Timothy Paul Jones Reviews

Added June 11, 2006

The Da Vinci Code Breaker

Author: Timothy Paul Jones
Publisher: Bethany House
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: April 2006
Genre: Nonfiction: Christianity/History
Format: Trade Paperback
Price: $9.99
ISBN: 0-7642-0185-9
Reviewer: Phillip Tomasso III

In March 2003, Doubleday Publishing released a fiction novel by critically acclaimed author Dan Brown. The novel became an instant bestseller. And in May 2006, will be released as a major motion picture directed by Hollywood's favorite Tom Hanks. The book-the movie, The Da Vinci Code.

Aside from being a page-turning thriller, The Da Vinci Code introduces unproven data claiming that Jesus Christ may married Mary Magdalene, and fathered children. The book claims that the bloodline of Jesus is still around today. The book alleges that secrets to Jesus' family tree are hidden in artwork painted by Da Vinci. This is all very exciting for a novel. But remember, novels are fiction (fake, made up). These fictitious historical references have absolutely no merit. If they were proven as true and accurate, then obviously Christianity would be destroyed, making Jesus' claims, teachings, and predications a farce, a ploy, a gimmick.

The sad thing truth is that, reportedly, people who have read Brown's work of fiction believe the tale to be fact, or possibly true. Even Sony Pictures is marketing their movie based on the novel saying, "Seek the Truth". What truth? It is a fiction bestseller. Nothing more.

Enter author James L. Garlow. His first non-fiction book, written in response to Brown's novel, Cracking Da Vinci's Code (Cook Communications Ministries, co-author Peter Jones, released April 2004). Cook Communications wrote this about Cracking Da Vinci's Code, "In the past year, many Christians have become dismayed-even disillusioned-from reading the popular best selling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Much of what is presented in Dan Brown's novel is presented as historical data. Could it really be true? Have Christians bought a bill-of-goods where the foundations of our faith is concerned? Were Jesus and Mary Magdalene really married? Did they have children? Were the accounts of their lives really rewritten and kept hidden by a secret society? What does it all mean? In the new Victor release Cracking Da Vinci's Code, top Christian researchers tackle the ideas presented as historical data in the Doubleday novel The Da Vinci Code. James L. Garlow, Ph.D., and Peter Jones, Ph.D., address the growing controversies and the historical misconceptions that form the basis for much of Dan Brown's bestseller. In their easy-to-follow style, Garlow and Jones confront what many consider the novel's heresy with compelling evidence that supports Christianity's foundations and exposes the possible agenda behind the fiction. Cracking Da Vinci's Code will help readers understand the roots of the modern heresy found in The Da Vinci Code-where it began, what it means-and its possible hidden agenda!"

In his latest work, published April 2006 by Bethany House, Garlow returns with more than 500 facts and terms to arm Christians with insightful knowledge about the difference between Dan Brown's fiction bestseller, and what is historically proven fact. The dictionary style writing allows readers easy access to alphabetically thumb through key words and phrases found in Brown's novel, and unearth useful facts and actual truth. With Garlow's latest book, people with questions about the accuracy of Brown's book will become better armed with "historically and theologically correct explanations".

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