Purpose Driven Heresy
When I skimmed a copy of church historian Alister McGrath’s Heresy: A History of Defending the Truth I noticed that despite its provocative title, I didn’t see any of those really juicy heretical bits that one finds in the latest Dan Brown biblical bodice ripper.
McGrath refutes what he sees as fallacies set forth by Brown and Elaine Pagels by arguing how many of the heresies once embraced in certain Christian circles were and are in fact more oppressive than those beliefs deemed orthodox by the church. For example, one might think by reading Brown and Pagels that Gnosticism presented a more holistic view of the role of women in the church. McGrath counters this theory by quoting the last line from the Gospel of Thomas, “For every woman who makes herself male shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Those feel they’ve cracked The Da Vinci Code might want to consider picking up a copy of Heresy, so they can get a more accurate historical perspective on this work of fiction.
Conversely, for those who will deny women any role within the church by taking a literal reading of the Epistles, McGrath illustrates how such a view is indeed unbiblical. He debunks such black and white thinking by reminding die-hard Calvinists that the version of the bible that they take so literally was in fact interpreted differently by their Reformation counterparts, a view seemingly supported by Rick Warren, who penned the forward. So, maybe this holiday season, we can all avoid the Fox News-fueled “Christmas Wars” by realizing that none of us holds the definitive view of the birth narratives. After all, those who believe that “Jesus said it, I believe it, that settles it” might dismiss centuries of academic scholarship, but they wouldn’t dream of dissin’ Warren.
| Write a letter to the editors | Give back to KtB
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:23 pm
I’m pretty sure this book has been written before. See Phillp J. Lee “Against the Protest Gnostics” or anything by Stanley Hauerwas. The problems with all of these defenders of orthodocy is that they conveniently ignore the crusades, antisemitism, sexism that exists into the modern era, and oh, while were at it, the death penalty for gays in contemprary Uganda, implemented by Rick Warren’s pals. Oh, and they are all writen by **Protestants** which, more than anything, ought to serve as a reminder that heresy is in the eye of the beholder….
December 5th, 2009 at 2:43 am
Rick – Good points. I didn’t learn anything new by reading this book. But this book cold be a way to open up the dialogue for those who seem to think that their pastor’s interpretation of scripture is not open for debate. And it also might help those who actually believe that Dan Brown writes non-fiction.
December 8th, 2009 at 12:42 am
Dan Brown’s books are NOT ‘bodice rippers’. Neither are they worthy of being included in the same category as Elaine Pagels’ books.
December 10th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Thanks for the review, Becky. It’s been a bit odd that so much interest has been given to Dan Brown’s novels when they are really no more serious than an Indiana Jones movie.