Does The Da Vinci Code Help Religion?
Does a book like The Da Vinci Code – or the earlier The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail — serve a purpose helpful to religion rather than, as Cardinal Bertone has suggested, being alien to it?
Anyone who has read the now voluminous literature on the subject of Jesus’s existence / divinity / marriage / survival / paternity / message … will know that there’s a lot of evidence out there which casts doubt on the Church’s view of these things. The regular furores on topics like this, thanks to books like The Da Vinci Code, actually help religion, I believe, because, however scant some of the arguments, they actually increase the general level of consciousness about some of the most tricky questions we face.
The truth behind the Jesus story, I believe, is the constant push towards ever greater consciousness. The cosmos as we know it is an outrider of the “ground of being” — call it what you will — incarnating individual consciousnesses so that “It” can know Itself.
Jesus is a metaphor for the manifestation of individual consciousness in the universe. He represents us because we are all in the same boat, of the same boat, ARE the same boat. That’s the secret of the universe. People who maintain it’s all about physical bloodlines and DNA — as indeed The Da Vinci Code itself does — tend to be mesmerized by orthodox science. The Church meanwhile seems to be damage-limiting its position and justifying its powerbase.
These are difficult questions which have to be looked at from an all-embracing viewpoint to arrive at anything like an accurate conclusion.
Great post. I just came across this site after doing a search on the hypnagogic state.
Regarding your question, I would say it does on an individual level. At least for me it did. While it may shake the founations of evangelical or orthodox Christianity, it provided a doorway for me into the Western Esoteric tradition. The DaVinci Code led me to Holy Blood, Holy Grail which led to Pagel’s The Gnostic Gospels and from there a chain reaction began as new paths opened up including Gnosticism, the Nag Hammadi Library, the writings of Jung, Dion Fortune, Isreal Regardie, and far too many others to name.
The book is what it is. Yet, there are ideas within that can lead to some pretty amazing places if one is willing to follow them.
By coe on February 1st, 2006 at 2:40 am
Thanks, Coe. We make too many artificial distinctions between insights in this field, as if they were competing football teams. Just had a look at your website. It looks extremely interesting and well written. I liked the “Logosphere”.
One for my Specials list.
By John on February 1st, 2006 at 9:42 am
Fabulous. Likewise, I like your site, or sites. I also appreciate the book reviews. In fact, over the weekend I had The Serpent Grail in my hands and was giving it a look. And while I also concur with your criticisms, the scope of informaton makes me certainly want to pick it up.
Let me know when Cosmosity comes out. It sounds equally as compelling.
Cheers.
By coe on February 1st, 2006 at 2:06 pm
I sure will.
Yes, The Serpent Grail is definitely worth a read, though I have my doubts about some of the terms used.
By John on February 1st, 2006 at 2:11 pm