Beneath that smile

The Da Vinci Code embraces conspiracy theories. Dan Brown is certainly dexterous as he weaves them around actual events (the Council of Nicaea), actual people (Constantine and Arius) and actual documents (the Gnostic Gospels). What exactly are these theories? We oick out 3 Most Misguided-Theories for you.

3 Most misguided Theories

MRS JESUS

Misguided theory 1 Jesus and Mary Magdalene were secretly married and had a child!

Dan Brown quotes from the Gnostic Gospel - Gospel Philip : " and the companion of the Saviour is Mary Magdalene. Christ loved her more than all the disciples and used to kiss her often on her mouth." Mrs Jesus herself is then supposed to be the legendary Holy Grail, the royal bloodline of Jesus. Honestly... this makes for juicy scandal material, but lacks any grounds to be taken too seriously.

In fact... Dan Brown's dubious "sources" : The Nag Hammadi texts that contain the Gnostic Gospels are an unreliable source. THey were written neither by Jesus' apostles, nor by their cmpanions but under a pseudonym that is, the author used the names of the aopstles just to gain credibility. Hence, we have the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, etc. but they were not actually written by these apostles.

Note: The apostles were the followers of Christ-people who'd be most able to write an accurate account of Jesus' life.

THE ' SECRET' GOSPELS

The misguided THeory 2 The Bible was collated by the pagan Roman Emperor Constantine. Therefore, writings that contain Jesus' human traits, known as the Gnostic Gospels, were suppressed by Constantine to cover up the real identity of Jesus for political reason.

" The Bible as we know it today, was collated by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great ( The Da Vinci Code, pg 231)

Honestly, ...It sure is puzzling that Dan Brown cites sources that are obviously unreliable. Hasn't he done his research? In fact... What is Gnosticism?

'Gnostic' comes from the word 'knowledge'. Gnosticism believes that Jesus came not to free us of our sins, but to free us from our ignorance.

Why are the Gnostic Gospels not included in today's Bible?

Only books and letters that were associated with an apostle or associate were accepted in the New Testament canon ( the listof those writings acknowledged by the Church as documents of divine revelation). The Gnostic Gospels were branched heretical by the early Church Fathers, not Constantine.

I VOTE HIM AS GOD

Misguided Theory 3 Jesus Christ was elevated to "divine" position as a result of a vote held in AD 325 at the Council of Nicaea - a convention of bishops.

Honestly.... this is a well-spun theory. You need to know your history to debunk this one! It plays on distorting details and dispensing half-truths.

In fact..... A sly half truths. For two and a half centuries before Nicaea, most of the early Church already had the opinion that Christ is divine. The Council of Nicaea did seriuosly consider alternative views of Jesus, yet not whether he was merely mortal or divine, but rather whether his status was lesser than God, that is, was he coeternal with God.