Speaking of Faith® from American Public Media | Deciphering the Da Vinci Code

Deciphering the Da Vinci Code: Holy Myrrhbearer and Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene 20th century Greek icon. Courtesy of Orthodox Church in America.

Deciphering the Da Vinci Code

The New Testament has entered the American imagination with a tantalizing spin. The best-selling novel, The Da Vinci Code, has invigorated popular curiosity but also suspicion about the biblical anthology by reimagining it, in part, as a cover-up. As more Americans read the book, they have been turning to their churches for explanation. For if the novel's premises are true, much of what they learned in Sunday School was deception.

Host Krista Tippett focuses on gathering a basic picture of what really happened in the fluid early years of Christianity. Why were some of the books early Christians read included in the Bible while others were left out? How did it happen that modern Christians inherited an erroneous view of women in the early Church, including Mary Magdalene?

LISTEN to the radio show.

Left: Holy Myrrhbearer and Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene 20th century Greek icon. Courtesy of Orthodox Church in America.

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Voices on the Radio

Bernadette Brooten
Brooten is Kraft-Hiatt Professor of Christian Studies at Brandeis University, and Program Director of The Feminist Sexual Ethics Project.

Exclusive Content

Image Gallery: View the changing perspectives of Mary Magdalene depicted in art over the centuries.

Luke Timothy Johnson
Johnson is R.W. Woodruff Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.

Web-Only Audio: Bart Ehrman and Luke Timothy Johnson discuss early forms of Christianity and the value of ancient texts.

Program Particulars
*Times denoted refer to web version of audio

(01:27–01:54) Music: "Aaj Ki Raat" from Kronos Caravan, by Kronos Quartet

(01:54–02:07) Music: "Quia ergo femina" from Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy, performed by Sequentia Ensemble for Medieval Music, Cologne

(01:57) Secret Society and Da Vinci Painting
In Krista's introduction, she summarizes the plot of the The Da Vinci Code and refers to a secret "passed down through an elite society"—Opus Dei—and encoded in a Da Vinci painting, The Last Supper.

(02:06–02:47) Music: "Aaj Ki Raat" from Kronos Caravan, by Kronos Quartet

(03:08) Johnson's Classic Text
Johnson's classic work examining the New Testament in theological, social, literary, and historical context is The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation.

(07:08–08:31) Music: "Dominus Regnavit, Prolegendum" and "Vide, Domine, et Considera, Tractus" from The Mystery Of Santo Domingo De Silos, performed by Santo Domingo de Silos Abbey Monks' Choir

(08:00) Tatian Reference
In 170 CE, an Assyrian-born philosopher Tatian wrote an influential gospel harmony from the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—entitled the Diatesseron.

(13:01–13:43) Music: "Aaj Ki Raat" from Kronos Caravan, by Kronos Quartet

(15:35) Nag Hammadi
In 1945, a jar buried since the 4th century was discovered by a farmer in upper Egypt. It contained 52 documents, many of them being gnostic scriptures.

(16:43–17:36) Music: "Cum processit" from Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy, performed by Sequentia Ensemble for Medieval Music, Cologne

(16:43) Gospel of Thomas Readings
Written between 50-140 CE, the 114 secret sayings of Jesus were likely written by Didymos Judas Thomas. In the show, the opening and closing passages were excerpted from a translation by Thomas O. Lambdin:

Opening Passages
These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.

And he said, "Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death."

Jesus said, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the All."

Final Passage
Simon Peter said to him, "Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life." Jesus said, "I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven."

(18:40) Paraphrase by Luke Timothy Johnson
Dr. Johnson paraphrases one of the teachings in the Gospel of Thomas, "He who has found the world has found a corpse." Following is the passage to which he refers (translated by Thomas O. Lambdin):

Jesus said, "Whoever has come to understand the world has found (only) a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the world."

(19:44–20:00) Music: "Aaj Ki Raat" from Kronos Caravan, by Kronos Quartet

(22:06–22:39) Music: "Drumming, Pt. 2" from Drumming, by Steve Reich

(22:24–24:21) Music: "Tromba Lontana" from John Adams: Tromba Lontana

(32:50–33:23) Music: "Pano da Costa" from White Man Sleeps, by Kronos Quartet

(33:22–34:07) Music: "Alleluia, O virga mediatrix" from Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy, performed by Sequentia Ensemble for Medieval Music, Cologne

(43:28–45:17) Music: "Cum processit" from Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy, performed by Sequentia Ensemble for Medieval Music, Cologne

(44:03) Reading from Gospel of Mary Magdalene
Written between 120-180 CE, only fragments of this gospel exist. The following passage was excerpted from a translation by George MacRae and R.M. Wilson:

When Mary had said this, she fell silent, since it was to this point that the Savior had spoken with her. But Andrew answered and said to the brethren, "Say what you (wish to) say about what she has said. I at least do not believe that the Savior said this. For certainly these teachings are strange ideas." Peter answered and spoke concerning these same things. He questioned them about the Savior: "Did he really speak with a woman without our knowledge (and) not openly? Are we to turn about and all listen to her? Did he prefer her to us?"

Then Mary wept and said to Peter, "My brother Peter, what do you think? Do you think that I thought this up myself in my heart, or that I am lying about the Savior?" Levi answered and said to Peter, "Peter, you are always hot-tempered. Now I see you contending against the woman like the adversaries. But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you indeed to reject her? Surely the Savior knows her very well. This is why he loved her more than us.

(45:10–45:32) Music: "Quia ergo femina" from Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy, performed by Sequentia Ensemble for Medieval Music, Cologne

(49:43–52:36) Music: "Aaj Ki Raat" from Kronos Caravan, by Kronos Quartet