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[Mr. E. Yis]

http://www.teach12.com/ttc/DavinciCode.asp?ai=16930

2 lectures on mp3, about 1 hour total. (halfway down page on right side)

These lectures are by Bart Ehrman on his book, Fact and Fiction in The DaVinci Code. This guy is a scholar on the New Testament and early christianity records. You could find some of his huge books on amazon, or get some of his lecture dvds on the teaching company website, on the bottom of the page. He's critical about a lot of things of christianity, but he's got spotless research. Good stuff.

 

[SD-Ness]

Interesting, thanks.

 

[iapetus]

The worldwide obsession with this sub-mediocre book disturbs me.

 

[Saki]

Anyone who knows anything about cryptology can tell you the Da Vinci Code is crap on paper

 

[Jill Sandwich]

In my library, The Da Vinci Code is under Fiction.

 

[Prospero]

I haven't read The Da Vinci Code, but isn't it the same idea as Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, except that it's easier to read and it takes its subject matter seriously instead of satirizing it?

 

[thomaser]

I've just read Holy Blood, Holy Grail, a book published in 1982. The DaVinci Code is basically a ripoff of it... it takes most of the theories put forward in HB,HG (theories that took over 10 years to arrive at), adds a little more speculation, and presents the matter in an exciting, easy-to-read way. The similarities are so obvious and so many that it's plain to see for everyone where the inspiration for DVC came from, but none of these similarities were cited or acknowledged at all in DVC. So now, the authors of HB,HG are suing Dan Brown and his publisher for an insane amount of money. I hope they get something for their troubles, even if some of their most interesting evidence has later turned out to be based on forged documents.

 

[belgurdo]

The worldwide obsession with this sub-mediocre book disturbs me.

Anyone who knows anything about cryptology can tell you the Da Vinci Code is crap on paper

In my library, The Da Vinci Code is under Fiction.

We really care guys, we truly do

 

[iapetus]

We really care guys, we truly do

Damn it, how do you manage that, belgurdo? I can actually see the hypocrisy seeping from the page.

 

[Prospero]

I've just read Holy Blood, Holy Grail, a book published in 1982. The DaVinci Code is basically a ripoff of it....

Interesting--Eco has said that Foucault's Pendulum was inspired by reading Holy Blood, Holy Grail.

 

[Fusebox]

Did none of your super-intellectual DVC haterz even read the introduction to Da Vinci code where Brown says "hey, some of this Christian shit is true but the bulk of this book is bullshit."?

Jokes on you guys for stating the bleeding obvious and thinking it's some profound insight.

 

[Nerevar]

I didn't think all the crazy theories in the Da Vinci Code were meant to be taken seriously either ...

 

[Ghost]

Anyone who knows anything about cryptology can tell you the Da Vinci Code is crap on paper

That's twice you've said that now without any examples, do you actually have a structured reason to believe what you say or are you just repeating what someone told you?

The worldwide obsession with this sub-mediocre book disturbs me.

It's not the book it's the information within it. I think thats made pretty clear by the fact that these lectures discussing the subject matter of the book take place.

 

[Fresh Prince]

Did none of your super-intellectual DVC haterz even read the introduction to Da Vinci code where Brown says "hey, some of this Christian shit is true but the bulk of this book is bullshit."?

Jokes on you guys for stating the bleeding obvious and thinking it's some profound insight.

What I thought it was the opposite? ie most of it's true.

I am a hater since when I read the book I felt I was reading a C+ action conspiracy movie script.
Generic characters - check
Feigned love interest- check
Generic plot twist- check
Shitty dialogue- check

 

[Fusebox]

Read the intro, a lot of his christianity 'facts' are as true as any christian will have you believe but the rest is pure fiction.

Haters in this thread are like people jumping up in the middle of LotR and yelling out "Theres no such place as Middle Earth" and acting like everybody else in the theater is dumb for not knowing that.

 

[Mr. E. Yis]

Please read the first post people. This isn't a bash fest thread of the Davinci Code book, written by Dan Brown. Dan Brown says in his story that it's loosely based on 'facts'. The DaVinci Code is 98% fiction, and maybe 2% fact. The point of these lectures by Ehrman (NOT Brown), is to say what parts are real. Do not confuse these two guys. Ehrman is one of the best scholars of Christian history, and has written many books and textbooks. Check out some of his amazon reviews. And Brown is, well, an average writer more concerned with controversy than writing.

 

[Fresh Prince]

So your speaking about the cryptology bit?
Then I agree- I thought you were speaking about the 'fact' of the Chrisitan parts etc.

 

[Fusebox]

Well as an atheist, Christian 'facts' to me are about as factual as a unicorns doo-doo so I read the book from a p.o.v that it was 100% fiction, hence no sudden urge to go online and scream shenanigans after reading it.

 

[Fresh Prince]

My main problem is that it was a poorly formed book. The conspiracy theories were interesting (even though I heard some of them before) but it's a book that really doesn't deserve the acclaim it's getting.

 

[Ghost]

HOW MUCH OF THIS NOVEL IS TRUE?
The Da Vinci Code is a novel and therefore a work of fiction. While the book's characters and their actions are obviously not real, the artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals depicted in this novel all exist (for example, Leonardo Da Vinci's paintings, the Gnostic Gospels, Hieros Gamos, etc.). These real elements are interpretted and debated by fictional characters. While it is my belief that some of the theories discussed by these characters may have merit, each individual reader must explore these characters' viewpoints and come to his or her own interpretations. My hope in writing this novel was that the story would serve as a catalyst and a springboard for people to discuss the important topics of faith, religion, and history.

BUT DOESN'T THE NOVEL'S "FACT" PAGE CLAIM THAT EVERY SINGLE WORD IN THIS NOVEL IS HISTORICAL FACT?
If you read the "FACT" page, you will see it clearly states that the documents, rituals, organization, artwork, and architecture in the novel all exist. The "FACT" page makes no statement whatsoever about any of the ancient theories discussed by fictional characters. Interpreting those ideas is left to the reader.

You know it's gonna be so awesome when the movie comes out and the christian groups go nuts.

 

[Mr. E. Yis]

So your speaking about the cryptology bit?
Then I agree- I thought you were speaking about the 'fact' of the Chrisitan parts etc.

Isn't cryptology that number code/bible code stuff? If it is, there's nothing fact in that at all. I've had a friend in a class tell me a 'prediction' in the bible of Shakespeare's birth, since on page 1664 (or whatever it was) is his birthday year, and in a paragraph on that page there was the word 'shake', then later on in the same paragraph was the word 'spear'. I said "Are you serious?" Pure bullshit, especially since the bible is translated into ENGLISH from greek or hebrew. So any 'codes' wouldn't even work after translation.

Well as an atheist, Christian 'facts' to me are about as factual as a unicorns doo-doo so I read the book from a p.o.v that it was 100% fiction, hence no sudden urge to go online and scream shenanigans after reading it.

Well, this guy studies the facts from a 'secular' point of view. Not 'facts' of any religious doctrine, but things more verifiable, like how the religion got started, social impact, etc. I think you would find it interesting.

 

[Celicar]

The Da Vinci Code rocks. Best book in years. I read a lot and it is my favorite. W00t. I'm right.

 

[pnjtony]

Just to interject...There wasn't so much Cryptology in DVC as there was Symbology....

Perhaps read the book first?

Digital Fortress delt with Cryptology.

I have to agree with the LOTR analogy. Of course it's fiction dumbasses