CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE MARRIAGE OF JESUS IN DAN BROWN’S NOVEL THE DA VINCI CODE
A PAPER
BY
JEFRY ANDREAS REG. NO. 122202021
DIPLOMA – III ENGLISH STUDY PROGRAM FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH SUMATERA MEDAN
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION
I am JEFRY ANDREAS, declare that I am the sole of author of this paper. Except
whore reference is made in the text of this paper, this paper contains no material
published elsewhere of extracted in whole or in part from a paper by which I have
qualified for or awarded another degree.
No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text
of this paper. This paper has not been submitted for the word of another degree in any
tertiary education.
Signed :
COPYRIGHT DECLARATION
Name : Jefry Andreas
Title of Paper : CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE MARRIAGE OF
JESUS IN DAN BROWN’S NOVEL THE DA VINCI
CODE
Qualification : D-III/Ahli Madya
Study Program : English
I am willing that my paper should be available for reproduction at the discretion of
the Librarian of the Diploma III English Department Faculty of Letters USU on the
understanding that users are made aware of their obligation under law of the Republic
of Indonesia.
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ABSTRACT
ABSTRAK
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to thank to my Father, Jesus Christ, for all the
blessing and giving me health, strength, and inspiration to finish this paper as one of
the requirements to get Diploma III certificate from English Diploma Study Program,
University of North Sumatera.
Then, I would like to express a deep gratitude, love and appreciation to the
dean of Faculty of Cultural Studies, Drs. Syahron Lubis, M.A. and the head of
Diploma III English Study Program, Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A. who gives me
a lot of knowledge about doing in this paper. I would like to express my special
gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Roswita Silalahi, M.Hum. for her time, advice and
guidance to correct this paper during the process of writing and thanks to Drs.
Parlindungan Purba, M.Hum as my reader. I also wish to thank all of the lecturers in
English Diploma Study Program for giving me the instruction, tuition, and
knowledge.
I would like to say thank to my lovely family especially to my beloved single
parent, Enny Harty Tampubolon, Amd. Thank for all your motivations, advices, prays
and loves to me. I present this paper for you. Thank to my one and only sister, Lisa
Theodora Lastiur Runtu for your support and love. I always pray to you for your
study.
I would like to say thank to my close and crazy boys (Gilang Tirta Arya,
Budi Halim Lubis, Ferdinan Wilhart Siagian, Muhammad Dhuha, Eka Wardhana,
Fiqri Hanafiah and Onward Felix), my wonderful girls (Lisha Tantina Hasibuan, Nina
Fitriani, Elsha Gustika, Intan Karunia, Lara Rizqy Yoriza, Shella Novianti, Yuni
Asyifah, Nanda Yustika, Wardha Una, and Tary Navais) and my beautiful neighbours
(Soraya Claudia Lubis and Annisa). Thanks for all your supports, cares and other
things that help me to complete this paper. Thank you for the togetherness during our
study. I love you all and I will be missing all days we spent together in campus.
I would like to say thank to all my friends (SOLIDAS 2012), my juniors
(SOLIDAS 2013 and 2014), and my seniors in Diploma III English Study Program. I
am sorry I can not mention all of your names one by one. I will not forget your
supports.
I also do not forget to express sincere thanks to my best friend ever, Chindi
Maria Fransisca Sagala (King of ‘B’). Thank you for your support, laugh and smile
which take out my tired.
Finally, I do realize that this paper is still far from being perfect. Therefore, I
welcome any constructive critics and suggestions for making it better. Hopefully this
paper can inspire and give knowledge for anyone in the future.
Medan, 2015
The writer
TABLE OF CONTENTS
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION ... i
COPYRIGHT DECLARATION ... ii
ABSTRACT ... iii
ABSTRAK ... iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... vii
1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of Study ... 1
1.2 Problem of Study ... 4
1.3 Purpose of Study ... 4
1.4 Scope of Study ... 4
1.5 Method of Study……… ... 5
1.6 Reason for Choosing Topic ... 5
2. Review of Related Literature 2.1 Novel ... 6
2.2 Jesus in the Bible as Literature... 8
2.3 Marriage in the Bible as Literature ... 10
2.4 Christian in Bible as Literature. ... 13
3. The Controversy and The Responses 3.1 The Marriage of Jesus in The Da Vinci Code ... 15
3.2 The Responses of Christian Figures ... 19
4. Conclusions and Suggestions 4.1 Conclusions ... 25
4.2 Suggestions ... 26
References ... 28
Appendices 1. Dan Brown’s Biography ... 30
ABSTRACT
ABSTRAK
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
History, mystery, and fact of the life are always interested to be discussed.
This is not only because everyone has his or her own life in various ways, but also
because life has its answer for each individual question. Therefore, life and literature
have a close connection.
Literature can be defined as the attempt to describe human experience by
means of written language. The authors can convey their expression of ideas or mind
and their imagination of life to the readers through literary works. Taylor (1981: 1)
says, “Literature like other arts is essentially an imagination act of the writer’s
imagination in selecting, ordering, and interpreting life experience.”
Thus , literary work is able to enlarge human knowledge about life, social
problems, and philosophy because there are some literary works describe certain
situation and illustrate something important for us, as Rene Wellek and Austen
(1956:111) states that,
“To be sure, literature can be treated as a document in the history of ideas and philosophy, for literature parallels and intellectual history. Frequently either explicit statements of allusion show the allegiance of a poet to a specific philosophy once well known or at least that he is aware of their general assumption.”
Literature, as a discipline, has its own characters, which makes it different
from other disciplines. It has literary elements, which convey direct object of sense
expression of actions, characters, setting, point of view, and style. These elements
arranged in such a way in order to make sense and have a direct relation to actual life.
Taylor (1981:2) says, “More than, any other arts, literature reflects or
comments on actual experience, social, philosophical, psychological, and more
concern”. By analyzing a literary work, we also learn about moral lesson. It describes
about human attitude more than psychologist can do as what is written in Theory of
Literature by Rene Wellek: The novelist can teach you more about human nature.
Literature is mainly divided into three genres classified in accordance with
certain characters and features. The common genetic divisions are prose, poetry, and
drama. And in Richard Taylor’s opinion, that narrative fiction including novel is the
only genre that is meant to be written down for private reading.
Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code is a famous and controversial masterpiece.
The Da Vinci Code gets much attention around the world because of the intriguing
and brave theme that Dan Brown brings in this novel. Even there are some
accusations that Brown tries to attack the church and holy bible as Dr. Erwin Lutzer,
a theology expert says, “The Da Vinci Code is the most serious attack to the
Christianity I have ever found”. Moreover, Brown gives a brief and interesting theme
with the touch of religious theme in his novel. He uses real names in naming the sects
or organizations, such as The Opus Dey, Knight Templar, The Massion, etc. He also
uses the real places to support the reality effects in his novel, such as The Louvre
Museum, The Depository Bank of Zurich, Saint-Sulpice Church, Temple Church, etc.
ritual that is believed by many people as a real ritual of Pagan religion in which the
followers of this ritual have a sex ritual to get closer to their God (Stewart). Brown’s
amazing skill in telling the story makes the novel very interesting and the readers‟
brain work when they read this novel.
One point that Brown tries to figure out in The Da Vinci Code novel is the
history of the biggest religion in the world, Christian. Christian is a big religion,
which has an old and long history, the history of Mary Magdalene. In The Da Vinci
Code, Brown says that Magdalene is a famous woman in Christian history, especially
when she is related to Jesus. Jesus and Magdalene had a close relationship. Besides,
Magdalene was one of Jesus twelve apostles (disciples). In addition, some stories
stated that Magdalene was Jesus wife. Some stories also tell that Magdalene was
Jesus favorite disciple more than Saint Peter. Moreover, Peter felt jealous of
Magdalene because Jesus preferred Magdalene. Bible in The Gospel of Philip states
that,
“And the companion of the Savior is Mary Magdalene. Christ loved her more than all the disciples and used to kiss her often on her mouth. The rest of the disciples were offended by it and expressed disapproval. They said to him, “Why do you love her more than all of us?”” (Bible: The Gospel of Philip)
However, there is also a misconception about Magdalene, which states that
she was a prostitute. The early church spreads that issue in order to cover up her
dangerous secret that she was the Holy Grail and the woman to whom Jesus fell in
love. The history of Magdalene spreads out along The Da Vinci Code novel. This
On this occasion, the writer is going to analyze Dan Brown’s novel, The Da
Vinci Code, but the analyzing about the controversy within. It is a very interesting
novel to read, it tells about the secret history is opened in this era and that make many
controversial, especially for Christian. Because that is too connected with religion.
1.2 Problem of Study
In order for the discussion of writing this paper is not very width, the writer
focuses on writing into to main questions:
1) How does The Da Vinci Code state about the marriage of Jesus?
2) How do the response of Christian figures about the marriage of Jesus in The Da
Vinci Code?
1.3 Purpose of Study
The purpose of the study in this paper, as follows:
1) Through this paper, the writer wants to increase the objective understanding of the
controversy and the response of Christian figures about the marriage of Jesus in
The Da Vinci Code.
2) Then, the writer has to fulfill the requirement in Diploma III English Study
Program Faculty of Culture Studies, University of North Sumatera.
1.4 Scope of Study
The focus of the study in this paper is to analyze the issue of the marriage of
about controversy and response. The Da Vinci Code is taken as the context of this
paper because of its controversy. And the other topics which have no relation to the
context will not be included in this paper.
1.5 Method of Study
This paper is the result of library research in which the main data is obtained
from the Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code. Some supplement data are derived
from various books or other literatures that relates to this discussion available in
library.
The methods that used are descriptive, analytical, and comparative.
Descriptive method will be used to give an objective description of the concept of the
material covered. The analytical method used to see more about the response of
Christians and the controversy. The comparative method will be used on things
contained in the material in this paper.
1.6 Reason for Choosing Topic
This paper is the result of library research in which the main data is obtained
from the Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code. Some supplement data are derived
from various books or other literatures that relates to this discussion available in
library.
The method that used is descriptive, analytical, and comparative. Descriptive
method will be used to give an objective description of the concept of the material
the controversy. The comparative method will be used on things contained in the
2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Novel
A novel is a long narrative, normally in prose, which describes fictional
characters and events, usually in the form of a sequential story.
While
into being in the early 18th century, the
continuous and comprehensive history of about two thousand years", with historical
roots in
of the
present generic English term in the 18th century.
While a more precise definition of the genre is difficult, the main elements
that critics discuss are: how the narrative, and especially the plot, is constructed; the
themes, settings, and
character, and setting relate to
Popular fiction has dealt with almost any topic the modern public sphere has
provided. Class and gender divisions are omnipresent in love stories: the majority of
them harp on tragic confrontations that arise wherever a heroine of lower social status
falls in love with a doctor, the wealthy heir of an estate or company, or just the Alpine
happy endings. They can be read as escapist dreams of how to change social status by
marriage; they are at the same time constant indicators of existing or imaginary social
barriers. All major political confrontations of the past one hundred years have become
the scenery of popular exploits, whether they focused on soldiers, spies, or on
civilians fighting between the lines.
The authors of popular fiction–and that is the essential difference between
them and their counterparts in the sphere of so-called elitist literature–tend to
proclaim that they have simply exploited the controversial topics. Dan Brown does
this on his website answering the question whether his Da Vinci Code could be called
an "anti-Christian" novel:
“No. This book is not anti-anything. It's a novel. I wrote this story in an effort to explore certain aspects of Christian history that interest me. The vast of majority devout Christians understand this fact and consider The Da Vinci Code an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate. Even so, a small but vocal group of individuals has proclaimed the story dangerous, heretical, and anti-Christian. While I regret having offended those individuals, I should mention that priests, nuns, and clergy contact me all the time to thank me for writing the novel. Many church officials are celebrating The Da Vinci Code because it has sparked renewed interest in important topics of faith and Christian history. It is important to remember that a reader does not have to agree with every word in the novel to use the book as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith.”
The author of popular fiction has a fan community to serve and satisfy. He or
she can risk rebuffing both the critical public and its literary experts in their search for
interesting readings (as Dan Brown effectively does with his statement on possible
readings of his novel). The popular author's position towards his text is generally
to be compelled to write. They follow (says the popular mythology) their inner
voices, a feeling for injustice, an urge to face a personal trauma, an artistic vision.
The authors of popular fiction have their own calling: they must not fail the
expectations of their audiences. A covenant of loyalty and mutual respect is the basis
on which the author of popular fiction continues his or her work. The typical branches
of the production have no contact to mythologies of authorship.
2.2 Jesus in the Bible as Literature
Jesus, the proper, as Christ is the official, name of our Lord. To distinguish
him from others so called, he is spoken of as "Jesus of Nazareth" (
"Jesus the son of Joseph"
This is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, which was originally
Hoshe
Jeshua, whence the Greek form Jesus. It was given to our Lord to denote the object of
his mission, to save (Matthew 1:21).
The life of Jesus on earth may be divided into two great periods, that of his
private life, till he was about thirty years of age, that of his public life, which lasted
about three years.
In the "fullness of time" he was born at Bethlehem, in the reign of the emperor
Augustus, of Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter
Wise men from the east came to Bethlehem to see him who was born "King of the
Jews," bringing gifts with them
Joseph's flight into Egypt with Mary and the infant Jesus, where they tarried till the
death of this ki
Lower Galil
years he went up to Jerusalem to the Passover with his parents. There, in the temple,
"in the midst of the doctors," all that heard him were "astonished at his understanding
and answers" (
Eighteen years pass, of which we have no record beyond this, that he returned
to Nazareth and "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man"
(
He entered on his public ministry when he was about thirty years of age. It is
generally reckoned to have extended to about three years. “Each of these years had
peculiar features of its own.
1) The first year may be called the year of obscurity, both because the records of it
which we possess are very scanty, and because he seems during it to have been
only slowly emerging into public notice. It was spent for the most part in Judea.
2) The second year was the year of public favor, during which the country had
become thoroughly aware of him; his activity was incessant, and his frame rang
through the length and breadth of the land. It was almost wholly passed in Galilee.
3) The third was the year of opposition, when the public favor ebbed away. His
felt a victim to their hatred. The first six months of this final year were passed in
Galilee, and the last six in other parts of the land." (Stalker's Life of Jesus Christ,
p. 45.).
2.3 Marriage in the Bible as Literature
Marriage is an intimate and complementing union between a man and a
woman in which the two become one physically, in the whole of life. The purpose of
marriage is to reflect the relationship of the Godhead and to serve him. Although the
fall has marred the divine purpose and function of marriage, this definition reflects
the God-ordained ideal for marriage from the beginning.
Genesis 1:26-27 declares that mankind was created in God's image with a
plural composition of male and female, each separately in God's image (cf.
defined in Scripture, contexts in which God's image are discussed must define the
concept (cf.
creativity (procreation), reasoning power, decision-making, and relationship.
The relational aspect of God's image is reflected in the bringing together of
male and female in "one fl
differences portrays various aspects of God's image: same nature and essence, equal
members, intimate relationship, common purpose, and distinct personalities with
different roles, including authority and submission. In the Trinity the Father leads, the
However, all three are fully and equally deity. Likewise, male and female in the
marriage relationship are of the same nature and essence, equal as persons (cf.
different roles: the husband leads and the wife submits to his leadership (cf.
the Godhead. Marriage, the most intimate human relationship, was appropriately
chosen to reflect this relational aspect of the divine image. Each sex alone
incompletely exhibits this part of the divine image. This open intimate relational
aspect of God's image, reflected in marriage, was marred by the fall (cf.
from God.
Marriage is the most basic and significant social relationship to humankind.
This relationship must be nurtured and maintained for the welfare of all. Without
marriage, society will fail.
God's design for marital relationship is heterosexual, not homosexual, and
monogamous, not polygamous. This relational aspect of God's image in marriage has
analogues portrayed in Yahweh's relation with Israel
disobedience to Yahweh are frequently depicted as spiritual "adultery"
which she was punished by captivity. Yahweh "divorced" his "unfaithful wife"
restore her to faithfulness and holine
New Testament marriage imagery describes the relationship between Christ
and his church (cf.
is sacrificially loved by Christ, just as a husband should love his wife
even as Christ is the head of the church, his b
submissively to her husband's sacrificial love like the church submits to Christ's
becoming holy and blameless before God, even as Christ presents the church without
blemish to the Fathe
the functional model for a marriage relationship.
God commanded the male and female to perform two specific functions:
procreation ("fruitful and multiply") and ruling over the earth ("subdue" and "rule")
female) receive God-ordained authority to rule over the rest of creation, but not over
each other.
Human reproduction comes through intimate sexual union designed only for
the marriage relationship. Cohabitation abuses the procreative nature of the marriage
unable to have children for various physical reasons. This does not make their
marriage second-rate or inferior. However, a married couple should desire to obey the
divine injunction of procreation if possible. Children are one manifestation of the
"one flesh" of marriage.
2.4 Christian in the Bible as Literature
A dictionary definition of a Christian would be something similar to “a person
professing belief in Jesus as the Christ or in the religion based on the teachings of
Jesus.” While this is a good starting point, like many dictionary definitions, it falls
somewhat short of really communicating the biblical truth of what it means to be a
Christian. The word “Christian” is used three times in the New Testam
Antioc
The word “Christian” literally means, “Belonging to the party of Christ” or a
“follower of Christ.”
The Bible teaches that the good works we do cannot make us acceptable to
God. Titus says, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but
because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the
Holy Spirit.” So, a Christian is someone who has been born again by G
us that it is “…by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from
A true Christian is a person who has put faith and trust in the person and work
of Jesus Christ, including His death on the cross as payment for sins and His
resurrection on the third day. John tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those
who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” The mark of
a true Christian is love for others and obedience to God’s Wor
true Christian is indeed a child of God, a part of God’s true family, and one who has
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE CONTROVERSIAL
3.1 The Marriage of Jesus in The Da Vinci Code
If Jesus marries with Magdalene, is that wedding has a specific purpose? In
other words, is it a kind of conventional wedding? Is it a kind of the alliance of the
dynasty? Is it having a political purpose?
Does Jesus come from Nazareth? There is still no indication that he is ones
from a poor carpenter family? None of the Bible describes Jesus like that. He looks
like as an educating, a training person for being a Rabbi. He also interacts with the
rich and influential people, even with poor people like Joseph of Arimathea and
Nicodemus.
That marriage is not a simple wedding party that held by the common people.
On the contrary, there are much visible signs of the luxury of high society that
attended by a hundred guests. There are many waiters who rush working to comply
Jesus and Marry order. There is also a leader of the wedding party who served as a
chief waiter or maybe a nobleman.
Clearly, that wedding party provides much wine. When Jesus change the
water into wine, according to the Good News Bible, He produces less than eight
hundred bottles of wine and it is just another addition.
The wedding in Cana is the kind of luxury event from a noble family. The
presence of Jesus and His mother has showed the status of Jesus. It is about the blood
castle’s residents, because it is impossible if the waiters comply all their orders. If
Jesus is a nobleman and marries with Magdalene, it is means that Magdalene will
have the same status with Him.
According to all annotation of the New Testament in the Bible, Jesus is the
David’s generation. According to the views of the Benjamin’s tribe, it makes Jesus
becomes a usurper power man. The dislike sense of Jesus becomes more pile up,
moreover if He marries with a woman who comes from Benjamin’s tribe. This kind
of marriage is the alliance of the two significant dynasties. It does not only give the
Israel people an extraordinary king or pastor, but also it can show the symbolic
function of the return of Jerusalem to the owner. So, it means that it can be increase
the popular alliance and support of Jesus.
Jesus may be a King-priest of the line generation of David that has the right to
claim His throne. He probably combines His position by doing a marriage between
two significant dynasties symbolically. He may act to ally His country by actuating
His proponent behind Him, driving out the tyrant, expelling their dolls and improving
the grandeur of their empire as like as Salomon’s government.
The rules that govern the wedding in the dynasty, as like Jesus wedding is
certainly contrast to the rules of Jewish people. The only reason that allows the sex to
happen is being a father.
All the marriage or sex’s procedures are set tightly. Laurence Gardner
There is one time engaged for three months and the first day of the wedding
ceremony with the oil occurs in September. It marks the beginning of a period of
relationship. However, recent sexual intercourse may occur after the first half of the
month of December that year. The delay is meant to ensure that the baby will be born
in September; this is the month of peace (Atonement). If the relationship produces a
pregnancy, sexual intercourse can only be continued in December. Until the day of
his second marriage, the woman is considered to be young woman.
At the second marriage, in March, the bride has already been in three months
of pregnant. The reason of three months delay is to see the possibility of miscarriage
in pregnancy. It also means that the husband can resign from the marriage if his wife
is proved to be infertile. Besides December, when the couple does the sexual
intercourse, the couple must live separate each other.
When they live apart, the wife is considered as a widow. It means that she is
on the one level lower that “Alamah”. The woman is asked to be sorrowful for her
husband. It is as explained in the Luke 7:38 “As she stood behind him at his feet
weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears.”
One of the oil that used in the wedding ritual is the Spikenard oil. The
Spikenard oil is the oil that used by Magdalene to anoint Jesus. Marry Magdalene
anoints Jesus head in the Simon Zealots house. He is better known as Lazarus. In
June, 30 AD, Marry Magdalene anoints Jesus feet with Spikenard perfume in the
John does not mention about the existence of the real marriage in Cana, he
just say that is no wedding party there. Among all the guests in there, there are the
disciples and gentiles adherent that does not clean. Jesus is the groom in that party.
When the commotion happens because of the wine communion, the Jesus mother
tells all the waiters to do what Jesus commanded.
Actually, the guests should not make a commotion. The real ceremony will be
held in the next September. Marry Magdalene anoints Jesus feet again in March 33
AD and wipes it dry with her hair. The only people who allowed anointing with
Spikenard is the Messiah’s wife. The only time that allowed is in the first and second
wedding ceremony.
The King of Egypt is allowed to marry their sisters. The King of Judah does
not follow those procedures but they consider that the successor to the throne will fall
on the line of woman. John the Baptist is Zadok of men lineage. The wife who comes
from the men lineage always gets Elisheba as their designation. The wife who comes
from the Davidic dynasty always gets marry as their designation. It is the reason why
Jesus mother and His wife are called as Marry.
Dan Brown tells it for us in The Da Vinci Code, “And the couple of the Savior
is Marry Magdalene. Christ loves her more than other disciples, and he often kisses
her mouth.”
The other disciples feel resentful of Him. They say to Jesus, “Why do you
her?” The mystery of that marriage is very excitement because it seems like that the
world will never know about that marriage.
Kissing on the mouth is an action which can only be done for a married
couple. Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code does not mention a quotation from Thomas
Gospel, when Peter said, “Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life.’ Jesus
said, ‘I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a
living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will
enter the kingdom of heaven.’”
3.2 The Responses of Christian Figures A. Darrel L. Bock
Darrel L. Bock is a bachelor from the Gospel study of the New Testament. He
is also a professor for a research who comes from Theological University of Dallas in
US. Bock got his PhD from The University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
His works about the essay of the blasphemy act and God’s glorification is his
collection. That is Judaism and the Final Examination of Jesus.
Bock is a former chairman of the Evangelical Theological Society. Now, he is
an editor of Christianity Today magazine and he often publishes article in the Los
Angeles Time and Dallas Morning News.
Lately, Bock is better known with his work that relates to the Dan Brown’s
book, The Da Vinci Code. In responding to the implication of that theology book,
relates to the Gospels with some views found in The Da Vinci Code. Particularly, it is
about the Jesus marriage with Magdalene.
Bock also writes articles on beliefnet.com and christianitytoday.com. The
latest book of Bock is The Missing Gospel that denies the existence and legitimacy of
Christian Orthodoxy who is not legitimates the Church Law and its study.
Darrel L. Bock argues that the conclusion about Jesus marriage with a woman
named Mary Magdalene is created frivolously. How can we conclude about a
phenomenon in a history text only based on the narrative of its text? Moreover, the
Gospel is about from thousand years ago. Logically, it will able to get some diversion
of language. It is because the Bible is translated from Hebrew to the Latin. Then, it is
also translated to the English/French that used by Dan Brown.
Dan Brown also makes another controversial conclusion. He says that the
Merovingian dynasty is a dynasty that comes from Jesus and Marry Magdalene’s
generation. After Jesus is crucified, some loyal disciples of Jesus run off Mary
Magdalene and her children from Jesus to out from Jerusalem. After a stop in some
places, Marry Magdalene settles in the region of Languedoc, south of France. She
stays in the Rennes le Chateau village that becomes the first research place of Dan
Brown.
After the generation of Marry Magdalene mingles with the local people, they
also spread up their population till the Viking, Germania, Visigoth area and others.
They build and empire and a dynasty that named Merovingian. The founder of the
the reason why the Kings of Merovingian dynasty is treated as a king-priest, a pure
king who does not only acts as a symbol of the country but also act as the spiritual
leader for their society.
Regardless from Dan Brown’s controversy about the marriage of Jesus, Darrel
L. Bock takes his attitudes against the personal of Jesus:
1) Jesus/Isa is someone who brings the Holy messages from the Almighty God and it
makes him being sacred regardless from the fact of His marriage.
2) The holiness of Jesus/Isa should be become the orientation of Christians who
believe in the existence of Jesus/Isa. The Christians should not use the Holiness of
Jesus to sharpen who believe in His presence.
B. Erwin Lutzer
Erwin Lutzer was born on October 3, 1941 in Saskatchewan, Canada. He was
the fifth son of Gustav and Wanda Lutzer. He graduated from the University of
Winnipeg Bible and the Dallas University, Texas. He graduated in 1967. Now, Erwin
Lutzer is a senior pastor in the Moody Church in Chicago, US.
Erwin Lutzer argues that one of the sources that use by Dan Brown in writing
The Da Vinci Code book is the Lincoln’s book Holy Blood Grail-Holy Grail.
The most significant thing in the book is about the around Jesus life, such as
the question about the marriage of Jesus and Jesus child. It is also the question about
Such a question like: Does Jesus marry? The early assumption that used by
Dan Brown is about Jesus is a Jew, it is a prophet and a Rabbi. While both written
and unwritten Jewish Law, it is a must for a young Jew to get marriage if they have
been in the puberty age. There is also the written Jewish Law says that a man can be a
Rabbi, if he has already married. From this perspective, it means that Jesus must
marry.
On the other hand, the Bible and other sources which do not explicitly state
that Jesus gets marriage. Another source from the Apocrypha book also implicitly
states that Jesus gets marriage. Then, it is said also that the Jesus wife is Mary
Magdalene. Magdalene is described in the Bible as the woman who anoints the Jesus
feet and watches the Jesus death on cross. She is also the first woman who comes to
the Jesus tomb. The church makes mistakes for thousand years in describing Mary
Magdalene as a prostitute.
Magdalene marries with Jesus and they have children. After the death of
Jesus, Magdalene with the Jesus disciples run off to the Southern of French (Gaul)
that in habited by Jewish settles for many years. In there, the Jesus generations spread
up and they have link to the Merovingian dynasty. It is lead by Frank as the King in
the 6-7th century. Holy Grail is the symbol of Jesus generation. It is no a Banquet if it
interprets literally.
Is that story true? Dan Brown uses the disclosure of facts that are strong
enough. He uses a wide several evidences and facts from the writings and documents
perpetrators that can be trusted. The biggest weakness in the one of Dan Brown’s
statement: “the Bible (New Testament) is the book that has altered, changed,
republished and edited in accordance with the needs of the Church at that time. So,
the Bible does not be a source that is trusted in revealing the story of Jesus life.
The strength of Dan Brown’s book, The Da Vinci Code is he does not take the
conclusions but says that there is a kind of hypothesis. The hypothesis has not proven
right and still related to a relationship that has not been strong.
Does the hypothesis in The Da Vinci Code affect the people’s faith
(Christians)? According to Erwin Lutzer, it is not a problem, if the proof of a history
is in the opposite of the faith. The proof of Jesus marriage and have a child can not
destroy the faith of Christians. Of course, there are something dreaded in the book
that makes a too much reactions from the Church and religious. Too much reaction
make the facts are distorted.
C. Martin Lunn
Martin Lunn is a recognized expert in the Davidic bloodline and other issues
presented in The Da Vinci Code. He has a master’s degree in history and an extensive
background in journalism. He has lived throughout the Far and Middle East, the US
and several countries in Europe, currently residing in Barcelona. He is also Grand
Master of the Dragon Society, founded originally in 1408 by King Sigismund of
Martin Lunn argues that the Roman Catholic Church feels highlighted and
looks not happy with that critical highlight because of The Da Vinci Code book. The
Church defends their followers over the 2000 years and feels happy to know that their
faith runs without any evidence.
The Da Vinci Code is a successful novel not only because its honesty, but
because the murderer story in that book. It is also because Dan Brown evokes the
readers to see “the truth”. He stimulates the readers to increase the knowledge about it
and also makes dissatisfaction to always find out what happen in the end of the novel.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was published in 2003. The book is
followed by the film that adapts from the novel and has the same title with the novel.
The Da Vinci Code film plays simultaneously around the world. For some Christians,
particularly Catholics, this novel and this film are the fiction that can rock the faith.
The fuss of The Da Vinci Code relates some description about the
fundamental aspects of Christian’s belief. The novel and the film contain many ideas
which not embrace the main of theology. For example, the book tells that Jesus/Isa is
not God, but only a human. Before the fourth century, Jesus is considered only as
human, but the Empire of Roman Emperor at that time, Constantine, defies Jesus
according to his old paganism.
Not less suspenseful, Jesus also is told that he has been married to Mary
Magdalene who then conceives and gives birth to his child. Therefore, she should
have got more respect. Until this time, still in plot of Brown’s fiction, Jesus lineage
fact and fiction. Now, an underground community, Priory of Sion still glorifies the
figure of Magdalene and the mysterious truth trying to keep it. For centuries, the
Catholic Church has tried to cover up that “truth”, don’t even hesitate to kill people
4. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
4.1 Conclusions
According to the problem of this paper, the writer took the conclusions, as
follows:
1) State of The Da Vinci Code about the marriage of Jesus
In the book of The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown concludes that the wedding’s
phenomenon in Cana is the place where the miracle of Jesus is happened. Jesus
changes the water into wine. In this book, it is the marriage of Jesus.
The early assumption that used by Dan Brown is about Jesus is a Jew. He is
also a prophet and a Rabbi. While both written and unwritten Jewish Law, it is a must
for a young Jew to get marriage if they have been in the puberty age. There is also the
written Jewish Law says that a man can be a Rabbi, if he has already married. From
this perspective, it means that Jesus must marry.
2) The response of Christian figures about the marriage of Jesus in The Da Vinci Code
A. Darrel L. Bock
Darrel L. Bock argues that the conclusion about Jesus marriage with a woman
named Mary Magdalene is created frivolously. How can we conclude about a
phenomenon in a history text only based on the narrative of its text? Moreover, the
of language. It is because the Bible is translated from Hebrew to the Latin. Then, it is
also translated to the English/French that used by Dan Brown.
B. Erwin Lutzer
Erwin Lutzer argues that one of the sources that use by Dan Brown in writing
The Da Vinci Code book is the Lincoln’s book Holy Blood Grail-Holy Grail. Dan
Brown uses the disclosure of facts that are strong enough. He uses a wide several
evidences and facts from the writings and documents in the medieval century. He also
hunts information to the historians and the even perpetrators that can be trusted. The
biggest weakness in the one of Dan Brown’s statement: “the Bible (New Testament)
is the book that has altered, changed, republished and edited in accordance with the
needs of the Church at that time. So, the Bible does not be a source that is trusted in
revealing the story of Jesus life.
C. Martin Lunn
Martin Lunn argues The Da Vinci Code is just a novel, a fictional story, but it
is faced as the serious phenomenon for the Christian figures. He also argues The Da
Vinci Code is a successful novel not only because its honesty, but because the
murderer story in that book. It is also because Dan Brown evokes the readers to see
“the truth”. He stimulates the readers to increase the knowledge about it and also
4.2 Suggestions
The writer did not want to join the fuss about the pros and cons of Jesus
marriage in The Da Vinci Code. Maybe it is just a business strategy to make the novel
and the film more popular. But we must make it as our object of contemplation
without murmuring and pointing someone as an infidel. We can make it as our
reference to broad and sharp our faith.
The writer hopes this paper will make the reader understand about this novel
including the controversial found in this novel. Many things found in this novel are
very interesting to analyze further. In writing this paper, the writer uses simple word.
The writer realizes that this paper is still far from being perfect. The controversy in
this novel is only a part from many that can be explored more. So, the writer really
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APPENDICES
1. Dan Brown's Biography
Dan Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author of thriller fiction.
Brown was born and raised in Exeter, New Hampshire, the oldest of three children.
His mother Constance (Connie) was a professional musician, playing organ at church.
Brown's father Richard G. Brown taught high school mathematics at Phillips Exeter
Academy from 1962 until his retirement in 1997. Richard was a prominent
mathematician. He wrote the bestselling mathematics textbook Advanced
Mathematics: Precalculus with Discrete Mathematics and Data Analysis, and had
been offered a job to work at the National Security Agency, but declined because he
did not want to move his family out of New Hampshire. Richard was also chosen by
President George H.W. Bush to receive the "Presidential Award for Excellence in
Science and Mathematics Teaching". Phillips Exeter Academy is an exclusive
boarding school, which required new teachers to live on campus for several years, so
mostly Christian. Brown sang in the church choir, attended Sunday school, and spent
summers at church camp. His own schooling was at public schools in Exeter until the
9th grade, at which time he enrolled in Phillips Exeter, as did his younger siblings
Valerie and Gregory when it became their turn.
After graduating from Phillips Exeter in 1982, Brown attended Amherst
College, where he was a member of Psi Upsilon Fraternity. During his Junior year at
Amherst, Brown went to Europe to study art history at the University of Seville in
Spain, which is where he first began seriously studying the works of Leonardo Da
Vinci. Brown graduated from Amherst in 1986, and then played around with music
for awhile, creating effects with synthesizer music, and self-producing a cassette
entitled SynthAnimals which included a collection of tracks such as "Happy
Frogs"and "Suzuki Elephants." He formed his own (vanity) record company called
Dalliance, and in 1990 self-published a CD entitled Perspective, targeted to the adult
market, which sold a few hundred copies.
In 1991 he moved to Hollywood to pursue a career as singer-songwriter and
pianist. To support himself, he taught Spanish classes at Beverly Hills Preparatory
School. While in Los Angeles he joined the National Academy of Songwriters, and
participated in many of its events. It was there that he met Blythe Newlon, a woman
12 years his senior, who was the Academy's director of artistic development. Though
not officially part of her job, she took on the seemingly unusual task of helping to
promote Brown's projects -- she wrote press releases, set up promotional events, and
Brown also developed a personal relationship, though this was not known to all of
their associates until 1993, when Brown moved back to New Hampshire, and it was
learned that Blythe would be accompanying him. They later married, at a location
near North Conway, New Hampshire. Along with helping his singing career, Blythe
has also been a major influence on Brown's career as an author, as she assists with
much of the promotion involved with his books. She co-wrote both of his early
"humor" books, which were written under pseudonyms, and there is speculation that
she may have helped with other books as well. In the Acknowledgement for
Deception Point, Brown thanked "Blythe Brown for her tireless research and creative
input." In interviews, Brown says that his wife is an "art historian" and "painter",
though there is no record of her having worked professionally in this capacity, aside
from her assistance with the book research.
Brown and Blythe moved to his hometown in New Hampshire in 1993.
Brown became an English teacher at his alma mater Phillips Exeter, and gave Spanish
classes to 7th graders at Lincoln Akerman School, a small school for K-8th grade
with about 250 students, in Hampton Falls. Also in 1994, while on holiday in Tahiti,
he read Sidney Sheldon's novel The Doomsday Conspiracy, and decided that he could
do better. He started work on Digital Fortress, and also co-wrote a humor book with
his wife, 187 Men to Avoid: A Guide for the Romantically Frustrated Woman, under
the pseudonym "Danielle Brown" (one of the 187 items in the book was "Men who
write self-help books for women"). The author description on the book said,
avoiding men." The copyright, however, is listed as "Dan Brown". It sold a few
thousand copies before going out of print. Digital Fortess was published in 1998.
Blythe did much of the book's promotion, writing press releases, booking Brown on
talk shows, and setting up press interviews. A few months later, Brown and his wife
released The Bald Book, another humor book. It was officially credited to his wife,
though a representative of the publisher said that it was primarily written by Brown.
In 1996, Brown quit teaching to become a full-time writer. His first three
novels had mediocre success, but the fourth novel,The Da Vinci Code became a
runaway bestseller, going to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list during its
first week of release in 2003. It is now credited with being one of the most popular
books of all time, and as of 2005, has sold more than 25 million copies (mostly in
hardcover) around the world. Its success has helped push sales of Brown's earlier
books. In 2004, all four of his novels were on the New York Times list in the same
week, and in 2005, he made Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people
of the year. Forbes magazine placed Brown at #12 on their 2005 "Celebrity 100" list,
and estimated his annual income at $76.5 million USD. Brown is interested in
cryptography, keys, and codes, which are a recurring theme in his stories. He is
currently the most famous celebrity in New Hampshire, and his novels have been
translated into more than 40 languages.
Brown is working on a new novel, called The Solomon Key, which will
reportedly take place in Washington DC, and feature the secret society of the
which involves a famous composer's "all factual" associations with a secret society.
Speculation is that this may mean Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was also a
Freemason.
2. Summary of the Novel
Symbologist Robert Langdon is thrown into a mysterious and bizarre murder.
Alongside Langdon is the victims granddaughter and cryptologist Sophie Neveu, who
with Robert discovers clues within Da Vinci's paintings. To further find the truth,
Robert and Sophie travel from Paris to London, whilst crossing paths with allies and
villains such as Sir Leigh Teabing and Silas. Wherever their path takes them, there
discovery which is about to be revealed could shake the foundations of mankind.
Professor Robert Langdon is in Paris on business when he's summoned to The
Louvre. A dead body has been found, setting Langdon off on an adventure as he
attempts to unravel an ancient code and uncover the greatest mystery of all time.The
story tells the investigation started by symbolist Robert Langdon and a good-looking
cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, around the murder of a Museum Louvre's curator. In fact,
the unfortunate murdered man was Sophie's grandfather, and the corpse was found
with a series of symbols and codes, like a pentagram and a Fibonacci number
sequence. But police detective Fache will begin to chase Langdon, who escapes after
receiving a warning about the captain's real intentions. Sophie has with her a kind of
key with dots and number 24 engraved on it, which opens to her and Langdon a big
Mary Magdalene were, in fact, a couple who produced a daughter named Sara. A
millenarian sect called The Priory of Sion has kept for centuries the secret of that
matter. A masochist and kind of psychopath albino monk, Sibilas, an Opus Dei
member, will chase Langdon and Sophie as well, in order to impede that they solve
the mystery of Christ and Mary Magdalene, and also the real meaning and location of
the Holy Grail. A passionate British researcher, will help Langdon in his quest,
revealing to them several symbolisms in Da Vinci's master work The Last Supper,
traveling to mythical places in the UK, such as The Church Temple, where it is
believed that a group of Templars Knights are buried, and Sir Isaac Newton's tomb at
Westminster Abbey, where are located some of the main keys to solve the Holy
Grail's mystery.
When respected American religious symbology expert Dr. Robert Langdon is
summoned to the Louvre by the French version of the FBI, led by Captain
BezuFache, he soon discovered that he is the #1 suspect for the murder of a historian
Langdon had been scheduled to meet with.. Assisted by a French cryptographer and
government agent named Sophie, Langdon is challenged to decipher a chain of
cryptic codes and puzzles, all the while trying to stay ahead of Fiche’s lawmen in a
chase through the Louvre, and out into the Parisian cityscape, and finally across the
channel to England. Can Langdon and Sophie decipher the nature of a secret dating
back to Leonardo Da Vinci and earlier before those responsible for the historian's
While in Paris on business, Harvard symbol gist Robert Langdon is informed
that the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the
body, police have found a baffling cipher. Solving the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is
stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci - clues
visible for all to see, and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter. Langdon joins
forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator
was involved in the Priory of Sion - an actual secret society. In a breathless race
through Paris, London and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless
power broker who appears to work for Opus Dei - a clandestine, Vatican-sanctioned
Catholic organization believed to have long plotted to seize the Priory's secret. Unless
Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's secret -
and a stunning historical truth - will be lost forever.
And the conclude summary by plot synopsis is From the director of Ransom
comes a darkly menacing adventure-thriller THE DA VINCI CODE. A murder in the
Lourve prompts the Surete' to seek the help of codebreaker-symbologist Professor
Robert Langdon. Detective Captain Fache has already decided that Langdon is guilty,
but questions him anyway. Agent Sophie Neveu rescues Langdon from his clutches,
and they follow a trail of clues across Europe, pursued by Interpol because they are
suspected of murders committed in fact by an assassin of the Opus Dei sect. Clues
support hypothesis that the Priory of Sion/Knights Templar have guarded a secret for
centuries that would undermine the authority of the Catholic/Christian Church if
knowledge by murdering the only survivors who have access to the knowledge.
Sophie is finally revealed to be the last survivor of that knowledge, and is in fact the
heir to the bloodline of Jesus Christ. The location of the body of Mary Magdalene is
still a secret until the very last scene, where Langdon figures out she is buried under
