Anyone who’s seen the movie or read the book The Da Vinci Code knows that it’s full of claims that could reshape how we see Christianity.
The 2004 novel by author Dan Brown is a work of fiction, but it draws on actual historical events and figures to support its plot and characters. One such figure is Opus Dei, a real organization that plays a significant role in the novel. Opus Dei is Latin for “the work of God,” and it describes both an ideas-based social organization and an institution with a hierarchy similar to that of the Catholic Church. The group was founded in 1928 by Spanish priest Josemaría Escrivá as a way to promote what he saw as the core beliefs of Catholicism, including the importance of educating people about faith, helping the poor, and taking part in spiritual activities. The group now has more than 80,000 members worldwide; many belong to individual branches within different countries where Opus Dei operates.
The novel’s main characters visit several real places in Paris, including the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Jardin du Luxembourg, and Saint-Sulpice. The book’s author Dan Brown employed these real locations as settings for his story.
The novel’s claims that modern-day descendants of Jesus and Mary Magdalene live in southern France are entirely fictional. Some people have identified themselves as such descendants, but these claims have been widely discredited by historians and genealogists.
