Rating: 
Summary: Exposes the emperor
Review: It's amazing to me how The Da Vinci Code has swept across America to confuse so many people. Apparently Dan Brown thinks that his information supersedes all of the historical research that clearly denies his incredible theories. Thanks to the media, his out-there theories have somehow become quasi-factual. In Breaking the Code, Bock--a New Testament theologian--definitively exposes Dan Brown for what he really is: naked with nothing to cover up his backside. There are so many readers, though, who are so ignorant on accurate ancient history and the truth that they are becoming confused about the Bible and whether or not Christianity is true. My advice is to pick up Bock's book and catch yourself up with the facts. Then you will be able to see what The Da Vinci Code is all about: a fictional work with no resemblance to truth.
Rating: 
Summary: What IS behind the assertions in The Da Vinci Code?
Review: Like several other authors eagerly attempting to debunk "The Da Vinci Code," this one shows no evidence of having read two books by Margaret Starbird actually mentioned by Dan Brown in his work (on page 253). One might expect that intellectual curiosity might have persuaded Rev. Bock to read "The Woman with the Alabaster Jar" or "The Goddess in the Gospels," since these books provided background research for assertions made in "The Da Vinci Code" relating to Mary Magdalene as well as some of the symbols, fairy tales, and medieval artifacts found in the book. Starbird rests her case squarely on canonical Scriptures and is worth reading on that grounds alone. When fiction is stripped away from "The Da Vinci Code," what remains is powerful evidence of the "Sacred Union" at the very heart of the Christian story.
Rating:
Summary: sad
Review: mr. bock doesn't do any good with his book. he lacks order, research and ways to get to the reader to explain his points of view. every chapters is left open leaving you without options, hints or even interest. as a christian i was expecting to find the answers the books says it will give. i was left only with more questions and what's worse, doubts. the book reminded me of preachers who speak and sound hollow. i took the da vinci code, as it is supposed to be, a novel. i have heard of all it's theories before, and thought interesting even though i don't think them true, but these book is so shallow and meaningless that it does wrong for the faith it's supposed to be defending.
Rating: 
Summary: Fact Vs. Fiction
Review: Mr. Bocks writing style is not the greatest but he does do a good job of explaining very clearly why Dan Brown's book is a fictional novel based on a fictional theory.
You can call me many things, "Actively Religious" is not one of them. I read Mr. Bock's book because Dan Brown's book was simply too incredible to believe.
If you would like a better understanding of what historians and biblical scholars understand about the beginnings of Christianity, I recommend you read it.
If by the end of the book, you still believe the Da Vinci Code gives an accurate historical depiction then you probably also believe a vast right wing conspiracy forced Bill Clinton to have sex with Monica.
Rating:
Summary: meaningless...
Review: Nothing in this book proves anything... If Da Vinci Code is wrong about Magdalene and the conspiracy, this book is not right either... faith is very hard to argue and everybody believes what they wanted to believe...
Rating:
Summary: Yeeeeaawwwn - Zzzzzzzzzzzz
Review: Ok, maybe ths book isn't all THAT fatiguing to read, but it does drag and is dry. Bock is a scholar (good point) and he writes like one (bad point).Also, as the information about this book states in the PR material "Darrell Bock's research uncovers the origins of these codes by focusing on the 325 years immediately following the birth of Christ." This is a problem becasue Brown's book goes farther back in history than 325 a.d. Brown's underlying material dates back to the ancient goddess worship of the Mesopotamian era. I am surprised Bock did not deal too much with things like truly ancient goddess worship, Venus-related issues, etc. Clearly, Bock wanted to clear the name of Christianity more than do a complete look at all the things Brown had to say. Also, precious little material deals with the actual Priory of Sion that Brown discusses in his bestseller. Again, Bock was too concerned with simply proving the Bible, Jesus' divinity, and how Christianity is true. Other aspects of the Brown-Da Vinci tale were covered not nearly as nicely as they could have been covered. He missed the more edgy issues Brown raises regarding the Knights Templar, Witch Hunts, paganism, etc. I agree with other reviewers who say that Bock's book is better than most. But it does not beat out "The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code" by Abanes (a younger, more contemporary author, who I believe much closer to Dan Brown's age). Bock's book is hardly different from any history book on Christianity you might pick up in a Christian bookstore.
Rating:
Summary: dissapointing
Review: Since i read the DaVinci Code, like others, i've been searching for the truth behind it. I've gone to church all my life, am "born-again," and have read through the bible several times. Before reading this book, i read Elaine Pagels "The Gnostic Gospels." "Breaking the Davinci Code" is a sad attempt to disprove the issues that Dan Brown raises in his book. Readers who are only knowledgable of the novel might be easily swayed by Bock's weak arguments, which is why i'm glad that i read a more scholarly text before. Never does he bring up enough evidence to answer the questions that he asks. And what shocked me the most was the close-minded way that he interpreted the Gnostic texts that he quoted. The negativity and obvious bias of the book cannot be overlooked. Bock's book is a pitiful attempt to re-affirm Orthodox Christian dogma, with no attention to truth.
I have to reccomend Pagel's book "The Gnostic Gospels" and "Beyond Belief," as they do a much better job and presenting a close-to-neutral opinion on these sensitive matters. We need honesty when approaching these sensitive subjects, not agendas and ignorance.
Rating: 
Summary: Minimal, hurried, shallow, and not very convincing!
Review: The arguments the Author presents are so air-tight that he feels compelled to repeatedly tell the reader that the code is broken. Its intended audience is obviously the Sunday head-nodder with little interest of any serious discussion. The book gives you the feeling that the author felt a real need to hurrieldy puplish this work as if to address a serious threat to the faithful. Just imagine what may happen if Christians start reading the history of their own church for a change.
Although the Author selectively references ancient documents, he mainly uses the N.T. to prove his arguments. It is as if you are listening to a Republican quoting Bush to prove a Republican point. My favorite was quoting Acts 1:15-26, listing the qualifications of an Apostle (male, be with Jesus, & a witness to the ressurection) to prove the Biblical limitaions of the role of women. The very same text can be used to prove that the men who gave us this text meant to limit the role of women for no other reason than being a woman. Twelve men casting lots to pick a replacement for a man that betrayed Jesus, stipulating that the replacement has to be a man. The very same point that the Da Vinci code tried to make.
Rating:
Summary: Hackery
Review: The authors use dubious theology and selective history to "refute" a fiction novel. Why are some gospels better than the others? The canonized gospels were not contemporary and written while there are names attached, the authorship is in question.
Blind devotion to religion does not make one a theologin or historian. And neither author seems to know much more than what they have heard in sunday school or read in a modernized badly translated bible.
The DaVinci Code offers readers glimpses of well-known and well-documented stories of christinaity and its origins. The origin is far more complicated than the sunday school tripe the authors of this book push.
Rating:
Summary: An useful and adequate refutation
Review: The novel, of course, is a piece of historical and literary trash. Besides this one by Bock, other relevant books include the following: Cracking Da Vinci's Code: You've Read The Fiction Now Read the Facts
James L. Garlow & Peter Jones The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code: A Challenging Response to the Bestselling Novel
Richard Abanes De-coding Da Vinci: The facts behind the fiction of The Da Vinci Code
Amy Welborn The Da Vinci Deception: Credible Answers to the Questions Millions are Asking about Jesus, The Bible, and the Da Vinci Code
Dr. Erwin Lutzer The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction
Hank Hanegraaff & Paul Maier The Gospel Code: Novel Claims About Jesus, Mary Magdalene and Da Vinci
Ben Witherington III ** For general works on Christian apologetics, see one or more of the following: William Lane Craig:
- Reasonable Faith J. P. Moreland:
- Scaling the Secular City Vincent Cheung (Reformation Ministries International):
- Systematic Theology - Ultimate Questions
- Presuppositional Confrontations Gordon Clark (Trinity Foundation):
- An Introduction to Christian Philosophy
- A Christian View of Men and Things
- Religion, Reason, and Revelation
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