Reviewed by ANGELA E. POMETTO
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 3/16/06)

Nearly three years after Dan Brown’s controversial book The Da Vinci Code was released, interest again has spiked with the planned May release of the movie starring Tom Hanks.
Americans get their knowledge from the movies, said Mark Shea, senior content editor for catholicexchange.com. If people want to learn something about World War II, they’ll watch “Saving Private Ryan.” That’s why the upcoming movie release presents an even greater threat to Christianity than the book, said Shea, co-author of The Da Vinci Deception.
“The Da Vinci Code exploits the average American’s lack of knowledge,” said Dr. Edward Sri, professor of theology at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., and co-author.
The Da Vinci Deception answers 100 questions about Brown’s book in an easy-to-read format. Despite the fact that the Brown novel is a piece of fiction, The Da Vinci Deception assumes that there are still readers who wonder how much is fiction and how much is based on fact. The problem is that most Americans are not experts in Church history or in Scripture, said Sri.
Sri and Shea slowly break down the book’s claims and reveal the fiction. Some readers may be turned away by the way Sri and Shea attack Brown on almost every page. They portray him as a bad researcher who could have spared a lot of controversy by checking the basic facts.
“The book gives the impression that it’s based on historical fact,” said Sri. The first page starts with a list of “facts” and a claim that “all accounts are accurate.” The average reader approaches the book hoping to learn something about art, European history and Church history while being entertained with a good story, when this is not the case said Sri.
For example, Brown claims in the book that nobody before Emperor Constantine thought of Jesus as anything more than a great prophet. Constantine used the Council of Nicea in 325 to declare that Jesus was God. The emperor then channeled his power through the Vatican.
“It’s like saying two and two is five,” said Sri.
There is a paper trail of evidence of great discussions during the first 300 years after Christ’s death about whether or not Jesus was God, said Shea. Sri pointed out that many early saints like Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr and Irenaeus made constant references to Jesus’ divinity — not to mention the first century writers of the New Testament.
“Brown’s pattern is at best extremely wretched research or outright falsehoods,” Shea said.
The Da Vinci Deception seeks out these areas that can be misleading and proves that the book is 100 percent fiction. It is a good resource for Catholics who wish to have an intelligent discussion about the book with relatives, friends or co-workers. It would also make a good gift for anyone who may still be confused about whether Brown’s claims are accurate.
The Da Vinci Deception is available online at www.davincioutreach.com and www.davinciantidote.com. These sites also have study guides and other resources