The Da Vinci Code: A Woman's Story?
HerCode printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Tue May 23, 2006 at 03:29:36 PM EST
Although The Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction, it has touched a raw nerve: the suppression of women within institutional religion.  While my Christian faith is the soul and foundation of who I am, it is also true that the history of Christianity reveals centuries of silencing women that continues today. This incongruity magnified to a national level, I believe, is the reason for the astonishing popularity of The Da Vinci Code.
Although The Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction, it has touched a raw nerve: the suppression of women within institutional religion.  While my Christian faith is the soul and foundation of who I am, it is also true that the history of Christianity reveals centuries of silencing women that continues today. This incongruity magnified to a national level, I believe, is the reason for the astonishing popularity of The Da Vinci Code.

My colleague the Rev. Susan Thistlethwaite, President of Chicago Theological Seminary, points out that The Da Vinci Code resurrected the authority of one of the woman long suppressed in Christian history, Mary Magdalene. Echoing one of Brown's major themes, Thistlethwaite says that "There is simply no biblical evidence that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute - even though the church has taught that she was."

Rather, the Bible does say that Magdalene was a witness of the resurrection. According to Thistlethwaite, this should have given her "apostolic authority" of the same magnitude as the rest of the male apostles of Jesus.

Today, several centuries later, women are still struggling to be heard. My friend, Rev. Emma Jordan-Simpson, who now serves as a pastor at a local Baptist church in Brooklyn, reminded me recently of a moment of breakthrough for her.  When she was a student pastor, several fellow male students engaged her in a scriptural battle about the authority of women to preach.

"As I sat listening to their arguments about why it is ridiculous for a woman to serve as minister, I saw it: these guys were arguing about something God had settled long ago. I too am made in the image of God," Rev. Jordan-Simpson recalled.

The crimes of any religious institution, against women or otherwise, do not negate the values of love and justice at their core. Human institutions will always be flawed reflections of the values they hope to embody. However, as the national dialogue The Da Vinci Code has spawned rages on, I hope that we utilize this opportunity to confront the inequities our religious homes have perpetuated. Far too many women find themselves spiritually deprived because they feel unwelcome or unequal in their own houses of worship.

This film provides our country with an opportunity for national dialogue centered around questions we don't often like to discuss. What is it about the relationship of women and the organized religion today that makes a mere fictional novel so popular and so controversial?

I've created an online space for women from around the country to join in this conversation together, to tell their stories of struggle and triumph in their faith communities. HerCode.org is dedicated to raising women's voices, to elevating the discourse of scriptural sparring over a fictional novel to a new level to discuss the real lives of women today.

To read what women around the world are saying, and to tell your story, join us at www.HerCode.org.
--
Helen LaKelly Hunt is the author of Faith and Feminism: A Holy Alliance and the founder of FaithandFeminism.org.




Display:
We've created a small 'club,' if you will, for women who are both spiritual and progressive:  www.circleofdivineenergy.com .

by Maat on Mon May 29, 2006 at 05:38:05 PM EST

The thing I found weirdest about the Da Vinci Code is that there is so little human femininity, both on-screen (Audrey Tautou is the only female who speaks more than one or two lines) and behind the scenes. A whole bunch of men are going to make a whole bunch of money from it. My wife and I felt played for fools once we realized this.

by GreenEyed Lilo on Wed May 31, 2006 at 05:27:27 PM EST

you can contain all the information in the bunch and every page you have no need to check Mahjong Connect because everytime it solve the problem of the user. In this format give the option of in the managing format. So it quickly take the actions every time.

by anke99 on Sun Dec 30, 2018 at 05:34:02 AM EST

Thank you for taking the time to publish this information very useful! Mature women

by Anusak on Sun Dec 22, 2019 at 02:54:39 AM EST


WWW Talk To Action


Cognitive Dissonance & Dominionism Denial
There is new research on why people are averse to hearing or learning about the views of ideological opponents. Based on evaluation of five......
By Frederick Clarkson (374 comments)
Will the Air Force Do Anything To Rein In Its Dynamic Duo of Gay-Bashing, Misogynistic Bloggers?
"I always get nervous when I see female pastors/chaplains. Here is why everyone should as well: "First, women are not called to be pastors,......
By Chris Rodda (199 comments)
The Legacy of Big Oil
The media is ablaze with the upcoming publication of David Grann's book, Killers of the Flower Moon. The shocking non fiction account of the......
By wilkyjr (111 comments)
Gimme That Old Time Dominionism Denial
Over the years, I have written a great deal here and in other venues about the explicitly theocratic movement called dominionism -- which has......
By Frederick Clarkson (101 comments)
History Advisor to Members of Congress Completely Twists Jefferson's Words to Support Muslim Ban
Pseudo-historian David Barton, best known for his misquoting of our country's founders to promote the notion that America was founded as a Christian nation,......
By Chris Rodda (113 comments)
"Christian Fighter Pilot" Calls First Lesbian Air Force Academy Commandant a Liar
In a new post on his "Christian Fighter Pilot" blog titled "BGen Kristin Goodwin and the USAFA Honor Code," Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan......
By Chris Rodda (144 comments)
Catholic Right Leader Unapologetic about Call for 'Death to Liberal Professors' -- UPDATED
Today, Donald Trump appointed C-FAM Executive Vice President Lisa Correnti to the US Delegation To UN Commission On Status Of Women. (C-FAM is a......
By Frederick Clarkson (126 comments)
Controlling Information
     Yesterday I listened to Russ Limbaugh.  Rush advised listeners it would be best that they not listen to CNN,MSNBC, ABC, CBS and......
By wilkyjr (118 comments)
Is Bannon Fifth-Columning the Pope?
In December 2016 I wrote about how White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who likes to flash his Catholic credentials when it comes to......
By Frank Cocozzelli (251 comments)
Ross Douthat's Hackery on the Seemingly Incongruous Alliance of Bannon & Burke
Conservative Catholic writer Ross Douthat has dissembled again. This time, in a February 15, 2017 New York Times op-ed titled The Trump Era's Catholic......
By Frank Cocozzelli (64 comments)
`So-Called Patriots' Attack The Rule Of Law
Every so often, right-wing commentator Pat Buchanan lurches out of the far-right fever swamp where he has resided for the past 50 years to......
By Rob Boston (161 comments)
Bad Faith from Focus on the Family
Here is one from the archives, Feb 12, 2011, that serves as a reminder of how deeply disingenuous people can be. Appeals to seek......
By Frederick Clarkson (177 comments)
The Legacy of George Wallace
"One need not accept any of those views to agree that they had appealed to real concerns of real people, not to mindless, unreasoning......
By wilkyjr (70 comments)
Betsy DeVos's Mudsill View of Public Education
My Talk to Action colleague Rachel Tabachnick has been doing yeoman's work in explaining Betsy DeVos's long-term strategy for decimating universal public education. If......
By Frank Cocozzelli (80 comments)
Prince and DeVos Families at Intersection of Radical Free Market Privatizers and Religious Right
This post from 2011 surfaces important information about President-Elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. -- FC Erik Prince, Brother of Betsy......
By Rachel Tabachnick (218 comments)

Respect for Others? or Political Correctness?
The term "political correctness" as used by Conservatives and Republicans has often puzzled me: what exactly do they mean by it? After reading Chip Berlin's piece here-- http://www.talk2action.org/story/2016/7/21/04356/9417 I thought about what he explained......
MTOLincoln (253 comments)
Fear
What I'm feeling now is fear.  I swear that it seems my nightmares are coming true with this new "president".  I'm also frustrated because so many people are not connecting all the dots! I've......
ArchaeoBob (107 comments)
"America - love it or LEAVE!"
I've been hearing that and similar sentiments fairly frequently in the last few days - far FAR more often than ever before.  Hearing about "consequences for burning the flag (actions) from Trump is chilling!......
ArchaeoBob (211 comments)
"Faked!" Meme
Keep your eyes and ears open for a possible move to try to discredit the people openly opposing Trump and the bigots, especially people who have experienced terrorism from the "Right"  (Christian Terrorism is......
ArchaeoBob (165 comments)
More aggressive proselytizing
My wife told me today of an experience she had this last week, where she was proselytized by a McDonald's employee while in the store. ......
ArchaeoBob (163 comments)
See if you recognize names on this list
This comes from the local newspaper, which was conservative before and took a hard right turn after it was sold. Hint: Sarah Palin's name is on it!  (It's also connected to Trump.) ......
ArchaeoBob (169 comments)
Unions: A Labor Day Discussion
This is a revision of an article which I posted on my personal board and also on Dailykos. I had an interesting discussion on a discussion board concerning Unions. I tried to piece it......
Xulon (180 comments)
Extremely obnoxious protesters at WitchsFest NYC: connected to NAR?
In July of this year, some extremely loud, obnoxious Christian-identified protesters showed up at WitchsFest, an annual Pagan street fair here in NYC.  Here's an account of the protest by Pagan writer Heather Greene......
Diane Vera (130 comments)
Capitalism and the Attack on the Imago Dei
I joined this site today, having been linked here by Crooksandliars' Blog Roundup. I thought I'd put up something I put up previously on my Wordpress blog and also at the DailyKos. As will......
Xulon (331 comments)
History of attitudes towards poverty and the churches.
Jesus is said to have stated that "The Poor will always be with you" and some Christians have used that to refuse to try to help the poor, because "they will always be with......
ArchaeoBob (148 comments)
Alternate economy medical treatment
Dogemperor wrote several times about the alternate economy structure that dominionists have built.  Well, it's actually made the news.  Pretty good article, although it doesn't get into how bad people could be (have been)......
ArchaeoBob (90 comments)
Evidence violence is more common than believed
Think I've been making things up about experiencing Christian Terrorism or exaggerating, or that it was an isolated incident?  I suggest you read this article (linked below in body), which is about our great......
ArchaeoBob (214 comments)

More Diaries...




All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Comments, posts, stories, and all other content are owned by the authors. Everything else © 2005 Talk to Action, LLC.