Many who have read the New York Times bestseller The Da Vinci Code have questions that arise from seven codes-expressed or implied-in Dan Brown's book. In Breaking the Da Vinci Code: Answers to the Questions Everyone's Asking, 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?
• 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, now available in trade paper, distinguishes fictitious entertainment from historical elements of the Christian faith. For by seeing these differences, one can break the Da Vinci code.

Bock is partly correct in his title - he does give answers, but not to the questions that everyone is asking about The Da Vinci Code. I found Bock's book to be an arduous read, not in the level of thinking, but rather in its presentation of the facts that counter the claims of Dan Brown's worldwide best-seller The Da Vinci Code. Bock walks through seven identified "codes" that are, in essence, the key assumptions put forth by Brown in his book; and Bock systematically presents evidence to counter the claims of Brown and others who have questioned the divinity of Christ and the authenticity of the Scriptures.

Bock is honest in his assessment of the church's dismal failure to properly address a central figure in the conspiracy theory of Brown and others - Mary Magdalene was, indeed, a victim of a very poor "smear" campaign at the hands of the Catholic Church under Pope Gregory the Great in A.D. 591 who first taught that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Bock demonstrates that his area of expertise is truly New Testament scholarship and presents a dizzying array of texts and historical persons to bolster this position that Mary Magdalene was not the lover or wife of Jesus Christ.

Bock then walks through dozens of other "proofs" countering each "code" until he arrives at his conclusion - that the challenge to Christianity that The Da Vinci Code presents is the same, tired, old and easily-refuted claims of the Gnostics from two thousand years ago only packaged in a best-selling murder mystery this time around!

Breaking The Da Vinci Code is an informative book, but not necessarily an easy read. You can tell that Dr. Bock is a New Testament seminary professor - you honestly feel that you are ready for an exam by the end of the book. The problem with the book is that, I don't believe, it prepares a Christian to really engage in a conversation with the average person who has either read the book or will see the movie and has questions - the book is almost too much information and it presents it in a way that makes the reader work too hard to understand it. I think there are better books for the average lay Christian looking to prepare himself to engage in a friendly conversation; but the book is well researched and at least under 200 pages, unlike several of the "anti-Da Vinci" books on the market.

Has society become so stupid that we need our fictional novels explained to us now? The Da Vinci Code is a fun read but it's fiction. It's FICTION. Do you really need someone to explain that to you? I'm wondering Bock himself understands the difference between fiction and non-fiction.

Either way seems like Bock has found a way to milk even more cash out of people over this whole Da Vinci craze. And considering that I just saw him on television arguging over the Lost Tomb of Jesus. Well, I'm sure he'll come out with a book about that now. Get ready to fork over more money to him suckers.

This book is really an essential. It covers everything from the theory of Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene, to the Canonization of the Bible, to the Secret Gnostic Gospels. A must read for those who have read the "Da Vinci Code"

This book thoroughly addresses the claims about Jesus made in The Da Vinci Code. The buzz on the street is that the Da Vinci Code is based on texts found in Egypt half a century ago. But that's not true. That's not true at all. As Darrell Bock explains, these texts (the "new" gospels a.k.a. gnostic gospels) don't even hint that Jesus and Mary Magdalena had a romantic relationship. They don't even hint that Jesus escaped crucifixion. That's all made up. The author also addresses the claims of a cover up at Nicea by exposing actual historical documents and records. Again, the Da Vinci Code is an interesting, exciting novel. That's where it ends.

The author also addresses the content of these "new" gospels or gnostic gospels. Some say that the discovery of these new texts call for a re-evaluation of the Christian religion itself and that these new texts can perhaps tell us more about Jesus. Darrell Bock looks at some of the doctrine found in these new texts, and he eloquently shows how these new texts are NOT compatible with the Christianity of the New Testament. These new texts describe a completely different Jesus and have a completely different description of creation, the fall of humankind and salvation. You either believe these new texts or you believe the New Testament. You can't believe both. They're not compatible.

Finally, the book is easy to read. It is not saturated with technical terms and deep theology that can only be understood by seminary graduates. This book is written for the casual reader.

Anyone who has read Dan Brown's novel knows that he is presenting more than just well written fiction. In fact, I believe that "The Da Vinci Code" may be one of the biggest attacks on modern Christianity ever. But its also one of the weakest. Dan Brown's arguments are absurd beyond belief. But because he has sold over 40 million copies, evangelical Christians and even some liberal scholars (i.e. Bart Ehrman) have felt compelled to refute Dan Brown's erroneous claims.

When I began to look into Dan Brown's claims, I went to the nearest Christian bookstore to find scholarly material that refuted his novel. I was shocked to find literally 10 books refuting The Da Vinci Code. Which was I to choose? I had already read Hanegraaff's work and was somewhat disappointed at the lack of depth presented. And some of the other authors didn't seem to have the right credentials to answer Brown's claims. It was then that stumbled across Darrell Bock's masterful work, "Breaking the Da Vinci Code." He had impeccable credentials as well a lot of experience in writing on these issues.

First, I'll start with the good. I enjoyed each and every chapter by Dr. Bock. My favorite chapter dealt with the Gnostic Gospels. I was surprised to find that most of Bock's arguments were historical rather than theological. This was a good thing as someone reading Bock's book might suspect a bias on his part. Not so with this work. Bock examined the Gnostic works in great detail, showing how little they had to do with historic Christianity.

Now with the bad. I didn't think that Bock dealt with the truly important issues. While he thoroughly refuted Brown's claims on Jesus' marriage, the "conspiracy" at the council of Nicaea, and the canon of Scripture, I don't feel that Bock refuted Brown as well as he could have. What are the important issues?

1. Is the Bible corrupt?
2. Did Christians believe in the deity of Christ before Constantine?

While Bock touched on these subjects, he should have written entire chapters dealing with textual critical issues and things of that nature. Perhaps Bock wanted to focus on the main topics of the "Da Vinci Code?" I do not know. But if that if that is your primary concern; whether or not Jesus was married, then Bock's work is the perfect choice. But if your primary concern is Biblical inerrancy and things of that sort, then look elsewhere. Overall, I enjoyed the historical nature of "Breaking the Da Vinci Code" and look forward to reading more of his books in the future.