Gene Fant
Chair, Department of English
Dr. Fant will discuss the literary context of The Da Vinci
Code. He will begin by examining other books in this subgenre of
literature (including a brief overview of the newer books in the
group). He will then examine how Dan Brown develops his themes
within the text, focusing on the idea of "fiction" and "truth"
in literary works. Finally, Dr. Fant will conclude with a brief
perspective on how Christians should respond to these kinds of
literature.
George Guthrie
Benjamin W. Perry Professor of Bible
School of Christian Studies
Dr. Guthrie will look at three main questions raised by Dan
Brown's novel:
- What do historians really know about Mary Magdalene from
the various literatures of the first Christian centuries?
- What is the evidence that the deity of Christ really was
a late development in Christian thinking, voted in at the
Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325?
- Were there really over 80 gospels considered for
inclusion in the Bible?
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Christopher Nadaskay
Chair, Department of Art
Professor Nadaskay will focus on refuting some (if not all)
of the claims made in the book regarding specific works of art;
he will address what he recognizes as a complete fabrication of
facts combined with a sprinkling of the accepted views presented
in the field of art history. His lecture will primarily center
on Da Vinci's "Last Supper," referencing also the art theory in
use during the Renaissance, Da Vinci's role in that theory, and
other influences present at the time (including the role of the
church in art).
Hal L. Poe
Charles Colson Professor of Faith and Culture
School of Christian Studies
Dr. Poe will explore how the Da Vinci Code interprets
historical material of the Middle Ages. The background of the
Cathari heresy and conspiracy theories related to the Knights
Templars will be discussed, as well Brown’s theme of “the rose
line.” Poe will show how Brown relies upon the highly creative
and imaginative logical fallacies and historical distortions of
an earlier book, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, to sustain his plot.
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