Author Gives Christians Pat on the Back Post-Da Vinci Code Release
by Allie Martin
June 1, 2006
(AgapePress) - - The co-author of a book that looks at the beliefs of author Dan Brown, who penned The Da Vinci Code, believes Christians overall have responded appropriately to the recent release of the movie adaptation of the best-selling novel.John Alan Turner is co-author of The Gospel According to the Da Vinci Code, a book that examines the beliefs of novelist Dan Brown. Turner's book is one of many books, study guides, and DVDs released by Christian authors and ministries in the weeks leading up to the May 19 U.S. debut of the Ron Howard film starring Tom Hanks. Turner says Christians who have used the movie as an opportunity to proclaim the truth about Christ and the Bible were able to engage in an effective witness.
"What we're really saying when we ask what would a Christian response to this look like, what we're really asking is WWJDWDVC -- what would Jesus do with The Da Vinci Code," the author says. "And I think if you look at the way Jesus responded to people in His time, He built bridges of relationship and understanding and, in the context of grace, He introduced hard truth."
Turner says while he believes the Christian resources released to counter The Da Vinci Code were effective witnessing and teaching tools, he does not believe they had any impact on sales of either the book or the movie.
"If Christians had stayed away from the movie altogether and had not written all these books and everything, I'm not sure if that would have helped the Da Vinci Code or hurt the Da Vinci Code, he says. "[However] I do think it would have done damage to the people who read the book and bought it lock, stock, and barrel."
He contends that if Christians had not attempted to constructively engage non-believers about the premises of the movie, it would have "left a lot of people in a sea of confusion."
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
