about—the Holy Grail.  As a matter of fact the sum total of most of our knowledge about the grail comes from two movies.  You just saw a clip from the first one, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Our other film source for information concerning the Holy Grail is Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which I watched numerous times as a teenager and a few times since then; plus, a couple of months ago Karen and I went to New York to see Spamalot, the award-winning theatre production based on the movie.  Thus, between the two movies and the play, I have done my historical research to “seek the truth,” and am qualified to speak as an expert on this topic.

At least as much of an expert as author Dan Brown who wrote “The Da Vinci Code.”

However, the difference is that my sources have never pretended to be anything but fiction. Brown’s main source of information concerning the Grail comes from a 1982 book entitled “Holy Blood, Holy Grail”. The authors of that book drew primarily on documents provided to them by a French citizen by the name of Pierre Plantard.

The problem here was that Plantard had created these documents in a rouse to prove that he was actually Pierre Plantard de Saint-Clair, a direct descendent of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. Plantard had also farbricated documents that showed that he was the true King of France.

And this man Plantard is also responsible for The Priory of Sion, which Dan Brown claims is one of the oldest secret societies in existence. In both Holy Blood, Holy Grail and the Da Vinci Code, the Priory of Sion is said to have been established in 1099 when the Knights Templar discovered trunks full of documents buried beneath Solomon’s Temple, which not only revealed the location of the Holy Grail but contained evidence that would totally discredit Christianity.

Are you still with me?

The Da Vinci Code tells us that Leonardo Da Vinci was actually the Grand Master of the Priory of Sion. Brown maintains that other notable Grand Masters through the years have been Sir Isaac Newton , of apple fame and Victor Hugo the French author.

However, if you go to Paris , you can discover the true origin of the Priory of Sion.  On June 25, 1956 —not the year 1099—official paperwork was filed establishing the Priory of Sion as a society to lobby the French Government for more affordable housing. The person who filed the papers was none other then Pierre Plantard. The society folded in 1957 but Plantard held on to the name.

And such is the questionable historical basis of The Da Vinci Code.  The story begins in France where Robert Langdon, the noted symbologist from Harvard University , has been visiting as a guest lecturer. Now if you thinking “I’ve never met a symbologist before,” that’s because there is no department of symbology at Harvard—or anywhere else.  Brown makes that profession up for the novel.  Anyway, Langdon is disturbed at his hotel room by the French Police who take him to the Louvre to assist in a murder investigation. It would appear that one of the curators of the museum, Jacques Sauniere has been brutally murdered. However before dying, Sauniere is able to leave a variety of clues scattered around the gallery he has locked himself in as an unsuccessful bid to escape his killer.

Unbeknownst to our hero he is actually a suspect in the murder and only escapes with the help of the beautiful police cryptographer Sophie Neveu. Langdon discovers that the murdered Sauniere not only is Sophie’s estranged Grandfather, but he is also the Grand Master of Priory of Sion, a secret society entrusted with a secret which if revealed would destroy the Christian church as we know it.

Still with me?

Their quest for clues to break the Da Vinci Code leads them to Leigh Teabing, a former British Royal Historian, who is one of the foremost authorities on the Holy Grail. Their ensuing journey takes them through France and across the English Channel on an illicit flight, all the while staying one step ahead of the police, an albino monk killer and the “teacher,” a mystery man who appears to be orchestrating the entire story. It’s during the trip that Langdon and Teabing are able to lecture Sophie about the fallacies of Christianity and the Bible as well as the evils of the church.

That’s about all of the plot that I’m going to give away, but remember, before the novel begins there is a page in the beginning of the book entitled “Facts” which states, and I quote, “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.”  

Well, from what I have just shared with you, I dare say that we are being led astray.

You see, the book is not entirely based on historical fact, although some would describe the book as faction. That is, fiction based on fact.  Very intriguing, yet very misleading.

So Brown begins by saying “trust me, I’ve done my homework.”

And because of the claim of authenticity, many people are left wondering about historical events, about the divinity of Jesus, and about their faith.  And it’s not just Christians who have a problem with that claim.  The art and history communities challenge his “facts” as well.

Here is a quote from Bruce Boucher who is the curator of European decorative arts and sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago. “It is also breathtaking to read that the heroine, Sophie Neveu, uses one of Leonardo’s paintings, "The Madonna of the Rocks," as a shield, pressing it so close to her body that it bends. More than six feet tall and painted on wood, not canvas, the "Madonna" is unlikely to be so supple.”

So, if the book is not factually sound, what could be Brown’s motivation to claim that they are so?  Of course, it’s marketing!

By claiming up front that all the documents are accurate the reader is left with the impression that Brown in a historian on par with the characters in his novel. The truth is that Dan Brown is a school teacher and novelist who writes fiction. He’s not an art expert, he’s not a historian and he’s certainly not a theologian.

For instance, let’s come back to the Holy Grail for a moment.  As I mentioned earlier most of us have learned all we know about the grail either from Indiana Jones or from Monty Python. But what does history actually teach us about the grail?  Well, the answer is—nothing.

For twelve hundred years after the death of Christ, there is no mention from any source—biblical, historical, or otherwise—about the cup that Christ drank from at the last supper, nor for that matter, about his plate or bowl or his knife, either.

And then in the late 1300’s legends started being told about King Arthur and his quest for the cup, which was said to not only have been present at the last supper but was used to catch the blood of Christ while he was hanging on the cross.

Now, the Roman Catholic Church, which has promoted many relics through the centuries, has never promoted the grail as a holy relic.

The reason?  The item does not exist.

So in the Da Vinci Code we are told that the church has spent two thousand years trying to suppress the true identity of a chalice which doesn’t exist!  It’s great fiction, but even so, thousands and thousands of people are buying into the false claims made by the book.

Margaret M. Mitchell is Associate Professor of New Testament at the University of Chicago Divinity School and the Chair of the Department of New Testament and Early Christian Literature.  I love what she says about the Da Vinci Code. “It was a quick romp, largely fun to read, if rather predictable and preachy. This is a good airplane book, a novelistic thriller that presents a rummage sale of accurate historical nuggets alongside falsehoods and misleading statements.”

And you wonder why I encourage biblical literacy and Bible study.  Seek the truth!

Hear again the words of John who writes in our scripture lesson today regarding a similar situation: “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.” (1 John 2:26)

Is Dan Brown intentionally attempting to lead believers and seekers away from Christianity?  I don’t think so.  I think that he wrote a fictional novel that has grown into a cultural phenomenon beyond his wildest dreams, which many people are mistaking as the truth.

Well, it seems that some two thousand years ago, the Apostle John was facing the same kinds of challenges that we are when it comes to discerning truth and proper spiritual growth.  And so we need to know the facts and not be led astray from our faith by well-written entertainment. 

As I said last week, The Da Vinci Code is an enjoyable conspiracy and action novel, in which Brown weaves threads of truth so that the entire tapestry looks real.  And we, as Christians, need to be able to discern fact from fiction, and to be able to answer the questions about our faith which are going to be raised.

Between grail legends, false documents, made-up professions, and literary license, it can all be very confusing.

I hope that you will join us during the Christian education hour for our video-based discussion of The Da Vinci Code.

(I’d like to thank Denn Guptill for much of the source material for this message.)