TRUTH AND FICTION IN THE DA VINCI CODE

THE DA VINCI CODE is currently fueling conversation in Sunday school classes across the nation. Though sold as fiction, it claims to be true, to better support our suspension of disbelief. Bart D. Ehrman, a scholar of biblical history, has undertaken a gentle debunking, using an archaeological approach to uncover the historical context of Jesus's life and the birth of the church. Ehrman reads his own text in a pleasant, unhurried tenor voice, revealing a history more complex than either the novel or the church would admit. The simplicity and straightforward clarity of the presentation demonstrate the true mystery at the center of Dan Brown's potboiler and the patient, confident manner of a true scientist and master lecturer. J.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]