The Da Vinci Code: Navigating Literary Texts from a Christian Perspective

Abstract

What can literature do? Hamlet, in Shakespeare's eponymous play, responds to Polonius' question, "What are you reading, my Lord Hamlet?' with "Words. Words: Words." This response succinctly captures the essence of literature. It is a subject which is quintessentially about words. But what can words do, especially when they lie dead as in print? In comparison to medicine, engineering, agriculture, information technology and other technical subjects, it is not easy to say what a literature graduate can do. Why do we need literature graduates? What is their role in society? Do we need literature in society? This debate can take us far back into Plato's ideal republic where poetry and music were not welcome. Christians, however, will argue that words have immense powers. We can begin from the day of creation. Creation, ex-nihilo, was achieved through words. God only said, "let there be," and there was! It was only when creating man that he applied psychomotor skills by moulding Adam out of the dust of the ground and breathed life into him. In the gospel of John, God incarnate- Jesus Christ- is also defined as the word of God without whom nothing was created. Indeed in this gospel, God and the word are equated. John writes, "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1: 1). Scripture is awash with references to the power of words. James exhorts us to be wary of the tongue as it has enormous potential for destruction.