Dunreath

Catechesis for the Da Vinci Code

In recent months readers -- young and not so young -- of the Da Vinci Code have found themselves asking a number of questions about Jesus, his message, and his Church. Here are some of the questions.
The answers, prepared by a team of theologians and historians, have been edited for our website.
 

 1. What do we really know about Jesus?

 2. What does the Mary’s virginity imply?

 3.  Did St Joseph marry a second time?

 4. Was Jesus single, married, or a widower?

 5. What is the current position of historical research on Jesus?

6. What sort of historical credibility does the Bible have?

 7.  Who were the evangelists?

 8.  How were the gospels written?

 9. What are the canonical gospels and the apocryphal gospels. How many are there of each?

10. What’s the difference between the canonical gospels and the apocryphal gospels?

11. What do the apocryphal gospels say?

12. Who are the Gnostics?

13.  What do Roman and Jewish sources say about Jesus?

14.  What do the Qumran manuscripts tell us?

15.  What is the Nag Hammadi library?

16.  Who was Mary Magdalene?

17.  What was the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magalene?

18.  What does the ‘Gospel of Mary [Magdalene]’ say?

19.  What was the relationship between Peter and Mary Magdalene?

20.  What went on at the Last Supper?

21.  What does the Gospel of Philip say?

22. What is the Holy Grail? How is it related to the Holy Chalice?

23. Did Jesus really mean to found a Church?