America's evangelical Christians who see The Da Vinci Codeas Bible bashing at its worst are taking a cue from Hollywood to attack the story as well as capitalize on the hit novel's impending movie version.
Largely forgoing boycotts or protests, leaders of Christians who believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible are turning out professional videos with titles such as The Da Vinci Delusionand The Da Vinci Deception Experience. They are designed to show the perils of blurring fact and fiction in Dan Brown's bestseller and take advantage of the reawakening of interest in the Bible it and the upcoming movie have caused among faith seekers.
Dr Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Bible Church in Chicago
"A boycott at this point would not do any good. When you have a tsunami coming it doesn't help to build a wall," said Dr Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Bible Church in Chicago.
"I have never in my 30 years of ministry had a time when so many people are interested ... We as evangelicals welcome the debate," added Lutzer, who wrote The Da Vinci Deceptionwhich has been turned into a video teaching kit on the subject.
He and other experts will appear in a closed-circuit broadcast this month that will be aired to around 700 churches, to inform congregations about the book's faults and take advantage of the debate to promote church attendance. "
Cardinals at the Vatican, who consider the book blasphemous, have called for a boycott and unspecified legal action to be taken against the novel and film.
The book, and the film opening May 19th, contain the idea that Jesus sired a child by Mary Magdalene, leading to a clandestine society that has for centuries protected the identity of their descendants from agents of the Catholic Church.