You can view this book’s Amazon detail page here.

Author: James L. Garlow
Publisher: Bethany House
Title: The Da Vinci Codebreaker: An Easy-to-use Fact Checker
Genre: Nonfiction

The Da Vinci Code has swept the globe and provoked not just controversy, but a variety of products which support, explain, critique, criticize and debunk it. Responses to the responses range from things like “why would anyone debunk fiction?” to “a much needed resource, because Dan Brown has presented lies as history in order to make a quick buck.” The Da Vinci Codebreaker is a companion glossary to Cracking Da Vinci’s Code. This is not a book you will read through, it’s an alphabetical listing of terms and facts used in the Da Vinci Code. It is a thorough and complete reference manual for anyone who seeks the facts about the assertions in the Da Vinci Code. What it is not is an attack on Dan Brown or a book that proselytizes Christianity. It simply lists the historical references in the Da Vinci Code, and where they are inaccurate, corrects them.

It contains over 500 facts and terms used in the Da Vinci Code and thoroughly explains each one, often including timelines, maps, photos and other supporting material. For example, the entry on Constantine the Great includes the following:

Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon claims that “Constantine and his male successors successfully converted the world from matriarchal paganism to patriarchal Christianity” (DVC, 124) Actually, Constantine gave Christianity equal legal status with pagan religions; paganism persisted in the empire long after his reign. […]

Another character says that “the Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the pagan emperor Constantine the Great” (DVC, 231). In truth, Constantine had nothing to do with the selection or collation of the New Testament’s twenty-seven books; by the late first and second centuries, Christians throughout the world had accepted twenty, including the four gospels, as authoritative guidelines for life. Debates about the other seven did persist into the fourth century; however the final canon emerged from a consensus of church leaders, not from imperial decree. After the Council of Nicaea (325), Constantine authorized the copying and distribution of fifty Bibles, but the editions copied before these fifty do not differ significantly from the editions copied after.

Many Christians have declined to purchase the Da Vinci Code because they don’t want to enrich Dan Brown for attacking their faith. Now that the movie has been released, even people who don’t enjoy reading are hearing things about Christianity that are not true, and they’re hearing them in an entertaining and persuasive way.

Is it worth about ten dollars to you to have strangers approach you and initiate a discussion about your faith? Just carry around a copy of the Da Vinci Code in plain sight. I would call that a worthwhile investment. But make sure that you are also carrying around the Da Vinci Codebreaker, ready to pull out and reference at key points in the discussion. The Da Vinci Code, along with Cracking Da Vinci’s Code and The Da Vinci Codebreaker, provide Christians with an opportunity not to be missed.

I would rate this book a 5 on a scale of 1 to 5. It does exactly what it promises – provide the user with a reference manual to authoritatively discuss the assertions in the Da Vinci Code.
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Laura Curtis is a web developer and master certified computer trainer in New Orleans.

Divine

You can view this book’s Amazon detail page here.

Author: Karen Kingsbury
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction
Title: Divine
Genre: Fiction (Contemporary)

Jesus had rescued her, saved her from horrors that otherwise would’ve killed her. That wasn’t something a normal man could’ve done. Her rescue hadn’t come at the hands of a mere mortal – no way. It had come through the working of a mighty God.

Mary felt her anxiety ease. She would tell Emma every piece of her story so the woman might understand the real Jesus, the one people often didn’t know about. Her story alone was proof that Jesus was who he claimed to be. Not just a good teacher or a kind leader, but God in the flesh. Because it would’ve taken God to redeem someone like Mary. Some like Emma Johnson. God Almighty, Lord and Savior. Wholly man, yes. But more than that.

Wholly divine.

The story of Mary Magdalene has intrigued people for hundreds of years. Divine takes the story of Mary Magdalene and shows that it is as true and current as it ever was. People are still struggling with demons just as they did in Jesus’ time on earth. We now call them by other names, but Mary Madison’s struggle with fear, faithlessness, addiction and promiscuity will resonate with today’s Christians and remind us that there is no new thing under the sun. The answer for Mary Magdalene then is the same answer as it is for us today. Karen Kingsbury reminds us of that message in an exciting and inspirational story.

Mary Madison has had some problems that anyone can relate to – abandonment, loneliness, unrequited love – and some problems that we shudder to think about, including kidnapping and sexual abuse. All of these topics are handled realistically and sensitively, and Kingsbury brings the reader back to the same solution for these and every other problem we may have: Jesus. What problems can’t the love of Jesus overcome? The journey isn’t easy, but it’s simple, and Mary, in spite of all her problems, is easy to root for.

Emma Johnson is a young woman with a troubled past, and problems much like Mary’s. As Mary tells her own story and counsels Emma, Kingsbury reveals the core truths about Christianity and Jesus Christ, and reminds us that witnessing is just as simple as telling our own story about what Jesus has done for us. Divine is a slow, thoughtful read. It has a few moments of humor but is basically a serious book, and although it is fiction, does a better job of presenting Christianity than many non-fiction teaching books in your local Christian bookstore. It will remind saved people of the joy of their salvation, and presents a compelling case to lost people to learn more about Jesus Christ.

This book rates a 4.5 out of 5, because it is such a thoughtful, compelling read.