The Da Vinci Code Roundtable Discussion

Faithful Reader: Online Roundtable
These questions were included in a roundtable discussion with several authors who had produced book-length responses to Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. To access the answers given by others to the following questions that were posed, please visit The Da Vinci Code Author Roundtable.

FaithfulReader.com: What prompted you to write a book in response to THE DA VINCI CODE? How soon after reading THE DA VINCI CODE did you decide you wanted (or needed) to write about it?
Richard Abanes: I was approached by Harvest House and asked to write the book since my area of expertise involves current events dealing with fringe religious issues that affect society. I actually wrote my book and read THE DA VINCI CODE simultaneously, which was a very interesting way to research the novel. I read it through once to get the feel of the text. Then I read it again, taking notes. My third journey through Brown's novel was made while exploring each issue I had previously highlighted for further investigation. At this same time, I began writing my responses to Brown, which eventually formed the main text of my book.

FaithfulReader.com: Why do you think so many people have embraced THE DA VINCI CODE? Do you believe the spiritual climate in America today has contributed to its success, and if so, why?
Richard Abanes: It is no accident that THE DA VINCI CODE has become popular. Several factors have contributed to its success.

First, the book is highly anti-Roman Catholic, which makes it rather appealing in light of the recent revelations concerning widespread sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests. Many people who are horrified by such information need a release valve of sorts for their anger and disgust—Brown's novel serves as such a valve by publicly labeling Roman Catholicism for what many people believe it to be: i.e., a corrupt, untrustworthy, deceptive religious organization built on a disreputable and harmful hierarchy of leaders. Brown's book appeals to the common desire voiced by many people who, in the face of what is offensive, feel a little better when someone, as the old cliche says, is "calling it like it is."

Second, the book is very well written from a technical standpoint. Its characters are memorable. The pace is very fast. Chapters are short, which means it is easy to mentally digest. And it contains the textbook elements of a good secular story: intrigue, romance, sexuality and some violence.

Third, it greatly appeals to women, a very large audience that represents a group of individuals, who for many years have felt rather oppressed by traditional religion, which Dan Brown relentlessly criticizes. Moreover, Brown puts a fairly radical feminist spin on a variety of historical issues. This aspect of the novel subtly appeals not only to the average female reader of fiction, but also helps attract female readers who might not otherwise buy a book that falls within the thriller genre.

FaithfulReader.com: Why do you think so many people have not only read THE DA VINCI CODE but also accepted it as fact rather than fiction?
Richard Abanes: The answer to this question is really quite simple: People accept THE DA VINCI CODE as fact because Dan Brown has told them it is fact. On the very first page of the novel he states: "FACT: . . . All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate." In an interview with Barnes and Noble, he declared: "One of the many qualities that makes THE DA VINCI CODE unique is the factual nature of the story. All the history, artwork, ancient documents, and secret rituals in the novel are accurate—as are the hidden codes revealed in some of Da Vinci's most famous paintings."

And most recently, in a new page posted at his official website, Brown lists a number of absolutely false statements, but titles them "Bizarre True Facts from THE DA VINCI CODE." This particular Internet page by Brown actually quotes from a document known as Les Dossiers Secrets, which was found in Paris's Bibliothque Nationale. According to Brown, it proves that members of the super-secret Priory of Sion organization included Leonardo Da Vinci, Boticelli and Sir Isaac Newton. But Les Dossiers Secrets is nothing but a forgery penned in the 1960s by a French conman and deposited in the Paris library. Although such information is widely known in France and throughout Europe, most Americans are still in the dark about Brown's sources. This ignorance has made Brown a millionaire.

And Brown's publisher, Doubleday, has only made things worse by lending their voice of support for claims that Brown's book is true. Stephen Rubin, president/publisher at Doubleday, has boldly stated: "John Grisham teaches you about torts. Tom Clancy teaches you about military technology. Dan Brown gives you a crash course in art history and the Catholic Church" (Quoted in Bill Goldstein, "As A Novel Rises Quickly, Book Industry Takes Note," New York Times, April 21, 2003). Such an assertion, in my opinion, is terrifically irresponsible, given the fact that Brown so blatantly misrepresents what are, and what are not, verifiable aspects of art history.

FaithfulReader.com: Since it is fiction, why do you feel the need to refute Dan Brown's research?
Richard Abanes: I believe that people deserve the truth. And a refutation must always be presented when someone, whoever they may be, uses a highly visible platform to pass off falsehoods for truth, especially when the falsehoods they are offering as truth includes information that many people might use to make life-changing decisions; decisions dealing with spirituality, faith and religion.

FaithfulReader.com: How do you respond when you hear people say things like, "It's no big deal—after all, it's only fiction"?
Richard Abanes: It would be nice if Dan Brown and Doubleday representatives would stick to saying "it's only fiction." But they are not doing that. They are saying that it is fact-based, that it contains true history, and that it reliably and accurately represents a variety of historical events (e.g., the development of early Christianity, the original teachings of Christ, the formation of the Bible, the artwork of Leonardo Da Vinci, etc.). If Dan Brown and Doubleday had started out their publishing success by making it clear that THE DA VINCI CODE was totally fiction, then I never would have written a book. Interestingly, despite Dan Brown's claims that "All the history" in the novel is "accurate" (see Barnes and Noble interview previously noted), the copyright page of THE DA VINCI CODE actually explains in small print that "All of the characters and events in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental." So exactly what are readers to believe?

FaithfulReader.com: What kind of reaction has your book received? If your book has not been released yet, what has the response been when people hear you're writing a book about THE DA VINCI CODE?
Richard Abanes: I have received extremely positive feedback about my book from Christians, as well as non-Christians, nominal Christians, the religious and the irreligious. They have all enjoyed my book because of the approach I took—i.e., just deal with the facts; let history speak for itself. I felt it was very important that my book be able to speak to the non-religious as well as the religious, so I deliberately used a wide variety of sources to show where Brown's book is flawed. I do not simply quote from the Bible to prove a point, but instead deal with history using sources that would be more acceptable to those persons who may not even believe in the Bible. Consequently, after going through my book, the reader realizes that no matter what religious perspective one may hold, Dan Brown's book comes up far short of accurate.

FaithfulReader.com: Do you believe some of Brown's conclusions could damage a person's faith? If so, which conclusions in particular would be most harmful?
Richard Abanes: I do believe that people who are not firmly established in their faith might be troubled a great deal by what Brown alleges in his novel. He presents his so-called history in such a convincing manner, and continually tells the reader that the information he is providing is supported by "religious historians" (p. 36); "well-documented history" (pp. 88, 113); "art historians" (p. 134); "all academics" (p. 158); "well-documented evidence" (p. 217); "scores of historians" (p. 253); and "historical evidence" (p. 254). It is all very confusing to the average person who may not have access to resources that provide truly accurate history.

Even more vulnerable to Dan Brown's version of "history" are the non-religious who might be open to Christianity, but who are not committed to the faith. Most of these people know very little about the Bible, Church history or the development of Christianity, and could very easily shy away from Christianity simply because Brown makes such an apparently good case against the religion. And such individuals would really have no reason to question Brown. After all, who would lie about such important issues?

I think the most harmful aspects of Brown's book include how he erroneously details the origins of Christianity, its growth, its initial beliefs and the formation of its holy writings (i.e., the Bible). Brown gives an utterly false picture of the founding of the Christian faith, which in turn causes today's church to appear as little more than a lie. I suppose, however, that this may be what Dan Brown intended.

FaithfulReader.com: Which theological concepts addressed in the book do you feel require the greatest clarification?
Richard Abanes: I think the most glaring theological error in THE DA VINCI CODE is Brown's truly absurd claim that the Christian belief in the divinity of Jesus did not begin until AD 325 and that it originated with the Emperor Constantine at the Council of Nicea (held during that year). References to belief in the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth can be found in the writings of many early church leaders, including Justin Martyr (c. AD 150), Irenaeus (c. AD 185), and Clement of Alexandria (c. AD 200). I document all of this in my book.

FaithfulReader.com: Which historical errors concern you the most?
Richard Abanes: It is almost impossible to answer this question because Brown's book is filled with so many errors. One can barely open his book to a random page and not find an error of some kind. I suppose the historical mistake that is most disconcerting to me is how he inaccurately describes the manner in which the Bible came to be. Brown mistakenly says that the Gnostic gospels pre-date the gospels now included in the Bible. He erroneously states that Constantine collated the Bible and destroyed earlier gospels. He falsely claims that earthly and human elements of Jesus' life were edited out of today's gospels. All of these things, although historically false, undermine the credibility of the Bible and its relevance to the lives of hundreds of millions of people.

FaithfulReader.com: Apart from the theological issues that are in dispute, the book contains what we now recognize as numerous factual errors. What responsibility do you think Doubleday should take, if any, for allowing those errors to go unchecked?
Richard Abanes: I do not know what Doubleday editors or salespeople were thinking when they all decided to release a book that is clearly rife with factual falsehoods, and yet at the same time claim that it accurately represents history. At this point, the damage has been done. Perhaps the only thing left to do would be for Doubleday to release some kind of public statement wherein they make it absolutely clear that the contents of the novel, contrary to previous Doubleday statements and assertions by Brown, are not historically accurate. But I am not holding my breath.

FaithfulReader.com: What is your opinion of the books Brown cited as historical resources, such as HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL and Margaret Starbird's books on Mary Magdalene?
Richard Abanes: I answer this question very concisely in my book (pp. 41-42) as follows:

"Brown clearly intends to add scholarly weight and an air of credibility to his assertion about Jesus' bloodline by utilizing the word 'historians.' He then lists four books: HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL (Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, Henry Lincoln), THE WOMAN WITH THE ALABASTER JAR (Margaret Starbird), THE GODDESS IN THE GOSPELS (Margaret Starbird), and THE TEMPLAR REVELATION (Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince). But none of these authors are, in fact, historians. Starbird holds an M.A. in comparative literature and German. Baigent has an undergraduate degree in psychology and has recently been pursuing an M.A. in Mysticism and Religious Experience. And Leigh, 'is primarily a novelist and writer of short stories.' What about Lincoln? He is a BBC television personality and scriptwriter. And Picknett and Prince are actually conspiracy theorists with a penchant for occultism, the paranormal, and UFOs."

FaithfulReader.com: Brown has said he would not change anything if he were to rewrite the book as nonfiction. What would you like to say to him about that?
Richard Abanes: Dear Dan, call me. I could help you get your facts straight. Although, to be honest, if you were to re-write your book as nonfiction and correct all of the errors you now have in THE DA VINCI CODE, you would not have very much of a book left. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.

FaithfulReader.com: Have you read Brown's previous work that also featured protagonist Robert Langdon, ANGELS & DEMONS? If so, what is your opinion of it?
Richard Abanes: No.

FaithfulReader.com: What do you hope your book will accomplish?
Richard Abanes: I simply want people to have the facts. As I say in my book: This is not even a "Christian" issue. The issue is fact versus fiction. Truth versus lies. Accuracy versus inaccuracy. In other words, THE DA VINCI CODE would still be just as offensive if its misrepresentations of historical facts were used to attack Buddhism, Islam, or any other world religion instead of Christianity. This is because the most egregious aspect of the novel is not that Dan Brown disagrees with Christianity, but that he utterly warps it in order to disagree with it—to the point of completely rewriting history" (see p. 77 of my book).

FaithfulReader.com: What are you working on now?
Richard Abanes: I am currently working on my own novel, but it will be infinitely more accurate, historically speaking, than Dan Brown's—I can assure you of that.