In Breaking the da Vinci Code, Darrell Bock, Ph.D., responds to the novelist’s claims using central ancient texts and answers the following questions:

• Who was Mary Magdalene?
• Was Jesus Married?
• Would Jesus Being Single be Un-Jewish?
• Do the So-Called Secret, Gnostic Gospels Help Us Understand Jesus?
• How Were the New Testament Gospels Assembled?
• Does Mary’s Honored Role as Apostle Match the Claims of the New School?
• What Is the Remaining Relevance of The da Vinci Code?

Darrell Bock’s research uncovers the origins of these codes by focusing on the 325 years immediately following the birth of Christ, for the claims of The da Vinci Code rise or fall on the basis of things emerging from this period. Breaking the da Vinci Code distinguishes fictitious entertainment from historical elements of the Christian faith. For by seeing these differences, one can break the da Vinci code. Ultimately, though, there is another code lurking behind the pages of this novel. Most readers of the novel have no idea that this other code is there. In fact, Bock didn’t notice it at first himself. Breaking the da Vinci code, though, will lead readers to discover why this novel has become something of a public phenomenon and why the issues it raises are worthy of careful study and reflection.

The popularity of Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code has caused Christian apologists to address what they consider to be its heresies and historical errors. Witherington, a New Testament scholar at Asbury Theological Seminary, intends in this volume to add his voice to the growing criticism of Brown's novel. Each chapter treats an issue—the formation of the canon, the "married Jesus" theory, etc.—and then offers a wealth of background material to support an evangelical Christian viewpoint. Drawing on his background in Christian theology and church history, Witherington explains his position in a lucid and sometimes whimsical style. He is particularly strong when exploring and explaining the processes of textual criticism and redaction, and in helping readers understand the flow of Christian history and the development of doctrine. The influence of Gnosticism, ancient and modern, likewise receives extensive treatment. The book closes with an appeal for a more rational, and less speculative, consideration of the Jesus story. Quite apart from its treatment of Brown's novel, this book is a fine exposition of mainstream evangelical teaching and merits wide readership.

The Truth About the Da Vinci Code by bestselling author Richard Abanes is a user-friendly and easy-to-understood reference source for anyone wanting to make an informed decision about the claims made in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Unlike other books that may appear in response to Brown's riveting novel, Abanes' book will be concise (96-pages), inexpensive, and formated in such as way as to help Christians and non-Christians alike find the facts they need in order to form their own conclusions about the contents of Brown's volume.