Breaking the Da Vinci Code: Answers to the Questions Everyone's Asking

by Darrell L. Bock

Overview

Many who have read the New York Times bestseller The Da Vinci Code have questions that arise from seven codes-expressed or implied-in Dan Brown's book. In Breaking the Da Vinci Code: Answers to the Questions Everyone's Asking, Darrell Bock, Ph.D., responds to the novelist's claims using central ancient texts and answers the following questions:

• Who was Mary Magdalene?
• Was Jesus Married?
• Would Jesus Being Single be Un-Jewish?
• Do the So-Called Secret Gnostic Gospels Help Us Understand Jesus?
• What Is the Remaining Relevance of The Da Vinci Code?

Darrell Bock's research uncovers the origins of these codes by focusing on the 325 years immediately following the birth of Christ, for the claims of The Da Vinci Code rise or fall on the basis of things emerging from this period. Breaking the Da Vinci Code, now available in trade paper, distinguishes fictitious entertainment from historical elements of the Christian faith. For by seeing these differences, one can break the Da Vinci code.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780785280149
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	04/16/2006
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	646,238
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.63(d)

About the Author

Darrell L. Bock (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is senior research professor of New Testament studies and Executive Director for Cultural Engagement at Dallas Theological Seminary. Known for his work in Luke-Acts, Dr. Bock is a Humboldt Scholar (Tubingen University in Germany), is on the editorial board for Christianity Today, and a past president of the Evangelical Theological Society (2000-2001). A New York Times bestselling author, Bock has written over forty books, including Luke in the NIV Application Commentary series.

Table of Contents

Contents

Foreword....................xi
Introduction....................1
Code 1: Who Was Mary Magdalene?....................13
Code 2: Was Jesus Married?....................31
Code 3: Would Being Single Make Jesus Un-Jewish?....................47
Code 4: Do the So-Called Secret, Gnostic Gospels Help Us Understand Jesus?....................61
Code 5: How Were the New Testament Gospels Assembled?....................99
Code 6: Does Mary's Honored Role As Apostle Match the Claims of the New School?....................125
Code 7: What Is the Remaining Relevance of The Da Vinci Code?....................151
Code 8: The Real Jesus Code....................159
Appendix: Leonardo's Last Supper....................168
Selected Bibliography....................171
Glossary....................175
About the Author....................189

Editorial Reviews

Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code leaves no thrill unleashed, but it does leave unanswered many questions about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the New Testament. Dr. Darrell Bock's Breaking The Da Vinci Code is designed for Christian believers who want to resolve thorny issues raised by Brown's fast-moving historical thriller. In this clearly written book, he addresses questions such as: Do the so-called secret Gnostic Gospels help us understand Jesus? Was Jesus married? How is The Da Vinci Code relevant to my faith?