2008 Woodie Awards
Brown's 'Angels and Demons' stirs controversy like 'The Da Vinci Code'
Ariel Libet, Special to The Johnsonian
Issue date: 8/30/06 Section: Arts
With the popularity of "The Da Vinci Code" growing, Dan Brown has been the target of many critics. Because Brown chooses controversial topics, many readers have become outraged at certain claims which Brown writes about, specifically those regarding conspiracies within the church.
It must be clarified first that the use of "church" here is meant to represent organized religion, specifically Catholicism.
"Angles and Demons," the first book featuring the character Robert Langdon, is set mostly in Vatican City. Langdon is sent on a race against time when four of the major cardinals of the Catholic Church are kidnapped by a secret organization, known only as the Illuminati. The Illuminati's power reaches higher than initially realized and as the book progresses, Langdon and some readers become aware of the reaches of this conspiracy and how far some will go to get the results they believe benefit humanity.
Brown's novel causes the reader to look past what he believes into a world of dark, disturbing thoughts and portrayals.
"Angels and Demons let us know that hypocrisy and truth are balanced in our own psyche," senior interior design major Angela McCray said.
One of the major themes in Brown's book is the culmination and relationship between science and religion. Several characters in the book set out to prove the existence of God, using science as their means.
"As [someone interested in biology] and a Christian, I can appreciate the value of tangible evidence," freshman biology Bailey Lemmon said. "If this evidence is proof enough and someone is able to find comfort in what they believe to be a concrete relationship with God, then who are we to question this sanctity?"
Brown's discussion of the Illuminati and the churches of Raphael are interesting to read, but with such claims that Galileo and John Milton were members of the Illuminati regime, a regime that was known to have inflicted terror on several church officials, causes some to be angry and misunderstand the purpose of Brown's work.
"Angels and Demons is a piece of well-written fiction, not well-written history," senior photography major Brandi Voigt said.
Brown's novel is a fun and exciting read filled with twists that will intrigue the reader's mind. Captivating and riveting throughout, the reader will never get bored.
It must be clarified first that the use of "church" here is meant to represent organized religion, specifically Catholicism.
"Angles and Demons," the first book featuring the character Robert Langdon, is set mostly in Vatican City. Langdon is sent on a race against time when four of the major cardinals of the Catholic Church are kidnapped by a secret organization, known only as the Illuminati. The Illuminati's power reaches higher than initially realized and as the book progresses, Langdon and some readers become aware of the reaches of this conspiracy and how far some will go to get the results they believe benefit humanity.
Brown's novel causes the reader to look past what he believes into a world of dark, disturbing thoughts and portrayals.
"Angels and Demons let us know that hypocrisy and truth are balanced in our own psyche," senior interior design major Angela McCray said.
One of the major themes in Brown's book is the culmination and relationship between science and religion. Several characters in the book set out to prove the existence of God, using science as their means.
"As [someone interested in biology] and a Christian, I can appreciate the value of tangible evidence," freshman biology Bailey Lemmon said. "If this evidence is proof enough and someone is able to find comfort in what they believe to be a concrete relationship with God, then who are we to question this sanctity?"
Brown's discussion of the Illuminati and the churches of Raphael are interesting to read, but with such claims that Galileo and John Milton were members of the Illuminati regime, a regime that was known to have inflicted terror on several church officials, causes some to be angry and misunderstand the purpose of Brown's work.
"Angels and Demons is a piece of well-written fiction, not well-written history," senior photography major Brandi Voigt said.
Brown's novel is a fun and exciting read filled with twists that will intrigue the reader's mind. Captivating and riveting throughout, the reader will never get bored.
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