Weighing in on The Code

Unless you’ve been living on that remote island from the TV Show “Survivor,” chances are you’ve heard at least a tiny bit of the hype surrounding the May 19th nationwide premier of the movie “The Da Vinci Code.” The movie, of course, is based on the mega-blockbuster book by Dan Brown which has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for over 3 years. It would not be an exaggeration to say it’s become a literary phenomenon.

I did read The Da Vinci Code a couple of years ago and I really, really enjoyed it. Sure, the writing was as predictable as a Grisham novel and the hero and heroine were practically superhuman, but it was one of those books I couldn’t put down, and for me, that’s a great read, and a great escape.

Of course the controversy over the movie and the book stems from some of the religious claims made in the story. I won’t get into explaining them, refuting them or defending them. I honestly understand the opinions on both sides and I won’t say which team I’m on.

I will, however, defend one very important thing that the book and now the movie have made us do: It has prompted discussion of the Christian religion. As a Roman Catholic, I understand why many eyebrows were raised when this book was published, but I can’t help but think that anything that gets us to stop, think, listen and talk about our faith is a good thing. A very good thing. We may not agree with the theories presented by the author in this work of fiction, but for many of us, it has caused us to reexamine and, perhaps, renew our faith. In today’s culture of mass media and cynicism, I see this as a positive. For me, that’s the key to The Da Vinci Code.