I must admit, I don't read a lot of fiction (much to to my family's disgust!). Every now and then I do, just for fun … and to see what other people are reading about.
I've read a few books by best-selling fictional writer Dan Brown. His writings are rapid-paced, page-turners and he can sure spin a yarn. His book The Da Vinci Code raised questions about the historical foundations of the Christian faith (click here for the first of three posts I did a while back where I addressed the claims of this book about Jesus), while Angels and Demons had a poke at the Catholic Church. He is also the author of Deception Point and Digital Fortress.
In his latest novel, The Lost Symbol, Brown attempts to unravel Freemason mythology and puts it in a blender with noetic sciences and a plethora of religious ideas. In typical style, the story is a fast-paced unfolding of diverse story-lines culminating in a climatic moment, with a twist thrown in for good measure. He mixes in plenty of fact and fiction (with plenty of distortions about the Bible), while also unpacking some interesting historical perspectives on the city of Washington DC and the foundation of America.
As a pulse of what people are thinking in our culture, spirituality is sure in (not atheism), but the syncretistic type … which ultimately leads to a search to try to find god within ourselves. Sounds like an old lie disguised in a new set of clothes.
Click here for a Time magazine review and here for a New York Times review. For an excellent review by a respected biblical scholar, Ben Witherington, click here.
Not even Tolkein? Tut, Tut!
I prefer reading fiction to non-fiction myself. Agree with you Mark. Dan Brown sure knows how to spin a yarn with a mixture of everything thrown in to make it more sensational reading. It really amazes me that some actually believe everything he writes as gospel! The intrigue goes on 🙂