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The Da Vinci Deception
2005 Gold Medallion Award finalist!
Was Jesus really married to Mary Magdalene? Did they actually have children who intermarried with the French royal family? Has the church been hiding the truth for centuries? In his best-selling work of fiction, The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown blurs the lines between history and fiction, giving the impression they are one and the same and that Christianity is based on a lie. In The Da Vinci Deception, Erwin Lutzer, renowned theologian and pastor of the world-famous Moody Church in Chicago, examines the “facts” behind the best-selling novel, clarifies the issues involved in the deception, and equips readers with the truth. Mass paper edition includes study guide.
Was Jesus really married to Mary Magdalene? Did they actually have children who intermarried with the French royal family? Has the church been hiding the truth for centuries? In his best-selling work of fiction, The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown blurs the lines between history and fiction, giving the impression they are one and the same and that Christianity is based on a lie. In The Da Vinci Deception, Erwin Lutzer, renowned theologian and pastor of the world-famous Moody Church in Chicago, examines the “facts” behind the best-selling novel, clarifies the issues involved in the deception, and equips readers with the truth. Mass paper edition includes study guide.
167 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2004
5 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Erwin W. Lutzer
165 books281 followersErwin W. Lutzer is senior pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago. A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and Loyola University, he is the author of numerous books, including the Gold Medallion Award winner "Hitler's Cross" and the best seller "One Minute After You Die". He is also a teacher on radio programs heard on more than 700 stations throughout the United States and the world, including "Songs in the Night," "The Moody Church Hour," and the daily feature "Running to Win." He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area and have three married children and seven grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 2, 2019
It gets only 4 stars because it’s too short and slightly out of date. (The Da Vinci Code movie failed and the book is now forgotten- thank you Hollywood. Well done).
But the gnostic attempts to dismantle the Biblical Jesus live on in internet Atheism and the Jesus Seminar silliness (Yes, Atheists and liberals are quick and eager to blindly believe anything that defies the validity of the Bible). Everything from Jesus marrying Mary Magdalene and having children to Mithras stealing Jesus birthday and the Church oppressing the hidden truths of alternative scriptures.
These issues are laughable and fun n’ easy to research for scholarly truth. But you do have to stay out of the cesspool of liberalism to see them clearly. Erwin Lutzer gets us started.
But the gnostic attempts to dismantle the Biblical Jesus live on in internet Atheism and the Jesus Seminar silliness (Yes, Atheists and liberals are quick and eager to blindly believe anything that defies the validity of the Bible). Everything from Jesus marrying Mary Magdalene and having children to Mithras stealing Jesus birthday and the Church oppressing the hidden truths of alternative scriptures.
These issues are laughable and fun n’ easy to research for scholarly truth. But you do have to stay out of the cesspool of liberalism to see them clearly. Erwin Lutzer gets us started.
April 23, 2020
A great exposure of the fiction being used to gull the ignorant reader.
September 24, 2023
A BIBLICALLY-BASED CRITIQUE OF DAN BROWN’S NOVEL
Author Erwin W. Lutzer wrote in the ‘Author’s Note’ to this 2004 book, “in a recent Chicago Sun-Times article, says that Jesus is a distant symbol with many interpretations. ‘There’s black Jesus, and white Jesus. Homely and handsome, capitalist and socialist, stern and hippie. Hardworking social reformer, mystical comforter. ‘The Da Vinci Code’ offers a different answer: Jesus the married man; Jesus the feminist; Jesus the mortal prophet. It’s clear that everyone has an opinion about Jesus. In this book, we’ll investigate the historical roots of early Christianity. We’ll seek to give credible answers to these questions: Who is Jesus? Are the documents of the New Testament reliable accounts of his life and ministry? And what should this mean to us who live in the twenty-first century? We’ll take a look at how dissenters of the early centuries offered their radical interpretation of the life and mission Jesus. These dissenters had their own documents, their own religious convictions, and their own teachers. In this study, we will evaluate what they had to say and how it still impacts us today.”
He explains in the Preface, “If you’ve not read ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ I’ll introduce you to the story and to some novel ideas you might not have heard before, such as: *Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene! *They had children who intermarried with the French royal line! *All this has been known for centuries, but the truth has been kept from the public for fear of destroying the power of the church! In fact, there is a highly secret organization that guards documents that, if made public, would destroy Christianity as we know it.” (Pg. xvii-xviii) He continues, “Many are thinking that the book just might have some plausibility. Perhaps the historical evidence is shaky, but, as one reviewer asked, ‘Why can’t we believe that it MIGHT have happened?’ Before we answer that, let’s take a look at the book’s premise.” (Pg. xviii)
He states, “Dan Brown’s … book is a direct attack against Jesus Christ, the church, and … his followers… Christianity, according to Dan Brown… was invented to suppress women and to turn people away from the ‘divine feminine.’… The upshot … is that Christianity is based on… several big lies… Jesus was not God, but his followers attributed deity to him in order to consolidate male rule and to suppress those who worshipped the divine feminine… at the Council of Nicaea Constantine invented the deity of Christ … Constantine also chose … only [the four] gospels because they fit his agenda of male power. Eighty other viable Gospels were rejected… Jesus wanted Mary Magdalene be the real leader of the church… The concept of the divine feminine … is actually the pagan notion that in sex rituals the male and female experience God.” (Pg. xxiii-xxiv)
He notes, “If [the book] were billed as just a novel, it would be an interesting read for conspiracy buffs… What makes the book troublesome is that it purports to be based on facts… Readers should know that the basic plot of this book has existed for centuries and can be found in esoteric and New Age literature such as ‘Holy Blood, Holy Grail’… which is referenced in the novel… Brown takes these legends and wraps them in a quasi-historical story… Many who read the book are wondering if all, or at least some, of its claims might be true… How plausible is it that a conspiracy has kept the real story of Mary and Jesus under wraps? If it is true, the entire structure of Christian theology is a plot to deceive the masses… if it is true, our faith… is groundless.’ (Pg. xxv-xxvii)
He continues, “Is this book plausible? Many are wondering where Brown crosses the line between truth and fiction, between fact and fantasy: Is it just possible that someday, somewhere, we will discover that his version of history has credibility? I’ve written this book in an attempt to answer these and other questions…. It is not my intention to list all of the historical errors in ‘The Da Vinci Code’---that would be a lengthy list indeed… I plan to focus … on the scurrilous remarks made against Jesus and the Bible.” (Pg. xxvii-xviii)
In the first chapter, he says, “Brown asserts that by declaring the deity of Christ, Constantine solidified his rule and earned the right to declare those who disagreed with him as heretics… So Constantine ‘upgraded Jesus’ status almost three centuries AFTER Jesus’ death’ for political reasons. In the process, he secured male dominance and the suppression of women… The second allegation in the novel is that Constantine rejected other gospels that were favorable to the divine feminine… Let’s begin to investigate these claims…” (Pg. 1-3)
He states, “In ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ we read that the doctrine of Christ’s deity passed by a ‘relatively close vote.’ This is fiction, since only five out of more than three hundred bishops … protested the [Nicene] Creed… There is no doubt that [Constantine] used Christianity to further his own political ends. But did he invent the divinity of Jesus? … There is not a single shred of historical evidence for such a notion… We must take a moment to read the writings of the apostolic fathers, those who knew the apostles and were taught by them. Then we can investigate second- and third-generation leaders, all affirming in their own way the divinity of Jesus.” (Pg. 9-11)
He continues, “ ‘The Da Vinci Code’ claims… that Constantine and his delegates decided to eliminate books from the New Testament that were unfavorable to their theology of male rule… consider this: Historical works on Nicaea give no evidence that Constantine and the delegates even discussed the Gnostic Gospels or anything that pertained to the canon… Twenty rulings were issued at Nicaea… not one of them refers to issues regarding the canon.” (Pg. 18-19)
He reports, “‘The Da Vinci Code’ is so named because of the claim that Leonardo da Vinci was a member of the Priory of Sion. The Priory was a small band of conspirators who knew the truth about the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, but because of opposition from the church, this explosive secret had to be hidden. To escape the wrath of the Vatican, members of the Priory would encrypt their cherished knowledge in paintings, writings… in such a way that only the learned could decipher their meanings… in the novel the powerful Catholic organization Opus Dei is committed to intimidating the Priory in an effort to suppress the facts that would destroy Christianity as we know it.” (Pg. 51-52)
He continues, “Jesus drank from a cup on the night he instituted the Lord’s Supper, but no one knows what happened to it… in the twelfth century, stories circulated about the cup, which was dubbed the Holy Grail and believed to have magical power. In about the fifteenth century the idea developed that the Grail is not an object, but rather a family tree… in [the book] the Grail is said to be … the royal bloodline of Jesus.” (Pg. 57)
He argues, “it is a stretch to assume that [Mary Magdalene] was branded a prostitute in order to suppress her supposed rivalry with the apostle Peter. The argument of [Brown’s book] is that Jesus intended the church to be built on Mary, but that the early church doctored documents and declared her a harlot to render her unfit for such a high office.” (Pg. 60) Later, he adds, “Mary no doubt had a deep love for Jesus, but there is no hint of romance between them. She was indeed an honored and privileged woman to have attracted the loving mercy of the Savior… After the … Resurrection, Mary passes from the pages of the New Testament only to resurface centuries later in the mythology of occult teachings and New Age agendas…” (Pg. 63-64)
He goes on, “In [Brown’s book] we are told that in concealing the truth about Jesus’ marriage to Mary, the church has engaged in the ‘greatest cover-up in human history.’ Evidence for their marriage is supposedly found in the Gnostic Gospels.” (Pg. 65) Later, he adds, “Could Jesus have been married? Dan Brown says in Jesus’ day it was rare for a man not to be married… This, however, does not provide evidence that Jesus was married… New Testament writers such as Matthew and John, who knew Jesus best, make no reference to his marriage… Of course, someday Jesus will be married … [to] the church---his bride.” (Pg. 75)
He explains, “Why were some books left out of the Bible? Many books were circulating around the time of Jesus, and the early church had to decide which ones were authoritative. Various books had to be left out. Many of these were considered to be pseudepigraphical; that is, fraudulent writings. The Gnostic Gospels fit this category because they were not written by the apostles as claimed. Such writings were not banned from the Bible, they were not even considered because they were recognized to be forgeries and heresies.” (Pg. 95)
He asks, “Did Jesus intend Mary Magdalene to lead the church? The evidence for this claim comes largely from the ‘Gospel of Mary, which was written … in about the second century. It affirms that Jesus love Mary more than the other disciples. This account is an attempt by the Gnostics to give legitimacy to their esoteric doctrines of knowledge and to argue that women can teach in the church. This historical reliability of this story is questionable, but even if it were true, it says nothing about Jesus’ intention to build the church on Mary.” (Pg. 110)
He concludes, “Mithra is not Jesus; nor is the Jesus of the Gnostics the Jesus of Christianity. The Jesus of the New Testament was born of a virgin, died for our sins, and rose again, and he now invites us to participate in his victory. If we refuse the light, how great is the darkness!” (Pg. 147)
This book will be of keen interest to Christians seeking critiques of Dan Brown’s novel.
Author Erwin W. Lutzer wrote in the ‘Author’s Note’ to this 2004 book, “in a recent Chicago Sun-Times article, says that Jesus is a distant symbol with many interpretations. ‘There’s black Jesus, and white Jesus. Homely and handsome, capitalist and socialist, stern and hippie. Hardworking social reformer, mystical comforter. ‘The Da Vinci Code’ offers a different answer: Jesus the married man; Jesus the feminist; Jesus the mortal prophet. It’s clear that everyone has an opinion about Jesus. In this book, we’ll investigate the historical roots of early Christianity. We’ll seek to give credible answers to these questions: Who is Jesus? Are the documents of the New Testament reliable accounts of his life and ministry? And what should this mean to us who live in the twenty-first century? We’ll take a look at how dissenters of the early centuries offered their radical interpretation of the life and mission Jesus. These dissenters had their own documents, their own religious convictions, and their own teachers. In this study, we will evaluate what they had to say and how it still impacts us today.”
He explains in the Preface, “If you’ve not read ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ I’ll introduce you to the story and to some novel ideas you might not have heard before, such as: *Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene! *They had children who intermarried with the French royal line! *All this has been known for centuries, but the truth has been kept from the public for fear of destroying the power of the church! In fact, there is a highly secret organization that guards documents that, if made public, would destroy Christianity as we know it.” (Pg. xvii-xviii) He continues, “Many are thinking that the book just might have some plausibility. Perhaps the historical evidence is shaky, but, as one reviewer asked, ‘Why can’t we believe that it MIGHT have happened?’ Before we answer that, let’s take a look at the book’s premise.” (Pg. xviii)
He states, “Dan Brown’s … book is a direct attack against Jesus Christ, the church, and … his followers… Christianity, according to Dan Brown… was invented to suppress women and to turn people away from the ‘divine feminine.’… The upshot … is that Christianity is based on… several big lies… Jesus was not God, but his followers attributed deity to him in order to consolidate male rule and to suppress those who worshipped the divine feminine… at the Council of Nicaea Constantine invented the deity of Christ … Constantine also chose … only [the four] gospels because they fit his agenda of male power. Eighty other viable Gospels were rejected… Jesus wanted Mary Magdalene be the real leader of the church… The concept of the divine feminine … is actually the pagan notion that in sex rituals the male and female experience God.” (Pg. xxiii-xxiv)
He notes, “If [the book] were billed as just a novel, it would be an interesting read for conspiracy buffs… What makes the book troublesome is that it purports to be based on facts… Readers should know that the basic plot of this book has existed for centuries and can be found in esoteric and New Age literature such as ‘Holy Blood, Holy Grail’… which is referenced in the novel… Brown takes these legends and wraps them in a quasi-historical story… Many who read the book are wondering if all, or at least some, of its claims might be true… How plausible is it that a conspiracy has kept the real story of Mary and Jesus under wraps? If it is true, the entire structure of Christian theology is a plot to deceive the masses… if it is true, our faith… is groundless.’ (Pg. xxv-xxvii)
He continues, “Is this book plausible? Many are wondering where Brown crosses the line between truth and fiction, between fact and fantasy: Is it just possible that someday, somewhere, we will discover that his version of history has credibility? I’ve written this book in an attempt to answer these and other questions…. It is not my intention to list all of the historical errors in ‘The Da Vinci Code’---that would be a lengthy list indeed… I plan to focus … on the scurrilous remarks made against Jesus and the Bible.” (Pg. xxvii-xviii)
In the first chapter, he says, “Brown asserts that by declaring the deity of Christ, Constantine solidified his rule and earned the right to declare those who disagreed with him as heretics… So Constantine ‘upgraded Jesus’ status almost three centuries AFTER Jesus’ death’ for political reasons. In the process, he secured male dominance and the suppression of women… The second allegation in the novel is that Constantine rejected other gospels that were favorable to the divine feminine… Let’s begin to investigate these claims…” (Pg. 1-3)
He states, “In ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ we read that the doctrine of Christ’s deity passed by a ‘relatively close vote.’ This is fiction, since only five out of more than three hundred bishops … protested the [Nicene] Creed… There is no doubt that [Constantine] used Christianity to further his own political ends. But did he invent the divinity of Jesus? … There is not a single shred of historical evidence for such a notion… We must take a moment to read the writings of the apostolic fathers, those who knew the apostles and were taught by them. Then we can investigate second- and third-generation leaders, all affirming in their own way the divinity of Jesus.” (Pg. 9-11)
He continues, “ ‘The Da Vinci Code’ claims… that Constantine and his delegates decided to eliminate books from the New Testament that were unfavorable to their theology of male rule… consider this: Historical works on Nicaea give no evidence that Constantine and the delegates even discussed the Gnostic Gospels or anything that pertained to the canon… Twenty rulings were issued at Nicaea… not one of them refers to issues regarding the canon.” (Pg. 18-19)
He reports, “‘The Da Vinci Code’ is so named because of the claim that Leonardo da Vinci was a member of the Priory of Sion. The Priory was a small band of conspirators who knew the truth about the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, but because of opposition from the church, this explosive secret had to be hidden. To escape the wrath of the Vatican, members of the Priory would encrypt their cherished knowledge in paintings, writings… in such a way that only the learned could decipher their meanings… in the novel the powerful Catholic organization Opus Dei is committed to intimidating the Priory in an effort to suppress the facts that would destroy Christianity as we know it.” (Pg. 51-52)
He continues, “Jesus drank from a cup on the night he instituted the Lord’s Supper, but no one knows what happened to it… in the twelfth century, stories circulated about the cup, which was dubbed the Holy Grail and believed to have magical power. In about the fifteenth century the idea developed that the Grail is not an object, but rather a family tree… in [the book] the Grail is said to be … the royal bloodline of Jesus.” (Pg. 57)
He argues, “it is a stretch to assume that [Mary Magdalene] was branded a prostitute in order to suppress her supposed rivalry with the apostle Peter. The argument of [Brown’s book] is that Jesus intended the church to be built on Mary, but that the early church doctored documents and declared her a harlot to render her unfit for such a high office.” (Pg. 60) Later, he adds, “Mary no doubt had a deep love for Jesus, but there is no hint of romance between them. She was indeed an honored and privileged woman to have attracted the loving mercy of the Savior… After the … Resurrection, Mary passes from the pages of the New Testament only to resurface centuries later in the mythology of occult teachings and New Age agendas…” (Pg. 63-64)
He goes on, “In [Brown’s book] we are told that in concealing the truth about Jesus’ marriage to Mary, the church has engaged in the ‘greatest cover-up in human history.’ Evidence for their marriage is supposedly found in the Gnostic Gospels.” (Pg. 65) Later, he adds, “Could Jesus have been married? Dan Brown says in Jesus’ day it was rare for a man not to be married… This, however, does not provide evidence that Jesus was married… New Testament writers such as Matthew and John, who knew Jesus best, make no reference to his marriage… Of course, someday Jesus will be married … [to] the church---his bride.” (Pg. 75)
He explains, “Why were some books left out of the Bible? Many books were circulating around the time of Jesus, and the early church had to decide which ones were authoritative. Various books had to be left out. Many of these were considered to be pseudepigraphical; that is, fraudulent writings. The Gnostic Gospels fit this category because they were not written by the apostles as claimed. Such writings were not banned from the Bible, they were not even considered because they were recognized to be forgeries and heresies.” (Pg. 95)
He asks, “Did Jesus intend Mary Magdalene to lead the church? The evidence for this claim comes largely from the ‘Gospel of Mary, which was written … in about the second century. It affirms that Jesus love Mary more than the other disciples. This account is an attempt by the Gnostics to give legitimacy to their esoteric doctrines of knowledge and to argue that women can teach in the church. This historical reliability of this story is questionable, but even if it were true, it says nothing about Jesus’ intention to build the church on Mary.” (Pg. 110)
He concludes, “Mithra is not Jesus; nor is the Jesus of the Gnostics the Jesus of Christianity. The Jesus of the New Testament was born of a virgin, died for our sins, and rose again, and he now invites us to participate in his victory. If we refuse the light, how great is the darkness!” (Pg. 147)
This book will be of keen interest to Christians seeking critiques of Dan Brown’s novel.
Read
February 20, 2013"A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and the committal read. But somehow the corpse never stays put.
No other book has been so chopped, sliced, sifted, scrutinized, and vilified. What book on philosophy or religion or psychology or belles lettres of classical or modern times has been subject to such a mass attack as the Bible? with such venom and skepticism? with such thoroughness and erudition? upon every chapter, line, and tenet?
The Bible is still loved by millions and studied by millions."
Bernard Ramm, 1957, quoted on page 122-123
Yes, I can believe that a collection of writing by more than 40 authors of various times and careers; over such an extensive period of time; having surviving copies exponentially greater in number than any other ancient documents, and in much closer chronological proximity to when the historical events occurred; and the agreement and consistency of the message found in both the Old and the New Testaments (the grace and truth of Jesus Christ); yes, I can believe that God's hand is in it. He chooses fallible means, yet by the power of the Holy Spirit, to do His work and to transform lives, and He has done so for thousands of years.
No other book has been so chopped, sliced, sifted, scrutinized, and vilified. What book on philosophy or religion or psychology or belles lettres of classical or modern times has been subject to such a mass attack as the Bible? with such venom and skepticism? with such thoroughness and erudition? upon every chapter, line, and tenet?
The Bible is still loved by millions and studied by millions."
Bernard Ramm, 1957, quoted on page 122-123
Yes, I can believe that a collection of writing by more than 40 authors of various times and careers; over such an extensive period of time; having surviving copies exponentially greater in number than any other ancient documents, and in much closer chronological proximity to when the historical events occurred; and the agreement and consistency of the message found in both the Old and the New Testaments (the grace and truth of Jesus Christ); yes, I can believe that God's hand is in it. He chooses fallible means, yet by the power of the Holy Spirit, to do His work and to transform lives, and He has done so for thousands of years.
September 11, 2020
Destroys Brown's novel completely
September 2, 2023
I read this out of a desire to understand the Christian response to Gnosticism but got so much more. A clear defense or explanation of the canon of scripture, of inspiration, of the deity and humanity of Christ, the sin nature of man, all condensed into an easy, quick read with a list of resources for deeper study.
The Da Vinci Code didn’t even have a plausible plot as far as I was concerned. Just the coincidence that now, when feminism has become so wildly popular, a conspiracy that supports every tenet it has comes to light is suspect in my book. Then the idea that people keep proof that would destroy everything they teach instead of destroying it is also wildly improbable. I could keep going, but Lutzer does a much better job of explaining the terrible flaws in that book. But it was wildly popular, and variations of these lies have been popular for millennia, so it is worthwhile to have an answer for those who take it as truth. This book is an excellent start.
That is what really stood out to me: the unchanging lies. People chose the Gnostic Christ in the third century, in the nineteen century, and even today. What a tragedy. So read this so that you can help them see even a little bit that there is a greater hope than man.
The Da Vinci Code didn’t even have a plausible plot as far as I was concerned. Just the coincidence that now, when feminism has become so wildly popular, a conspiracy that supports every tenet it has comes to light is suspect in my book. Then the idea that people keep proof that would destroy everything they teach instead of destroying it is also wildly improbable. I could keep going, but Lutzer does a much better job of explaining the terrible flaws in that book. But it was wildly popular, and variations of these lies have been popular for millennia, so it is worthwhile to have an answer for those who take it as truth. This book is an excellent start.
That is what really stood out to me: the unchanging lies. People chose the Gnostic Christ in the third century, in the nineteen century, and even today. What a tragedy. So read this so that you can help them see even a little bit that there is a greater hope than man.
March 24, 2018
I thought it was very thought provoking and really makes you wonder about true relationship between Jesus and Mary and why she was so demonized by the church (according to Dan Brown's novel). I found the part about Gnosticism particularly interesting and very comparable to these "new age" religions and movements that are sprouting up in modern society. They seem to be based around the same central theme that WE are the only ones responsible for our own salvation and enlightenment (no one else). And that the idea of one man or a divine being coming down to earth to save us is silly. But I believe that this is the stance and view of many people in modern society who cannot/will not or refuse to accept Jesus as Savior. This is certainly the stance that the new-agers along with the Illuminati/Trans-Humanists and other groups seem to take regarding this matter. I could go on until I am blue in the face about these groups but for purposes of keeping this short I will end it there. Overall very fascinating book....I give 4/5 stars.
December 9, 2024
Blow by blow (by Catholic scholar and commentator) to the theology of The Da Vinci Code. Not so complete an apologetic to non-Catholics, heavy on Church synods and such, light on Scripture, but nevertheless thorough. Pretty much everything Brown writes is a pageturner, alas his insistence that it is fact not fiction, is problematic. Unfortunately, or fortunately for he and others, the general public is largely ignorant of or apathetic to core beliefs of Christianity and anything goes- and so he knows his audience.
January 6, 2021
This book defends Christianity, debunks Gnosticism and berates a work of fiction. My favorite quote from the author is: "The life of Christ is a mirror in which each scholar sees a reflection of his own doubts, aspirations, and agenda. In the end, the authors reveal more about themselves than about Jesus."
September 24, 2017
I read The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown and enjoyed it, but I took it in as entertainment. The author of this book defends Christianity with research and answers any questions one might have if they fell into thinking The DaVinci Code was fact.
January 21, 2025
Lutzer's book is what one might consider as a "bullshit book," considering that "back in the day" everyone (especially non-Catholics) expected Dan Brown's literary musings to have "absolute authority" in showing IRREVOCABLE TRUTH in concern with Roman Catholicism.
June 7, 2016
This is an excellent piece by Erwin Lutzer that disples the myths and lies of the book by Dan Brown. Erwin mainly deals with the Gnostics and gnosticism assumptions and suppositions concerning the reality and relevance of the person of Jesus Christ. He is thorough in his work on what they believe versus Biblical truth, and he also apologetically addresses the validity of the Scripture. In the course of the book he addresses the "Jesus Seminar" and the liberal leanings of the theologians involved in that movement. This book makes for a great read for those outside of mainstream Christiaity and the relevance of the person of Jesus Christ.
November 14, 2016
Whenever there is an electricity blackout I turn to my paperback books in my library. Today was one such day. This remarkable book was sitting there unread. I had bought this a couple of years ago and did not have time to read it. Today I read The Da Vinci Deception. Erwin Lutzer has fittingly provided answers to false assumptions in the Da Vinci Code. He gives all the reasons why Christ of the New Testament is the one to put our faith and trust in. All other accounts are mere speculation.
November 7, 2011
Lutzer does an excellent job of answering all the questions raised by the novel (and movie) by Dan Brown entitled "The Da Vinci Code" such as: Was Jesus married? Did He have children? Has "The Church" been hiding this, or other startling information, for centuries?? You will find the truth here. Highly recommended.
August 17, 2012
The book got a little preachy at times, especially towards the end, but it's a good book about the history of Christianity as well as a well-written and well-researched refutation of The Da Vinci Code.
March 30, 2013
the art historical content about papers, fibers, inks and Leonardo's brushstroke, drawing capabilities were well researched and valid. The rest was no great deal. If you take all the art historical content and make a document with it, then it's worth it.
August 24, 2013
First book of Lutzer that I was able to read all because reading Dan Brown's novel made me question his basis for including historically inaccurate elements in his Da Vinci Code's book.
Lutzer was able to present credible answers using factual historical basis.
Lutzer was able to present credible answers using factual historical basis.
September 21, 2007
Very good book, but I overdosed on all the anti-Da Vinci Code books when the novel was big and am a bit sick of the whole discussion.
February 1, 2008
Love it! But I love a good conspiracy theory. I also enjoyed all the historical background.
December 5, 2012
whatever
Read
March 10, 2013not bad
February 3, 2014
A conservative biblically based renunciation of The DaVinci Code.
January 6, 2017
Concise and very informative.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews