Christian Marketing Frenzy as Da Vinci Code is Released

NEW YORK – The long-awaited and debated Da Vinci Code film is out and readily available for millions of people worldwide to see. At the same time, Christians have made no stop in pumping out more resources and spreading the truth through widespread avenues.
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Westminster Theological Seminary, which has campuses in Philadelphia and Dallas and offers programs in New York City, London and Seoul, has announced the release of an advertisement in one of the nation's leading daily newspapers – USA Today. The advertisement campaign is also hitting national Christian publications such as Christianity Today and Charisma.

The ads are not in the form of a protest against the novel-turned-film. Rather, it's a page to direct people to the answers they might have especially after watching the movie – that is, to the website, www.thetruthaboutdavinci.com. Taglines are variations of "There is fact. There is fiction. You decide online."

"What good is 'truth' if no one knows how to find it or discern it?" asked Dr. Peter Lillback, President of Westminster Theological Seminary, in a released statement. "We are offering a forum for those with questions to come seek out answers, weigh the evidence, and then make an informed decision for themselves."
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The website that the ad publicizes is available in 10 different languages and was launched on Good Friday.

For the Presbyterian institute, advertising was their outlet for leading people to douse their curiosity and questions.

For Christian organizations reaching teens, technology is the way to give young audiences answers to the questions raised from Dan Brown's bestselling novel.

TeenMania, one of the largest teen organizations in America, offers an exclusive video "Crack the Code" to members of its BattleCry Coalition. BattleCry is a national initiative launched this year as a counterculture movement against the drug abuse, sexual activity and violence common among teens today.

One of the largest Christian ministries reaching college students, Campus Crusade for Christ International, has taken advantage of the widely popular podcasts. The Da Vinci Code: A Quest for Answers podcast is ranked as the second most-popular on the Apple iTunes online store, according to a CCCI news release.

"Podcasting gives us an opportunity to make information readily accessible to a large and diverse audience," said Josh McDowell, best-selling author of . "It has proved to be an invaluable tool for equipping Christians to respond to questions about The Da Vinci Code."

CCCI is big on using technology to reach both believers and non-believers. Global Media Outreach, a ministry of CCCI, sponsors over 25 websites for a wide reach. Three more websites on The Da Vinci Code (jesusanddavinci.com, davinciandjesus.com, davinciquest.org) were added to the mix of CCC-sponsored sites.

"Swirling around this book are so many discussions about 'seeking the truth,' it seems that in that pursuit, the best place to start would be by looking at the truth of the Biblical message, centered in Jesus Christ, which has stood the test of time for thousands of years and for which people are still willing to lay down their life," stated Dr. William Edgar, Professor of Apologetics at Westminster, according to a past statement. "Our job is easy – we don’t have to manufacture or create our position. We need only to examine the facts and let them speak for themselves."




Lillian Kwon
Christian Today Correspondant