A commentor once again advises us to calm down, and compares the Da Vinci Code to any other piece of historical fiction.

The point is missed, and by a wide mark.

Dan Brown begins his novel with a page entitled “FACT”, a page which contains assertions that the Priory of Sion is real, as is Opus Dei, and then concludes with “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” Now, Brown does not specifically include “historical events” in that list, but when you take into account the effect he is trying to produce as a writer, the frequent references to real books by real authors, some scholarly, some not even close, but purportedly scholarly, the effect is clear – that Brown has woven a suspense tale around facts and serious historical theories, leading the uneducated reader to conclude that everything he says about say, Constantine, the Council of Nicaea, Christology and the formation of the Canon are accurate.

And if you doubt that people are reading it this way, take a look at the Amazon reviews, and take a look at my email. A constant theme of my email since this summer has been that readers of DVC are, indeed, absorbing Brown’s assertions about Christian origins as fact. They are, and there’s no getting around it, and people in ministry who ignore this and its implications (i.e. the Scriptures and the Church are not trustworthy sources of information about Christian origins) are revealing that they are not really interested in ministering to people where they are, just as much as the hard-nosed pastor who preaches “doctrine” without any attempt to put the teachings of the Church in the context of the questions people are asking about their lives right here, and right now.

There are countless obstacles to the proclamation of the Gospel, and there always have been. The Da Vinci Code and what it represents (which is a decade or so of writings by others on the topic) is just one obstacle, but just like any other, it deserves attention.

Sure the “sensible” people will view it as just a novel, and no more, just as the ideal, eminently “sensible” person will reason their way through their passions and understand the value of putting God first above material things and other worldy concerns. But I don’t know about you, but that’s not who I am, and that’s not who I’m ministering to. I’m ministering to people who, like me, are facing obstacles in incorporating the Gospel fully into their lives: intellectual, psychological and spiritual obstacles. If I’m blind to that, and treat everyone as if they were the ideal, perfectly and completely open to the truth and able to integrate it and live by it, I end up speaking as a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. Why? Because I am not speaking out of love. Why? Because love means understanding and being able to see things through other’s eyes, and if I pretend that there are no problems, I am not seeing the world with love.

And finally, and very simply, many people are asking questions based on their reading of this novel. They want to know if what Brown says is, uh…true. He coats his story with a veneer of scholarly authenticity, and people want to know if he’s correct in what he says about Christian origins. What are we supposed to do, say, “Well, in response to your question, many pastors have conveyed inaccurate information about the status of divorced Catholics, I’m sorry to say.”

It seems as if that’s what some would have us do. Just not answer questions. That’s loving? Not in my book.