The DaVinci Code
This highly publicised novel by Dan Brown only came to my attention after I heard that church officials in Lebanon tried to ban it. Naturally, that roused my interest.
On the simplest level it’s an interesting crime novel, well written, and with a nice plot, fast flow.
That’s not where this story got its fame. It delves deep into The Priory of Sion, as well as Knights Templar and Free Masonry. Mostly, it discusses various holes in the basic theory of Christianity. Holes that have occured to me time after time.
I was so intrigued by some of the ideas put forth (especially since they made more sense than the church’s explanation of these events) that I researched them online. A lot of these ideas were corraborated by various publications.
The validity of the Bible as a holy scripture (as opposed to a journal written by human beings over a period of time), the church’s attempts to hide facts that oppose it’s ideas of Jesus’ divinity and teachings, and to increase it’s authority, and the dependance of people on it. These are all ideas touched upon in the novel.
Anyway, I won’t ruin it for you. I suggest reading it if you have the time.