'Da Vinci Code' lies could bring more interest in faith, speaker says

Published: 2006-03-27

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (CNS) -- Instead of fearing or trashing "The Da Vinci Code," people of faith should view it as a much-needed vaccine against ignorance, according to Thomas Ryan, chairman of the religious studies department at St. Thomas University in Miami. "It is a novel that holds a mirror up to us -- to silly academics and people who misuse facts," Ryan told a group of Protestant, Catholic and Jewish leaders gathered March 22 for the monthly clergy dialogue sponsored by the National Conference for Community and Justice. He said talking about the popular book -- and upcoming movie -- should "strengthen our congregations to be able to deal with what's out there" in terms of religious ignorance and misconceptions. "This is a vaccine," said Ryan, whose area of specialization is medieval church history. "This articulates the silliness that's out there. We could use it as a way of inoculating ourselves."

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