Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code (New York: Double Day, 2003).  Grade 10-12 (Sexually explicit content).

With the movie soon to be released in 2006 this book will be back in the spotlight. There have been several books, TV documentaries, and church generated materials that have dealt with the book’s historical inaccuracies and antagonism towards Christianity.  

Wikipedia (a secular web encyclopedia) supplies an overview of the book.  It also references some sources:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da_Vinci_Code

 National Geographic gives another overview:

 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1217_041217_tv_davinci_code_2.html

 
Here are the greatest errors contained in the book:

1)      Challenges to the validity of the Bible and its cannon.  For instance, the book elevates the apocryphal Gospel of Phillip (a second or third century Gnostic writing) above New Testament scriptures. This website from Christianity Today is helpful: http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/newsletter/2003/nov7.html.

2)      Attacks upon the orthodox church and in particular its male clergy.

3)      Inaccurate art history.  For instance, in Da Vinci’s painting of the last supper John is not portrayed as Mary Magdalene.  The long hair and youthful appearance is a typical depiction of the apprentice (John was the youngest disciple) in Da Vinci's time. 

4)      Approval of pagan sexual rituals and adulterous relationships.  Church rituals, organizations, and clergy are criticized but the pagan rituals, organizations, and leadership are free from blame.

 Christianity Today also has a website with further helpful information:

 http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/special/davincicode.html

Comments by Terry Ewell (March 2006).