Dan Brown's view of sexuality

Fiction

In Brown’s view of life, he determines that there should be, in place of God or beside him, a consort goddess worthy of equal or even superior worship. Radical feminists love this idea and too quickly are urging a reappraisal of Sophia, the supreme goddess of second-century Gnosticism (as defined by Merriam-Webster: the thought and practice especially of various cults of late pre-Christian and early Christian centuries distinguished by the conviction that matter is evil and that emancipation comes through gnosis/knowledge[1]).

Fact

Here we find no lofty idealism to support the female side of divinity, but rather a lusty advocacy of free sexual indulgence as part of a worship unrestrained by Judeo-Christian principles.

Fiction

According to Brown, the church “demonized sex,” whereas those favoring the sacred feminine regard it as a quasi-sacrament. As witness to this, Brown depicts a lurid ritual he painted directly out of the film Eyes Wide Shut. The scene shows a circle of costumed men and women devotees offering up a weird chant in a nocturnal, candlelit cellar as they surround a copulating couple in the center. The ultimate message to the reader is this: it may look bad, but it’s really okay because this is hieros gamos, a “holy marriage” rite associated with the sacred feminine. The endless references in this book to Aphrodite or Venus – for whom Brown finds impossible symbolism everywhere from planetary movements to Walt Disney productions to reinforce his theme.

Fact

Far from “demonizing sex,” Christianity regards sexuality as one of God’s greatest gifts – albeit a gift that should be used responsibly. In this scary era of venereal disease, HIV, herpes, and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD), this view is hardly outdated. The libertinism suggested in The DaVinci Code would only exacerbate the dangers brought about by the Sexual Revolution. Nor has any mainstream religious system ever placed women on a higher plane than Christianity. The target for Brown’s feminist crusade should instead have been those current major religions that have not yet experienced the blessings of women’s liberation.

(These notes have been taken from Dr. Paul Maier's "The DaVinci Code: fact or fiction?")

[1]Merriam-Webster, I. 1996, c1993. Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. Includes index. (10th ed.). Merriam-Webster: Springfield, Mass., U.S.A.