Kang-nam Oh - Dan Brown Origin 종교의 미래/미래의 종교
Kang-nam Oh
12 h ·
종교의 미래/미래의 종교
지난 주 스페인 포르투갈 여행을 마치고 돌아왔습니다. 이번 여행과 관계해서 오늘은 책 한 권을 소개하려고 합니다. 미국의 작가 댄 브라운(Dan Brown)을 아실 것입니다. 그의 소설 <다빈치 코드 The Da Vinci Code>는 나오자마자 세계적으로 수 천만 부가 팔린 최대의 걸작이었습니다. 그 외에도 <로스트 심볼> <인페르노> <천사와 악마> <오리진> 등 나오는 책마다 베스트셀러가 되었습니다.
저는 이 중에서 제가 가장 좋아하는 <오리진>에 대해 이야기해 볼까 합니다. 사실 <오리진>은 댄 브라원의 책들 중에서만이 아니라 제가 읽은 많은 소설 중에 단연 최고의 소설 중 하나라 확신합니다. 이 책이 손에 땀이 나도록 흥미진진한 이야기를 전개해 나가기 때문만이 아니라 ‘미래의 종교’/‘종교의 미래’에 대해 설득력 있게 이야기해주고 있기 때문입니다.
스페인을 무대로 전개되는 이 소설이 2017년 한국과 미국에서 동시 출판되었습니다. 그 때 감명 깊게 읽고, 언젠가 스페인에 가봐야겠다는 생각을 했었는데, 드디어 스페인에 가게 되어, 가기 전 <오리진>을 다시 읽고 기억을 새롭게 한 다음 현장을 직접 보게 되었을 때 감동은 이만저만이 아니었습니다.
내용을 소상하게 소개하는 것은 이른바 ‘스포’가 될 것 같아 큰 줄거리만 말씀드립니다.
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하버드 출신의 천재 과학자 에드먼드 커쉬(Edmond Kirsch)가 스페인 빌바오에 있는 구겐하임 미술관에서 “우리는 어디서 왔는가? 우리는 어디로 가는가?” 우리의 근원(Origin)과 우리의 운명(destiny)에 관한 혁명적 발견을 발표하게 되었습니다. 지축을 흔들 정도로 중대한 발표인만큼 세계의 미디어가 몰려들어 중개를 하고 있었습니다.
생명이 신의 개입이나 외계의 관여 없이 생겨날 수 있다는 것, 그리고 이제 우리의 운명이 어떻게 전개될 것인가 발표하려는 순간 커쉬는 괴한에 의해 암살을 당하게 됩니다.
그 자리에 초청되어 참석하고 있던 커쉬의 스승 하버드대 기호학 교수 로버트 랭던과 그 미술관의 여성 관장 암브라 비델은 이 발표를 계속해서 끝내려고 하는데, 커쉬가 자기의 슈퍼 컴퓨터에 암호로 걸어놓은 마흔 일곱 글자 시구(詩句)를 찾을 수가 없었습니다. 둘은 바르셀로나로 날아가서 커쉬의 숙소인 카사 밀라(Casa Milà) 꼭대기 층에 있는 책들을 샅샅이 뒤져보지만 찾을 수 없었습니다.
커쉬가 좋아한 영국의 시인, 화가, 판화가, 종교 비평가 윌리엄 블레이크(William Blake) 전집을 사그라다 파밀리아(Sagrada Familia) 성당에 맡겨놓았다는 것을 알게 되어 그리로 옮겨가 찾기 시작합니다. 천신만고 끝에 지하에 그의 시집 중 한 페이지가 열린채 전시되어 있는 것을 발견하게 됩니다. 거기에 The dark religions are departed & sweet science reigns (어두운 종교들은 떠나고 감미로운 과학이 지배한다) 라는 시구가 적혀 있었습니다. 마흔 여섯 자 밖에 되지 않는데, &을 본래 뜻인 et로 푸니 마흔 일곱이 되었습니다.
마침내 프레젠테이션이 계속되었습니다. 인간은 곧 멸종 위기에 처해있지만 “미래는 여러분이 상상하는 것보다 훨씬 밝습니다.”로 결론 짖습니다. 결국 커쉬가 전하려던 가장 중요한 기별은 한마디로 낡은 종교는 사라지고 과학이 지배하는 세상이 된다고 하는 것이었습니다.
정말로 종교들은 사라지고 말 것인가? 프레젠테이션이 끝나고 사그라다 파밀리아 성전 주임신부 호아킴 베냐(Beńa) 신부와 랭던 교수의 대화가 의미심장합니다. 랭던 교수에 의하면 블레이크는 사실 “종교에 두 가지 측면이 있다고 믿었지요. 창의적인 사고를 억압하는 어둡고 독단적인 종교들과.... 자기 성찰과 창의력을 북돋는 밝고 탄력적인 종교들.” “아주 쉬운 말로 고쳐쓸 수 있어요. 감미로운 과학이 어두운 종교들을 몰아낼 것이다.... 개화된 종교가 꽃을 피울 수 있도록. Sweet science will banish the dark religions....so the enlightened religions can flourish.”
베냐 신부는 사그라다 파밀리아 교회가 “자연과 직접적으로 연결된... 미래의 교회”를 상징하는 것이라 말합니다. 랭던도 “사그라 파밀리아가 한 발은 과거에, 다른 한 발은 미래에 걸친, 죽어가는 신앙과 새롭게 태어나는 신앙 사이의 물리적 가교가 되지 않을까 생각하고, 만약 그렇게 된다면 사그라다 파밀리아는 상상을 초월할 만큼 지금보다 훨씬 중요한 성당이 될 터”라고 결론 짓습니다.
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이 책은 표층 종교로서의 종교는 이제 그 명을 다했다는 것을 재확인시켜 주고 있습니다. 현재 세계적으로 일어나고 있는 탈종교화 현상이 이를 증명하고 있습니다. 종교가 인류에 기여하려면 옛날 패러다임이나 세계관에 입각해서 형성된 교리나 예식을 과감히 청산하고 “자기 성찰과 창의력을 북돋는 밝고 탄력적인 종교”로 탈바꿈하는 것이라고 보고 있습니다. 이런 종교는 더 이상 ‘종교’라 할 수도 없는 무엇일 수밖에 없을지도 모르겠습니다.
정선욱
인간이 기복, 안정을 바라는 이상
종교가 사라지기는 어려워 보입니다.
Minjeong Seok
캐나다 제 주위만 봐도 대대로 독실한 기독교/천주교신자들을 가족으로 둔 친구나 회사동료들이 많습니다. 하지만 그 지인들은 교회를 더이상 다니고 있지 않고 자녀들에게 종교생활을 독려하지도 않지요.
종교가 자기성찰과 창의력을 북돋아 탄력적이고 밝은 면을 지향해야 한다시는 말씀에 깊이 공감합니다. 신앙은 꼭 필요합니다.
Hoon Park
Dan Brown 의 광팬으로 그의 책을 모두 읽었으나 저로서는 좀 오래되긴했지만 “Angels and Demons”이 줄을 치며 읽었던 가장 깊은 인상을 안겨주었던 책입니다. 종교와 과학의 접점을 찾으려는 그의 노력이 대단히 가상해보였습니다. 그래서 그곳에 나오는 4개의 교회를 찾아 Rome 로 떠났던 생각이 나네요. 근 20년전 쯤의 일입니다.
Julie Jeong
오교슈님의 Dan Brown 이야기에 흥미가 솓구쳤어요. 남편이 좋아하던 작가라
Brown 의 모든 책이 집에 아직도 자리잡고 있어요 덕분에 저도 첫번 책인 The DaVinci Code 와 Inferno 를 흥미있게 읽었답니다.
오교수님이 언급하신 "오리진' 을 읽어봐야겠어요. 고맙습니다.
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Dan Brown
82 languages
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Daniel Brown (disambiguation).
Dan Brown
Born Daniel Gerhard Brown[1]
June 22, 1964 (age 59)
Exeter, New Hampshire, U.S.
Occupation Novelist
Alma mater Amherst College
Genre Thriller, adventure, mystery, conspiracy
Notable works Digital Fortress
Deception Point
Angels & Demons
The Da Vinci Code
The Lost Symbol
Inferno
Origin
Spouse
Blythe Newlon
(m. 1997; div. 2019)[2]
Relatives Gregory W. Brown (brother)
Signature
Website
danbrown.com
Daniel Gerhard Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author best known for his thriller novels, including the Robert Langdon novels Angels & Demons (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2003), The Lost Symbol (2009), Inferno (2013), and Origin (2017). His novels are treasure hunts that usually take place over a period of 24 hours.[3] They feature recurring themes of cryptography, art, and conspiracy theories. His books have been translated into 57 languages and, as of 2012, have sold over 200 million copies. Three of them, Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and Inferno, have been adapted into films, while one of them, The Lost Symbol, was adapted into a television show.
The Robert Langdon novels are deeply engaged with Christian themes and historical fiction, and have generated controversy as a result. Brown states on his website that his books are not anti-Christian and he is on a "constant spiritual journey" himself.[4] He states that his book The Da Vinci Code is "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith."[5]
Early life[edit]
Daniel Gerhard Brown was born on June 22, 1964, in Exeter, New Hampshire.[6] He has a younger sister, Valerie (born 1968) and brother, Gregory (born 1974). Brown attended Exeter's public schools until the ninth grade.[7] He grew up on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy, where his father, Richard G. Brown, was a teacher of mathematics and wrote textbooks[8] from 1968 until his retirement in 1997.[9] His mother, Constance (née Gerhard), trained as a church organist and student of sacred music.[7] Brown was raised an Episcopalian,[8] and described his religious evolution in a 2009 interview:
"I was raised Episcopalian, and I was very religious as a kid. Then, in eighth or ninth grade, I studied astronomy, cosmology, and the origins of the universe. I remember saying to a minister, 'I don't get it. I read a book that said there was an explosion known as the Big Bang, but here it says God created heaven and Earth and the animals in seven days. Which is right?' Unfortunately, the response I got was, 'Nice boys don't ask that question.' A light went off, and I said, 'The Bible doesn't make sense. Science makes much more sense to me.' And I just gravitated away from religion."[8]
When asked in the same interview about his then-current religious views, Brown replied:
"The irony is that I've really come full circle. The more science I studied, the more I saw that physics becomes metaphysics and numbers become imaginary numbers. The further you go into science, the mushier the ground gets. You start to say, 'Oh, there is an order and a spiritual aspect to science.'"[8]
Brown's interest in secrets and puzzles stems from their presence in his household as a child, where codes and ciphers were the linchpin tying together the mathematics, music, and languages in which his parents worked. The young Brown spent hours working out anagrams and crossword puzzles, and he and his siblings participated in elaborate treasure hunts devised by their father on birthdays and holidays. On Christmas, for example, Brown and his siblings did not find gifts under the tree, but followed a treasure map with codes and clues throughout their house and even around town to find the gifts.[10] Brown's relationship with his father inspired that of Sophie Neveu and Jacques Saunière in The Da Vinci Code, and Chapter 23 of that novel was inspired by one of his childhood treasure hunts.[11]
After graduating from Phillips Exeter, Brown attended Amherst College, where he was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity. He played squash, sang in the Amherst Glee Club, and was a writing student of visiting novelist Alan Lelchuk. Brown spent the 1985 school year abroad in Seville, Spain, where he was enrolled in an art history course at the University of Seville.[10] Brown graduated from Amherst in 1986.[12][13]
Career[edit]
Composer and singer[edit]
After graduating from Amherst, Brown dabbled with a musical career, creating effects with a synthesizer, and self-producing a children's cassette entitled SynthAnimals, which included a collection of tracks such as "Happy Frogs" and "Suzuki Elephants"; it sold a few hundred copies. The music has been compared to Gary Glitter.[14] He then formed his own record company called Dalliance, and in 1990 self-published a CD entitled Perspective, targeted to the adult market, which also sold a few hundred copies. In 1991 he moved to Hollywood to pursue a career as singer-songwriter and pianist. To support himself, he taught classes at Beverly Hills Preparatory School.[15][16]
He also joined the National Academy of Songwriters and participated in many of its events. It was there that he met his wife, Blythe Newlon, who was the academy's Director of Artist Development. Though it was not officially part of her job, she took on the seemingly unusual task of helping to promote Brown's projects; she wrote press releases, set up promotional events, and put him in contact with people who could be helpful to his career. She and Brown also developed a personal relationship, though this was not known to all of their associates until 1993, when Brown moved back to New Hampshire, and it was learned that Newlon would accompany him. They married in 1997, at Pea Porridge Pond, near Conway, New Hampshire.[17] In 1994 Brown released a CD titled Angels & Demons. Its artwork was the same ambigram by artist John Langdon which he later used for the novel Angels & Demons. The liner notes also again credited his wife for her involvement, thanking her "for being my tireless cowriter, coproducer, second engineer, significant other, and therapist".[17] The CD included songs such as "Here in These Fields" and the religious ballad, "All I Believe".[18]
Brown and his wife Blythe moved to Rye, New Hampshire in 1993.[17] Brown became an English teacher at his alma mater Phillips Exeter, and gave Spanish classes to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at Lincoln Akerman School, a small school for K–8th grade with about 250 students, in Hampton Falls.[19]
Brown has written a symphonic work titled Wild Symphony which is supplemented by a book of the same name.[20] The book is illustrated by Hungarian artist Susan Batori[21] which feature simple ambigrams for children, while the visuals trigger the corresponding music in an accompanying app.[22] The music was recorded by the Zagreb Festival Orchestra[23] and will receive its world concert premiere by the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra in 2020.[24] On March 30, 2022, it was announced that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Weed Road Pictures will turn Wild Symphony into an animated musical feature film in the vein of Walt Disney's Fantasia, with Brown writing the screenplay and songs, and Akiva Goldsman producing.[25]
Writing[edit]
Main article: Robert Langdon (book series)
While on vacation in Tahiti in 1993,[10] Brown read Sidney Sheldon's novel The Doomsday Conspiracy, and was inspired to become a writer of thrillers.[10][26][27]
He started work on Digital Fortress, setting much of it in Seville, where he had studied in 1985. He also co-wrote a humor book with his wife, 187 Men to Avoid: A Survival Guide for the Romantically Frustrated Woman, under the pseudonym "Danielle Brown".[28] The book's author profile reads, "Danielle Brown currently lives in New England: teaching school, writing books, and avoiding men." The copyright to the book is attributed to Brown.[29]
In 1996 Brown quit teaching to become a full-time writer. Digital Fortress was published in 1998. His wife Blythe did much of the book's promotion, writing press releases, booking Brown on talk shows, and setting up press interviews. A few months later, Brown and his wife released The Bald Book, another humor book. It was officially credited to his wife, though a representative of the publisher said that it was primarily written by Brown. Brown subsequently wrote Angels & Demons and Deception Point, released in 2000 and 2001 respectively, the former of which was the first to feature the lead character, Harvard symbology expert Robert Langdon.[30] Brown's first three novels had little success, with fewer than 10,000 copies in each of their first printings. His fourth novel, The Da Vinci Code, became a bestseller, going to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list during its first week of release in 2003. It is one of the most popular books of all time, with 81 million copies sold worldwide as of 2009.[31][32] Its success has helped push sales of Brown's earlier books.
In 2004 all four of his novels were on the New York Times list in the same week,[33] and, in 2005, he made Time magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People of the Year. Forbes magazine placed Brown at No. 12 on their 2005 "Celebrity 100" list, and estimated his annual income at US$76.5 million. According to the article published in The Times, the estimated income of Brown after Da Vinci Code sales is $250 million.[34] Brown's third novel featuring Robert Langdon, The Lost Symbol, was released on September 15, 2009.[35] According to the publisher, on its first day the book sold over one million in hardcover and e-book versions in the US, the UK and Canada, prompting the printing of 600,000 hardcover copies in addition to the five million first printing.[36]
The story takes place in Washington D.C. over a period of twelve hours, and features the Freemasons. The book also includes many elements that made The Da Vinci Code a number one best seller.
Brown's promotional website states that puzzles hidden in the book jacket of The Da Vinci Code, including two references to the Kryptos sculpture at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, give hints about the sequel. Brown has adopted a relevant theme in some of his earlier work.[37]
Brown's fourth novel featuring Robert Langdon, Inferno is a mystery thriller novel released on May 14, 2013, by Doubleday.[38] It ranked No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list for the first 11 weeks of its release, has sold more than 1.4 million copies in the US alone.[39]
In a 2006 interview, Brown stated that he had ideas for about 12 future books featuring Robert Langdon.[40]
Characters in Brown's books are often named after real people in his life. Robert Langdon is named after John Langdon, the artist who created the ambigrams used for the Angels & Demons CD and novel. Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca is named after On a Claire Day cartoonist friend Carla Ventresca. In the Vatican archives, Langdon recalls a wedding of two people named Dick and Connie, which are the names of his parents. Robert Langdon's editor Jonas Faukman is named after Brown's real life editor Jason Kaufman. Brown also said that characters were based on a New Hampshire librarian, and a French teacher at Exeter, André Vernet. Cardinal Aldo Baggia, in Angels & Demons, is named after Aldo Baggia, instructor of modern languages at Phillips Exeter Academy.[41]
In interviews, Brown has said his wife, Blythe, is an art historian and painter. When they met, she was the Director of Artistic Development at the National Academy for Songwriters in Los Angeles. During the 2006 lawsuit over alleged copyright infringement in The Da Vinci Code, information was introduced at trial that showed that Blythe did research for the book.[42] In one article, she was described as "chief researcher".[43]
Doubleday published his seventh book, Origin, on October 3, 2017. It is the fifth book in his Robert Langdon series.[44]
Reception[edit]
See also: Criticism of The Da Vinci Code
Brown's prose style has been criticized as clumsy,[45][46] with The Da Vinci Code being described as 'committing style and word choice blunders in almost every paragraph'.[47] In his 2005 documentary for Channel 4, The Real Da Vinci Code, author and presenter Tony Robinson criticised both the accuracy of the author's historic research and the writing itself, considering the book to be not particularly well written. Much of the criticism was centered on Brown's claim in his preface that the novel is based on fact in relation to Opus Dei and the Priory of Sion, and that "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in [the] novel are accurate".[48][49]
Influences and habits[edit]
In addition to Sidney Sheldon, Brown has been quite vocal about a number of other literary influences who have inspired his writing.
Recurring elements that Brown prefers to incorporate into his novels include a simple hero pulled out of their familiar setting and thrust into a new one with which they are unfamiliar, an attractive female sidekick/ love interest, foreign travel, imminent danger from a pursuing villain, antagonists who have a disability or genetic disorder, and a 24-hour time frame in which the story takes place.[3]
Brown's work is heavily influenced by academic Joseph Campbell, who wrote extensively on mythology and religion and was highly influential in the field of screenwriting. Brown also states he based the character of Robert Langdon on Campbell.[50]
Director Alfred Hitchcock appears to be another key influence on Brown. Like Hitchcock, the writer favors suspense-laden plots involving an innocent middle-aged man pursued by deadly foes, glamorous foreign settings, key scenes set in tourist destinations, a cast of wealthy and eccentric characters, young and curvaceous female sidekicks, Catholicism and MacGuffins.
Brown does his writing in his loft. He told fans that he uses inversion therapy to help with writer's block. He uses gravity boots and says, "hanging upside down seems to help me solve plot challenges by shifting my entire perspective".[51]
Copyright infringement cases[edit]
In August 2005 author Lewis Perdue unsuccessfully sued Brown for plagiarism, on the basis of claimed similarity between The Da Vinci Code and his novels, The Da Vinci Legacy (1983) and Daughter of God (2000). Judge George B. Daniels said, in part: "A reasonable average lay observer would not conclude that The Da Vinci Code is substantially similar to Daughter of God."[52]
In April 2006 Brown's publisher, Random House, won a copyright infringement case brought by authors Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, who claimed that Brown stole ideas from their 1982 book Holy Blood Holy Grail for his 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code. It was in the book Holy Blood Holy Grail that Baigent, Leigh, and co-author Henry Lincoln had advanced the theory that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had a child and that the bloodline continues to this day. Brown apparently alluded to the two authors' names in his book. Leigh Teabing, a lead character in both the novel and the film, uses Leigh's name as the first name, and anagrammatically derives his last name from Baigent's. Mr Justice Peter Smith found in Brown's favor in the case, and as a private amusement, embedded his own Smithy code in the written judgment.[53]
On March 28, 2007, Brown's publisher, Random House, won an appeal copyright infringement case. The Court of Appeal of England and Wales rejected the efforts from Baigent and Leigh, who became liable for paying legal expenses of nearly US$6 million.[54]
Brown has been sued twice in U.S. Federal courts by the author Jack Dunn who claims Brown copied a huge part of his book The Vatican Boys to write The Da Vinci Code (2006–07) and Angels & Demons (2011-12). Both lawsuits were not allowed to go to a jury trial and Jack Dunn claims the Judge in both cases benefited from his decisions by becoming an author published and supported by people associated with Random House, Dan Brown's publisher. In 2017, in London, another claim was begun against Brown by Jack Dunn who claimed that justice was not served in the U.S. lawsuits.[55]
Charity work[edit]
In October 2004, Brown and his siblings donated US$2.2 million to Phillips Exeter Academy in honor of their father, to set up the Richard G. Brown Technology Endowment to help "provide computers and high-tech equipment for students in need".[56]
On April 14, 2011, Dan and his wife, Blythe Newlon Brown, created an eponymous scholarship fund to celebrate his 25th reunion from Amherst College, a permanently endowed scholarship fund at the college whose income provides financial aid to students there, with preference for incoming students with an interest in writing.[13]
On June 16, 2016, Brown donated US$337,000 to the Ritman Library in Amsterdam to digitize a collection of ancient books.[57]
Personal life[edit]
Brown and his wife, Blythe Newlon, were supporters of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.[58][17]
In 2019, after 21 years of marriage, Brown and his wife acrimoniously divorced, with the financial settlement still to be concluded due to Brown's alleged infidelities during the latter part of their marriage.[59] In December 2021, the couple agreed to settle the lawsuit.[60]
Bibliography[edit]
Stand-alone novels[edit]Digital Fortress (1998)
Deception Point (2001)
Wild Symphony (2020), illustrated children's book
Robert Langdon series[edit]
Main article: Robert Langdon (book series)Angels & Demons (2000)
The Da Vinci Code (2003)
The Lost Symbol (2009)
Inferno (2013)
Origin (2017)[61]
Adaptations[edit]
In 2006, Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code was released as a film by Columbia Pictures, with director Ron Howard. It was widely anticipated and launched the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, though it received overall poor reviews. It currently has a 26% rating at the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, derived from 165 negative reviews of the 214 counted.[62] It was later listed as one of the worst films of 2006 on Ebert & Roeper,[63] but also the second highest-grossing film of the year, pulling in US$750 million worldwide.[64]
Brown was listed as one of the executive producers of the film The Da Vinci Code, and also created additional codes for the film. One of his songs, "Phiano", which Brown wrote and performed, was listed as part of the film's soundtrack. In the film, Brown and his wife can be seen in the background of one of the early book signing scenes.[citation needed]
The next film, Angels & Demons, was released on May 15, 2009, with Howard and Hanks returning. It, too, garnered mostly negative reviews, though critics were kinder to it than to its predecessor. As of July 2013, it has a 37% meta-rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[65]
Filmmakers expressed interest in adapting The Lost Symbol into a film as well.[66][67]
The screenplay was written by Danny Strong, with pre-production expected to begin in 2013.[68] According to a January 2013 article in Los Angeles Times the final draft of the screenplay was due sometime in February,[68] but in July 2013, Sony Pictures announced they would instead adapt Inferno for an October 14, 2016[69] release date with Ron Howard as director, David Koepp adapting the screenplay and Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon. Inferno was released on October 28, 2016.[70]
Imagine Entertainment was announced in 2014 to produce a television series based on Digital Fortress, written by Josh Goldin and Rachel Abramowitz.[71]
In 2021, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol was adapted into a television series repositioned as an origin story for Brown's Robert Langdon character with Ashley Zukerman playing Langdon.[72] It ran on the streaming service Peacock for one season.[73]
Kang-nam Oh
12 h ·
종교의 미래/미래의 종교
지난 주 스페인 포르투갈 여행을 마치고 돌아왔습니다. 이번 여행과 관계해서 오늘은 책 한 권을 소개하려고 합니다. 미국의 작가 댄 브라운(Dan Brown)을 아실 것입니다. 그의 소설 <다빈치 코드 The Da Vinci Code>는 나오자마자 세계적으로 수 천만 부가 팔린 최대의 걸작이었습니다. 그 외에도 <로스트 심볼> <인페르노> <천사와 악마> <오리진> 등 나오는 책마다 베스트셀러가 되었습니다.
저는 이 중에서 제가 가장 좋아하는 <오리진>에 대해 이야기해 볼까 합니다. 사실 <오리진>은 댄 브라원의 책들 중에서만이 아니라 제가 읽은 많은 소설 중에 단연 최고의 소설 중 하나라 확신합니다. 이 책이 손에 땀이 나도록 흥미진진한 이야기를 전개해 나가기 때문만이 아니라 ‘미래의 종교’/‘종교의 미래’에 대해 설득력 있게 이야기해주고 있기 때문입니다.
스페인을 무대로 전개되는 이 소설이 2017년 한국과 미국에서 동시 출판되었습니다. 그 때 감명 깊게 읽고, 언젠가 스페인에 가봐야겠다는 생각을 했었는데, 드디어 스페인에 가게 되어, 가기 전 <오리진>을 다시 읽고 기억을 새롭게 한 다음 현장을 직접 보게 되었을 때 감동은 이만저만이 아니었습니다.
내용을 소상하게 소개하는 것은 이른바 ‘스포’가 될 것 같아 큰 줄거리만 말씀드립니다.
===
하버드 출신의 천재 과학자 에드먼드 커쉬(Edmond Kirsch)가 스페인 빌바오에 있는 구겐하임 미술관에서 “우리는 어디서 왔는가? 우리는 어디로 가는가?” 우리의 근원(Origin)과 우리의 운명(destiny)에 관한 혁명적 발견을 발표하게 되었습니다. 지축을 흔들 정도로 중대한 발표인만큼 세계의 미디어가 몰려들어 중개를 하고 있었습니다.
생명이 신의 개입이나 외계의 관여 없이 생겨날 수 있다는 것, 그리고 이제 우리의 운명이 어떻게 전개될 것인가 발표하려는 순간 커쉬는 괴한에 의해 암살을 당하게 됩니다.
그 자리에 초청되어 참석하고 있던 커쉬의 스승 하버드대 기호학 교수 로버트 랭던과 그 미술관의 여성 관장 암브라 비델은 이 발표를 계속해서 끝내려고 하는데, 커쉬가 자기의 슈퍼 컴퓨터에 암호로 걸어놓은 마흔 일곱 글자 시구(詩句)를 찾을 수가 없었습니다. 둘은 바르셀로나로 날아가서 커쉬의 숙소인 카사 밀라(Casa Milà) 꼭대기 층에 있는 책들을 샅샅이 뒤져보지만 찾을 수 없었습니다.
커쉬가 좋아한 영국의 시인, 화가, 판화가, 종교 비평가 윌리엄 블레이크(William Blake) 전집을 사그라다 파밀리아(Sagrada Familia) 성당에 맡겨놓았다는 것을 알게 되어 그리로 옮겨가 찾기 시작합니다. 천신만고 끝에 지하에 그의 시집 중 한 페이지가 열린채 전시되어 있는 것을 발견하게 됩니다. 거기에 The dark religions are departed & sweet science reigns (어두운 종교들은 떠나고 감미로운 과학이 지배한다) 라는 시구가 적혀 있었습니다. 마흔 여섯 자 밖에 되지 않는데, &을 본래 뜻인 et로 푸니 마흔 일곱이 되었습니다.
마침내 프레젠테이션이 계속되었습니다. 인간은 곧 멸종 위기에 처해있지만 “미래는 여러분이 상상하는 것보다 훨씬 밝습니다.”로 결론 짖습니다. 결국 커쉬가 전하려던 가장 중요한 기별은 한마디로 낡은 종교는 사라지고 과학이 지배하는 세상이 된다고 하는 것이었습니다.
정말로 종교들은 사라지고 말 것인가? 프레젠테이션이 끝나고 사그라다 파밀리아 성전 주임신부 호아킴 베냐(Beńa) 신부와 랭던 교수의 대화가 의미심장합니다. 랭던 교수에 의하면 블레이크는 사실 “종교에 두 가지 측면이 있다고 믿었지요. 창의적인 사고를 억압하는 어둡고 독단적인 종교들과.... 자기 성찰과 창의력을 북돋는 밝고 탄력적인 종교들.” “아주 쉬운 말로 고쳐쓸 수 있어요. 감미로운 과학이 어두운 종교들을 몰아낼 것이다.... 개화된 종교가 꽃을 피울 수 있도록. Sweet science will banish the dark religions....so the enlightened religions can flourish.”
베냐 신부는 사그라다 파밀리아 교회가 “자연과 직접적으로 연결된... 미래의 교회”를 상징하는 것이라 말합니다. 랭던도 “사그라 파밀리아가 한 발은 과거에, 다른 한 발은 미래에 걸친, 죽어가는 신앙과 새롭게 태어나는 신앙 사이의 물리적 가교가 되지 않을까 생각하고, 만약 그렇게 된다면 사그라다 파밀리아는 상상을 초월할 만큼 지금보다 훨씬 중요한 성당이 될 터”라고 결론 짓습니다.
--
이 책은 표층 종교로서의 종교는 이제 그 명을 다했다는 것을 재확인시켜 주고 있습니다. 현재 세계적으로 일어나고 있는 탈종교화 현상이 이를 증명하고 있습니다. 종교가 인류에 기여하려면 옛날 패러다임이나 세계관에 입각해서 형성된 교리나 예식을 과감히 청산하고 “자기 성찰과 창의력을 북돋는 밝고 탄력적인 종교”로 탈바꿈하는 것이라고 보고 있습니다. 이런 종교는 더 이상 ‘종교’라 할 수도 없는 무엇일 수밖에 없을지도 모르겠습니다.
정선욱
인간이 기복, 안정을 바라는 이상
종교가 사라지기는 어려워 보입니다.
Minjeong Seok
캐나다 제 주위만 봐도 대대로 독실한 기독교/천주교신자들을 가족으로 둔 친구나 회사동료들이 많습니다. 하지만 그 지인들은 교회를 더이상 다니고 있지 않고 자녀들에게 종교생활을 독려하지도 않지요.
종교가 자기성찰과 창의력을 북돋아 탄력적이고 밝은 면을 지향해야 한다시는 말씀에 깊이 공감합니다. 신앙은 꼭 필요합니다.
Hoon Park
Dan Brown 의 광팬으로 그의 책을 모두 읽었으나 저로서는 좀 오래되긴했지만 “Angels and Demons”이 줄을 치며 읽었던 가장 깊은 인상을 안겨주었던 책입니다. 종교와 과학의 접점을 찾으려는 그의 노력이 대단히 가상해보였습니다. 그래서 그곳에 나오는 4개의 교회를 찾아 Rome 로 떠났던 생각이 나네요. 근 20년전 쯤의 일입니다.
Julie Jeong
오교슈님의 Dan Brown 이야기에 흥미가 솓구쳤어요. 남편이 좋아하던 작가라
Brown 의 모든 책이 집에 아직도 자리잡고 있어요 덕분에 저도 첫번 책인 The DaVinci Code 와 Inferno 를 흥미있게 읽었답니다.
오교수님이 언급하신 "오리진' 을 읽어봐야겠어요. 고맙습니다.
======
Dan Brown
82 languages
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Daniel Brown (disambiguation).
Dan Brown
Born Daniel Gerhard Brown[1]
June 22, 1964 (age 59)
Exeter, New Hampshire, U.S.
Occupation Novelist
Alma mater Amherst College
Genre Thriller, adventure, mystery, conspiracy
Notable works Digital Fortress
Deception Point
Angels & Demons
The Da Vinci Code
The Lost Symbol
Inferno
Origin
Spouse
Blythe Newlon
(m. 1997; div. 2019)[2]
Relatives Gregory W. Brown (brother)
Signature
Website
danbrown.com
Daniel Gerhard Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author best known for his thriller novels, including the Robert Langdon novels Angels & Demons (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2003), The Lost Symbol (2009), Inferno (2013), and Origin (2017). His novels are treasure hunts that usually take place over a period of 24 hours.[3] They feature recurring themes of cryptography, art, and conspiracy theories. His books have been translated into 57 languages and, as of 2012, have sold over 200 million copies. Three of them, Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and Inferno, have been adapted into films, while one of them, The Lost Symbol, was adapted into a television show.
The Robert Langdon novels are deeply engaged with Christian themes and historical fiction, and have generated controversy as a result. Brown states on his website that his books are not anti-Christian and he is on a "constant spiritual journey" himself.[4] He states that his book The Da Vinci Code is "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith."[5]
Early life[edit]
Daniel Gerhard Brown was born on June 22, 1964, in Exeter, New Hampshire.[6] He has a younger sister, Valerie (born 1968) and brother, Gregory (born 1974). Brown attended Exeter's public schools until the ninth grade.[7] He grew up on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy, where his father, Richard G. Brown, was a teacher of mathematics and wrote textbooks[8] from 1968 until his retirement in 1997.[9] His mother, Constance (née Gerhard), trained as a church organist and student of sacred music.[7] Brown was raised an Episcopalian,[8] and described his religious evolution in a 2009 interview:
"I was raised Episcopalian, and I was very religious as a kid. Then, in eighth or ninth grade, I studied astronomy, cosmology, and the origins of the universe. I remember saying to a minister, 'I don't get it. I read a book that said there was an explosion known as the Big Bang, but here it says God created heaven and Earth and the animals in seven days. Which is right?' Unfortunately, the response I got was, 'Nice boys don't ask that question.' A light went off, and I said, 'The Bible doesn't make sense. Science makes much more sense to me.' And I just gravitated away from religion."[8]
When asked in the same interview about his then-current religious views, Brown replied:
"The irony is that I've really come full circle. The more science I studied, the more I saw that physics becomes metaphysics and numbers become imaginary numbers. The further you go into science, the mushier the ground gets. You start to say, 'Oh, there is an order and a spiritual aspect to science.'"[8]
Brown's interest in secrets and puzzles stems from their presence in his household as a child, where codes and ciphers were the linchpin tying together the mathematics, music, and languages in which his parents worked. The young Brown spent hours working out anagrams and crossword puzzles, and he and his siblings participated in elaborate treasure hunts devised by their father on birthdays and holidays. On Christmas, for example, Brown and his siblings did not find gifts under the tree, but followed a treasure map with codes and clues throughout their house and even around town to find the gifts.[10] Brown's relationship with his father inspired that of Sophie Neveu and Jacques Saunière in The Da Vinci Code, and Chapter 23 of that novel was inspired by one of his childhood treasure hunts.[11]
After graduating from Phillips Exeter, Brown attended Amherst College, where he was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity. He played squash, sang in the Amherst Glee Club, and was a writing student of visiting novelist Alan Lelchuk. Brown spent the 1985 school year abroad in Seville, Spain, where he was enrolled in an art history course at the University of Seville.[10] Brown graduated from Amherst in 1986.[12][13]
Career[edit]
Composer and singer[edit]
After graduating from Amherst, Brown dabbled with a musical career, creating effects with a synthesizer, and self-producing a children's cassette entitled SynthAnimals, which included a collection of tracks such as "Happy Frogs" and "Suzuki Elephants"; it sold a few hundred copies. The music has been compared to Gary Glitter.[14] He then formed his own record company called Dalliance, and in 1990 self-published a CD entitled Perspective, targeted to the adult market, which also sold a few hundred copies. In 1991 he moved to Hollywood to pursue a career as singer-songwriter and pianist. To support himself, he taught classes at Beverly Hills Preparatory School.[15][16]
He also joined the National Academy of Songwriters and participated in many of its events. It was there that he met his wife, Blythe Newlon, who was the academy's Director of Artist Development. Though it was not officially part of her job, she took on the seemingly unusual task of helping to promote Brown's projects; she wrote press releases, set up promotional events, and put him in contact with people who could be helpful to his career. She and Brown also developed a personal relationship, though this was not known to all of their associates until 1993, when Brown moved back to New Hampshire, and it was learned that Newlon would accompany him. They married in 1997, at Pea Porridge Pond, near Conway, New Hampshire.[17] In 1994 Brown released a CD titled Angels & Demons. Its artwork was the same ambigram by artist John Langdon which he later used for the novel Angels & Demons. The liner notes also again credited his wife for her involvement, thanking her "for being my tireless cowriter, coproducer, second engineer, significant other, and therapist".[17] The CD included songs such as "Here in These Fields" and the religious ballad, "All I Believe".[18]
Brown and his wife Blythe moved to Rye, New Hampshire in 1993.[17] Brown became an English teacher at his alma mater Phillips Exeter, and gave Spanish classes to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at Lincoln Akerman School, a small school for K–8th grade with about 250 students, in Hampton Falls.[19]
Brown has written a symphonic work titled Wild Symphony which is supplemented by a book of the same name.[20] The book is illustrated by Hungarian artist Susan Batori[21] which feature simple ambigrams for children, while the visuals trigger the corresponding music in an accompanying app.[22] The music was recorded by the Zagreb Festival Orchestra[23] and will receive its world concert premiere by the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra in 2020.[24] On March 30, 2022, it was announced that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Weed Road Pictures will turn Wild Symphony into an animated musical feature film in the vein of Walt Disney's Fantasia, with Brown writing the screenplay and songs, and Akiva Goldsman producing.[25]
Writing[edit]
Main article: Robert Langdon (book series)
While on vacation in Tahiti in 1993,[10] Brown read Sidney Sheldon's novel The Doomsday Conspiracy, and was inspired to become a writer of thrillers.[10][26][27]
He started work on Digital Fortress, setting much of it in Seville, where he had studied in 1985. He also co-wrote a humor book with his wife, 187 Men to Avoid: A Survival Guide for the Romantically Frustrated Woman, under the pseudonym "Danielle Brown".[28] The book's author profile reads, "Danielle Brown currently lives in New England: teaching school, writing books, and avoiding men." The copyright to the book is attributed to Brown.[29]
In 1996 Brown quit teaching to become a full-time writer. Digital Fortress was published in 1998. His wife Blythe did much of the book's promotion, writing press releases, booking Brown on talk shows, and setting up press interviews. A few months later, Brown and his wife released The Bald Book, another humor book. It was officially credited to his wife, though a representative of the publisher said that it was primarily written by Brown. Brown subsequently wrote Angels & Demons and Deception Point, released in 2000 and 2001 respectively, the former of which was the first to feature the lead character, Harvard symbology expert Robert Langdon.[30] Brown's first three novels had little success, with fewer than 10,000 copies in each of their first printings. His fourth novel, The Da Vinci Code, became a bestseller, going to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list during its first week of release in 2003. It is one of the most popular books of all time, with 81 million copies sold worldwide as of 2009.[31][32] Its success has helped push sales of Brown's earlier books.
In 2004 all four of his novels were on the New York Times list in the same week,[33] and, in 2005, he made Time magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People of the Year. Forbes magazine placed Brown at No. 12 on their 2005 "Celebrity 100" list, and estimated his annual income at US$76.5 million. According to the article published in The Times, the estimated income of Brown after Da Vinci Code sales is $250 million.[34] Brown's third novel featuring Robert Langdon, The Lost Symbol, was released on September 15, 2009.[35] According to the publisher, on its first day the book sold over one million in hardcover and e-book versions in the US, the UK and Canada, prompting the printing of 600,000 hardcover copies in addition to the five million first printing.[36]
The story takes place in Washington D.C. over a period of twelve hours, and features the Freemasons. The book also includes many elements that made The Da Vinci Code a number one best seller.
Brown's promotional website states that puzzles hidden in the book jacket of The Da Vinci Code, including two references to the Kryptos sculpture at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, give hints about the sequel. Brown has adopted a relevant theme in some of his earlier work.[37]
Brown's fourth novel featuring Robert Langdon, Inferno is a mystery thriller novel released on May 14, 2013, by Doubleday.[38] It ranked No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list for the first 11 weeks of its release, has sold more than 1.4 million copies in the US alone.[39]
In a 2006 interview, Brown stated that he had ideas for about 12 future books featuring Robert Langdon.[40]
Characters in Brown's books are often named after real people in his life. Robert Langdon is named after John Langdon, the artist who created the ambigrams used for the Angels & Demons CD and novel. Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca is named after On a Claire Day cartoonist friend Carla Ventresca. In the Vatican archives, Langdon recalls a wedding of two people named Dick and Connie, which are the names of his parents. Robert Langdon's editor Jonas Faukman is named after Brown's real life editor Jason Kaufman. Brown also said that characters were based on a New Hampshire librarian, and a French teacher at Exeter, André Vernet. Cardinal Aldo Baggia, in Angels & Demons, is named after Aldo Baggia, instructor of modern languages at Phillips Exeter Academy.[41]
In interviews, Brown has said his wife, Blythe, is an art historian and painter. When they met, she was the Director of Artistic Development at the National Academy for Songwriters in Los Angeles. During the 2006 lawsuit over alleged copyright infringement in The Da Vinci Code, information was introduced at trial that showed that Blythe did research for the book.[42] In one article, she was described as "chief researcher".[43]
Doubleday published his seventh book, Origin, on October 3, 2017. It is the fifth book in his Robert Langdon series.[44]
Reception[edit]
See also: Criticism of The Da Vinci Code
Brown's prose style has been criticized as clumsy,[45][46] with The Da Vinci Code being described as 'committing style and word choice blunders in almost every paragraph'.[47] In his 2005 documentary for Channel 4, The Real Da Vinci Code, author and presenter Tony Robinson criticised both the accuracy of the author's historic research and the writing itself, considering the book to be not particularly well written. Much of the criticism was centered on Brown's claim in his preface that the novel is based on fact in relation to Opus Dei and the Priory of Sion, and that "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in [the] novel are accurate".[48][49]
Influences and habits[edit]
In addition to Sidney Sheldon, Brown has been quite vocal about a number of other literary influences who have inspired his writing.
Recurring elements that Brown prefers to incorporate into his novels include a simple hero pulled out of their familiar setting and thrust into a new one with which they are unfamiliar, an attractive female sidekick/ love interest, foreign travel, imminent danger from a pursuing villain, antagonists who have a disability or genetic disorder, and a 24-hour time frame in which the story takes place.[3]
Brown's work is heavily influenced by academic Joseph Campbell, who wrote extensively on mythology and religion and was highly influential in the field of screenwriting. Brown also states he based the character of Robert Langdon on Campbell.[50]
Director Alfred Hitchcock appears to be another key influence on Brown. Like Hitchcock, the writer favors suspense-laden plots involving an innocent middle-aged man pursued by deadly foes, glamorous foreign settings, key scenes set in tourist destinations, a cast of wealthy and eccentric characters, young and curvaceous female sidekicks, Catholicism and MacGuffins.
Brown does his writing in his loft. He told fans that he uses inversion therapy to help with writer's block. He uses gravity boots and says, "hanging upside down seems to help me solve plot challenges by shifting my entire perspective".[51]
Copyright infringement cases[edit]
In August 2005 author Lewis Perdue unsuccessfully sued Brown for plagiarism, on the basis of claimed similarity between The Da Vinci Code and his novels, The Da Vinci Legacy (1983) and Daughter of God (2000). Judge George B. Daniels said, in part: "A reasonable average lay observer would not conclude that The Da Vinci Code is substantially similar to Daughter of God."[52]
In April 2006 Brown's publisher, Random House, won a copyright infringement case brought by authors Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, who claimed that Brown stole ideas from their 1982 book Holy Blood Holy Grail for his 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code. It was in the book Holy Blood Holy Grail that Baigent, Leigh, and co-author Henry Lincoln had advanced the theory that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had a child and that the bloodline continues to this day. Brown apparently alluded to the two authors' names in his book. Leigh Teabing, a lead character in both the novel and the film, uses Leigh's name as the first name, and anagrammatically derives his last name from Baigent's. Mr Justice Peter Smith found in Brown's favor in the case, and as a private amusement, embedded his own Smithy code in the written judgment.[53]
On March 28, 2007, Brown's publisher, Random House, won an appeal copyright infringement case. The Court of Appeal of England and Wales rejected the efforts from Baigent and Leigh, who became liable for paying legal expenses of nearly US$6 million.[54]
Brown has been sued twice in U.S. Federal courts by the author Jack Dunn who claims Brown copied a huge part of his book The Vatican Boys to write The Da Vinci Code (2006–07) and Angels & Demons (2011-12). Both lawsuits were not allowed to go to a jury trial and Jack Dunn claims the Judge in both cases benefited from his decisions by becoming an author published and supported by people associated with Random House, Dan Brown's publisher. In 2017, in London, another claim was begun against Brown by Jack Dunn who claimed that justice was not served in the U.S. lawsuits.[55]
Charity work[edit]
In October 2004, Brown and his siblings donated US$2.2 million to Phillips Exeter Academy in honor of their father, to set up the Richard G. Brown Technology Endowment to help "provide computers and high-tech equipment for students in need".[56]
On April 14, 2011, Dan and his wife, Blythe Newlon Brown, created an eponymous scholarship fund to celebrate his 25th reunion from Amherst College, a permanently endowed scholarship fund at the college whose income provides financial aid to students there, with preference for incoming students with an interest in writing.[13]
On June 16, 2016, Brown donated US$337,000 to the Ritman Library in Amsterdam to digitize a collection of ancient books.[57]
Personal life[edit]
Brown and his wife, Blythe Newlon, were supporters of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.[58][17]
In 2019, after 21 years of marriage, Brown and his wife acrimoniously divorced, with the financial settlement still to be concluded due to Brown's alleged infidelities during the latter part of their marriage.[59] In December 2021, the couple agreed to settle the lawsuit.[60]
Bibliography[edit]
Stand-alone novels[edit]Digital Fortress (1998)
Deception Point (2001)
Wild Symphony (2020), illustrated children's book
Robert Langdon series[edit]
Main article: Robert Langdon (book series)Angels & Demons (2000)
The Da Vinci Code (2003)
The Lost Symbol (2009)
Inferno (2013)
Origin (2017)[61]
Adaptations[edit]
In 2006, Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code was released as a film by Columbia Pictures, with director Ron Howard. It was widely anticipated and launched the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, though it received overall poor reviews. It currently has a 26% rating at the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, derived from 165 negative reviews of the 214 counted.[62] It was later listed as one of the worst films of 2006 on Ebert & Roeper,[63] but also the second highest-grossing film of the year, pulling in US$750 million worldwide.[64]
Brown was listed as one of the executive producers of the film The Da Vinci Code, and also created additional codes for the film. One of his songs, "Phiano", which Brown wrote and performed, was listed as part of the film's soundtrack. In the film, Brown and his wife can be seen in the background of one of the early book signing scenes.[citation needed]
The next film, Angels & Demons, was released on May 15, 2009, with Howard and Hanks returning. It, too, garnered mostly negative reviews, though critics were kinder to it than to its predecessor. As of July 2013, it has a 37% meta-rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[65]
Filmmakers expressed interest in adapting The Lost Symbol into a film as well.[66][67]
The screenplay was written by Danny Strong, with pre-production expected to begin in 2013.[68] According to a January 2013 article in Los Angeles Times the final draft of the screenplay was due sometime in February,[68] but in July 2013, Sony Pictures announced they would instead adapt Inferno for an October 14, 2016[69] release date with Ron Howard as director, David Koepp adapting the screenplay and Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon. Inferno was released on October 28, 2016.[70]
Imagine Entertainment was announced in 2014 to produce a television series based on Digital Fortress, written by Josh Goldin and Rachel Abramowitz.[71]
In 2021, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol was adapted into a television series repositioned as an origin story for Brown's Robert Langdon character with Ashley Zukerman playing Langdon.[72] It ran on the streaming service Peacock for one season.[73]
References[edit]
^ "The Dan Brown Enigma", Broward County, Florida Library; retrieved August 3, 2017.
^ CASEY, MICHAEL (June 30, 2020). "Ex-wife of 'Da Vinci Code' author Dan Brown alleges he led a double life". AP. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
^ Jump up to:a b Brown. Witness statement, pp. 17, 21.
^ Duttagupta, Ishani. "Dan Brown: I would love to write about Hinduism; but don't know enough about Indian culture". The Economic Times. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
^ Brown, Dan. "The Da Vinci Code FAQs". Official Website of Dan Brown. Archived from the original on April 11, 2006.
^ "Dan Brown | Biography, Books, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
^ Jump up to:a b Rogak, Lisa (May 7, 2013). Dan Brown: The Unauthorized Biography, St. Martin's Press. pp. 6-8. Archived at Google Books; retrieved August 3, 2017.
^ Jump up to:a b c d Kaplan, James (September 13, 2009). "Life after 'The Da Vinci Code'". Parade. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
^ Rogak (2013), p. 122
^ Jump up to:a b c d Lattman, Peter (March 14, 2006). "'The Da Vinci Code' Trial: Dan Brown's Witness Statement Is a Great Read". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
^ Brown. Witness statement, p. 36.
^ "Bestselling authors Dan Brown '86, Charles Mann '76 to speak Thursday", amherst.edu, September 24, 2013.
^ Jump up to:a b "Dan Brown '86 Creates Scholarship Fund to Celebrate his 25th Reunion". Creating Connections: A Campaign for Amherst. Amherst College; retrieved August 9, 2012.
^ "Gary GLITTER biography - the Great Rock Bible". Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
^ "Dan Brown Facts". Softschools.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
^ "Dan Brown - Book Series In Order". Book Series In order. December 6, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
^ Jump up to:a b c d Walters, Joanna; O'Keeffe, Alice (March 12, 2006). "How Dan Brown's wife unlocked the code to bestseller success". the Guardian. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
^ Rogak, Lisa. The Man Behind the Da Vinci Code – an Unauthorized Biography of Dan Brown. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2005; ISBN 0-7407-5642-7
^ "Dan Brown's Education Background". www.eduinreview.com. October 7, 2011.
^ "Wild Symphony by Dan Brown: 9780593123843 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
^ "Home". Wild Symphony. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
^ Wild Symphony - About the Book
^ Wild Symphony - In the Studio
^ Wild Symphony by Dan Brown
^ "MGM, Akiva Goldsman & Dan Brown Team for Animated Feature Take of Kids Book 'Wild Symphony'". March 30, 2022.
^ Sources differ on how Sheldon inspired Brown. He indicates on Page 3 of his witness statement that Sheldon's book was an attention-holding page turner that reminded him how fun it was to read, but the BBC source indicates that he thought he could "do better" than Sheldon.
^ "Decoding the Da Vinci Code author". BBC. August 10, 2004. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
^ Weaver, Caity (July 29, 2021). "Does 'The Da Vinci Code' Writer Have a Secret?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
^ "Dan Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author of thriller fiction","Bookchor"
^ "DAN BROWN’S BIOGRAPHY"[permanent dead link],"florenceinferno", August 24, 2015
^ Henninger, Daniel (May 19, 2006). "Holy Sepulchre! 60 Million Buy 'The Da Vinci Code'". WSJ. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
^ Marcus, Caroline (September 13, 2009). "Brown is back with the code for a runaway bestseller". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
^ Mehegan, David (May 8, 2004). "Thriller instinct". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
^ "Author Profile","The Daily Star", June 3, 2007
^ Carbone, Gina (April 20, 2009). "Dan Brown announces newbook, 'The Lost Symbol'". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
^ Rich, Motoko (September 16, 2009). "Dan Brown's 'Lost Symbol' Sells 1 Million Copies in the First Day". The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
^ "Fans Of Dr. Dan Brown","Writers Cafe"
^ McLaughlin, Erin (January 15, 2013). "New Dan Brown Novel, 'Inferno', Set for May Release". ABC News. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
^ "Dan Brown". Forbes. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
^ Kirschling, Gregory (March 26, 2006). "'Da' Last Big Interview". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
^ Rogak, p. 22
^ "Librarian comments on 'Da Vinci' lawsuit". USA Today. March 1, 2006. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
^ "Brown duels in court". The Standard. March 16, 2006. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
^ Raynor, Madeline. "Dan Brown's Origin gets fall 2017 release date". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
^ Chivers, Tom (September 15, 2009). "The Lost Symbol and The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown's 20 worst sentences". The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
^ Deacon, Michael (May 10, 2014). "Don't make fun of renowned Dan Brown". The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
^ Criticism of The Da Vinci Code, itre.cis.upenn.edu; accessed March 11, 2015.
^ Richard Abanes, The Truth Behind The Da Vinci Code (Harvest House Publishers, 2004; ISBN 0-7369-1439-0).
^ David F. Lloyd. "Facing Facts". Archived from the original on May 26, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
^ Dan Brown: By the Book. New York Times, June 20, 2013.
^ "Brown plays down Code controversy". BBC. April 24, 2006. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
^ "Author Brown 'did not plagiarise'". BBC. August 6, 2005. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
^ "Judge creates own Da Vinci code". BBC News. April 27, 2006. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
^ Herman, Michael (March 28, 2007). "Historians lose Da Vinci Code plagiarism appeal". The Times. London, UK. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
^ "Dan Brown faces possible new plagiarism lawsuit over ‘The Da Vinci Code’","MarketWatch", December 14, 2017
^ "Da Vinci Code Author Dan Brown and Siblings, Valerie Brown '85 and Gregory Brown '93 Establish New Fund in Honor of their Father". November 1, 2004. Archived from the original on May 23, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
^ "Da Vinci Code Author Dan Brown donates to Ritman Library in Amsterdam". June 16, 2016. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
^ "Bridges: The Foundation of Our Future: THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION 2009 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY". 2009. Archived from the original on August 7, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
^ "Da Vinci Code Author Dan Brown Accused Of Living A Double Life In Lawsuit That Sounds Like A Movie Plot". CINEMABLEND. July 1, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
^ Casey, Michael (December 28, 2021). "'Da Vinci Code' author settles lawsuit alleging secret life". Associated Press. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
^ Flood, Alison (September 29, 2016). "Dan Brown returns to Da Vinci decoder for new novel Origin". The Guardian. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
^ "The Da Vinci Code". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
^ Guest reviewer Michael Phillips, sitting in for Roger Ebert, listed The Da Vinci Code at No. 2 on his list, second to All the King's Men, "Worst Movies of 2006" Ebert & Roeper, January 13, 2007
^ The Da Vinci Code (2006), Box Office Mojo; accessed January 28, 2018.
^ Angels & Demons (2009), Rotten Tomatoes; retrieved October 7, 2011.
^ Fleming, Michael (April 20, 2009). "Columbia moves on 'Symbol'". Variety. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
^ "The mystery of Dan Brown". The Guardian. London, UK. September 15, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
^ Jump up to:a b Nicole Sperling (January 15, 2013). "Dan Brown: What's the film status of his book 'The Lost Symbol'?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
^ "Tom Hanks' 'Inferno' Shifts Opening to 2016". The Hollywood Reporter. October 9, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
^ "Tom Hanks And Ron Howard To Return For Next Dan Brown Movie 'Inferno'; Sony Sets December 2015 Release Date". Deadline. July 16, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 11, 2014). "ABC Nabs Adaptation Of Dan Brown's 'Digital Fortress' From Imagine & 20th TV". Deadline. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
^ Ma, Wenlei (September 23, 2021). "Dan Brown's hero gets his origin story". news.com.au. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
^ DeVore, Britta (January 25, 2022). "'Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol' Cancelled After One Season by Peacock". Collider. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
External links[edit]
Library resources about
Dan Brown
Resources in your library
Resources in other libraries
Wikiquote has quotations related to Dan Brown.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dan Brown.Dan Brown Official Website
Dan Brown at the Internet Book List
Works by Dan Brown at Open Library
=====================
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Dan Brown
Origin: From the author of the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon Book 5) Kindle Edition
by Dan Brown (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 135,479 ratings
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313,336 ratings
Book 5 of 5: Robert Langdon
Editors' pickBest Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
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AudiobookListening Length
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The number one bestseller
'Big ideas and nonstop action.' New York Times
___
Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of an astonishing scientific breakthrough. The evening's host is billionaire Edmond Kirsch, a futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a controversial figure around the world.
But Langdon and several hundred guests are left reeling when the meticulously orchestrated evening is suddenly blown apart. There is a real danger that Kirsch's precious discovery may be lost in the ensuing chaos. With his life under threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao, taking with him the museum's director, Ambra Vidal. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch's secret.
To evade a devious enemy who is one step ahead of them at every turn, Langdon and Vidal must navigate the labyrinthine passageways of extreme religion and hidden history. On a trail marked only by enigmatic symbols and elusive modern art, Langdon and Vidal will come face-to-face with a breath-taking truth that has remained buried -until now.
__
Readers love Origin:
***** 'Thrilling, gripping and exhilarating to the end.'
***** 'Full of tension, excitement and intrigue.'
***** 'Action packed, tense, suspenseful, and intelligent'
----
Book 5 of 5
Robert Langdon
Print length
Editorial Reviews
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
======
PROLOGUE
As the ancient cogwheel train clawed its way up the dizzying incline, Edmond Kirsch surveyed the jagged mountaintop above him. In the distance, built into the face of a sheer cliff, the massive stone monastery seemed to hang in space, as if magically fused to the vertical precipice.
This timeless sanctuary in Catalonia, Spain, had endured the relentless pull of gravity for more than four centuries, never slipping from its original purpose: to insulate its occupants from the modern world.
Ironically, they will now be the first to learn the truth, Kirsch thought, wondering how they would react. Historically, the most dangerous men on earth were men of God . . . especially when their gods became threatened. And I am about to hurl a flaming spear into a hornets’ nest.
When the train reached the mountaintop, Kirsch saw a solitary figure waiting for him on the platform. The wizened skeleton of a man was draped in the traditional Catholic purple cassock and white rochet, with a zucchetto on his head. Kirsch recognized his host’s rawboned features from photos and felt an unexpected surge of adrenaline.
Valdespino is greeting me personally.
Bishop Antonio Valdespino was a formidable figure in Spain—not only a trusted friend and counselor to the king himself, but one of the country’s most vocal and influential advocates for the preservation of conservative Catholic values and traditional political standards.
“Edmond Kirsch, I assume?” the bishop intoned as Kirsch exited the train.
“Guilty as charged,” Kirsch said, smiling as he reached out to shake his host’s bony hand. “Bishop Valdespino, I want to thank you for arranging this meeting.”
“I appreciate your requesting it.” The bishop’s voice was stronger than Kirsch expected—clear and penetrating, like a bell. “It is not often we are consulted by men of science, especially one of your prominence. This way, please.”
As Valdespino guided Kirsch across the platform, the cold mountain air whipped at the bishop’s cassock.
“I must confess,” Valdespino said, “you look different than I imagined. I was expecting a scientist, but you’re quite . . .” He eyed his guest’s sleek Kiton K50 suit and Barker ostrich shoes with a hint of disdain. “ ‘Hip,’ I believe, is the word?”
Kirsch smiled politely. The word “hip” went out of style decades ago.
“In reading your list of accomplishments,” the bishop said, “I am still not entirely sure what it is you do.”
“I specialize in game theory and computer modeling.”
“So you make the computer games that the children play?”
Kirsch sensed the bishop was feigning ignorance in an attempt to be quaint. More accurately, Kirsch knew, Valdespino was a frighteningly well-informed student of technology and often warned others of its dangers. “No, sir, actually game theory is a field of mathematics that studies patterns in order to make predictions about the future.”
“Ah yes. I believe I read that you predicted a European monetary crisis some years ago? When nobody listened, you saved the day by inventing a computer program that pulled the EU back from the dead. What was your famous quote? ‘At thirty-three years old, I am the same age as Christ when He performed His resurrection.’ ”
Kirsch cringed. “A poor analogy, Your Grace. I was young.”
“Young?” The bishop chuckled. “And how old are you now . . . perhaps forty?”
“Just.”
The old man smiled as the strong wind continued to billow his robe. “Well, the meek were supposed to inherit the earth, but instead it has gone to the young—the technically inclined, those who stare into video screens rather than into their own souls. I must admit, I never imagined I would have reason to meet the young man leading the charge. They call you a prophet, you know.”
“Not a very good one in your case, Your Grace,” Kirsch replied. “When I asked if I might meet you and your colleagues privately, I calculated only a twenty percent chance you would accept.”
“And as I told my colleagues, the devout can always benefit from listening to nonbelievers. It is in hearing the voice of the devil that we can better appreciate the voice of God.” The old man smiled. “I am joking, of course. Please forgive my aging sense of humor. My filters fail me from time to time.”
With that, Bishop Valdespino motioned ahead. “The others are waiting. This way, please.”
Kirsch eyed their destination, a colossal citadel of gray stone perched on the edge of a sheer cliff that plunged thousands of feet down into a lush tapestry of wooded foothills. Unnerved by the height, Kirsch averted his eyes from the chasm and followed the bishop along the uneven cliffside path, turning his thoughts to the meeting ahead.
Kirsch had requested an audience with three prominent religious leaders who had just finished attending a conference here.
The Parliament of the World’s Religions.
Since 1893, hundreds of spiritual leaders from nearly thirty world religions had gathered in a different location every few years to spend a week engaged in interfaith dialogue. Participants included a wide array of influential Christian priests, Jewish rabbis, and Islamic mullahs from around the world, along with Hindu pujaris, Buddhist bhikkhus, Jains, Sikhs, and others.
The parliament’s self-proclaimed objective was “to cultivate harmony among the world’s religions, build bridges between diverse spiritualities, and celebrate the intersections of all faith.”
A noble quest, Kirsch thought, despite seeing it as an empty exercise— a meaningless search for random points of correspondence among a hodgepodge of ancient fictions, fables, and myths.
As Bishop Valdespino guided him along the pathway, Kirsch peered down the mountainside with a sardonic thought. Moses climbed a mountain to accept the Word of God . . . and I have climbed a mountain to do quite the opposite.
Kirsch’s motivation for climbing this mountain, he had told himself, was one of ethical obligation, but he knew there was a good dose of hubris fueling this visit— he was eager to feel the gratification of sitting face-to-face with these clerics and foretelling their imminent demise.
You’ve had your run at defining our truth.
“I looked at your curriculum vitae,” the bishop said abruptly, glancing at Kirsch. “I see you’re a product of Harvard University?”
“Undergraduate. Yes.”
“I see. Recently, I read that for the first time in Harvard’s history, the incoming student body consists of more atheists and agnostics than those who identify as followers of any religion. That is quite a telling statistic, Mr. Kirsch.”
What can I tell you, Kirsch wanted to reply, our students keep getting smarter.
The wind whipped harder as they arrived at the ancient stone edifice. Inside the dim light of the building’s entryway, the air was heavy with the thick fragrance of burning frankincense. The two men snaked through a maze of dark corridors, and Kirsch’s eyes fought to adjust as he followed his cloaked host. Finally, they arrived at an unusually small wooden door. The bishop knocked, ducked down, and entered, motioning for his guest to follow.
Uncertain, Kirsch stepped over the threshold.
He found himself in a rectangular chamber whose high walls burgeoned with ancient leather-bound tomes. Additional freestanding bookshelves jutted out of the walls like ribs, interspersed with cast-iron radiators that clanged and hissed, giving the room the eerie sense that it was alive. Kirsch raised his eyes to the ornately balustraded walkway that encircled the second story and knew without a doubt where he was.
The famed library of Montserrat, he realized, startled to have been admitted. This sacred room was rumored to contain uniquely rare texts accessible only to those monks who had devoted their lives to God and who were sequestered here on this mountain.
“You asked for discretion,” the bishop said. “This is our most private space. Few outsiders have ever entered.”
“A generous privilege. Thank you.”
Kirsch followed the bishop to a large wooden table where two elderly men sat waiting. The man on the left looked timeworn, with tired eyes and a matted white beard. He wore a crumpled black suit, white shirt, and fedora.
“This is Rabbi Yehuda Köves,” the bishop said. “He is a prominent Jewish philosopher who has written extensively on Kabbalistic cosmology.”
Kirsch reached across the table and politely shook hands with Rabbi Köves. “A pleasure to meet you, sir,” Kirsch said. “I’ve read your books on Kabbala. I can’t say I understood them, but I’ve read them.”
Köves gave an amiable nod, dabbing at his watery eyes with his handkerchief.
“And here,” the bishop continued, motioning to the other man, “you have the respected allamah, Syed al-Fadl.”
The revered Islamic scholar stood up and smiled broadly. He was short and squat with a jovial face that seemed a mismatch with his dark penetrating eyes. He was dressed in an unassuming white thawb. “And, Mr. Kirsch, I have read your predictions on the future of mankind. I can’t say I agree with them, but I have read them.”
Kirsch gave a gracious smile and shook the man’s hand.
“And our guest, Edmond Kirsch,” the bishop concluded, addressing his two colleagues, “as you know, is a highly regarded computer scientist, game theorist, inventor, and something of a prophet in the technological world. Considering his background, I was puzzled by his request to address the three of us. Therefore, I shall now leave it to Mr. Kirsch to explain why he has come.”
With that, Bishop Valdespino took a seat between his two colleagues, folded his hands, and gazed up expectantly at Kirsch. All three men faced him like a tribunal, creating an ambience more like that of an inquisition than a friendly meeting of scholars. The bishop, Kirsch now realized, had not even set out a chair for him.
Kirsch felt more bemused than intimidated as he studied the three aging men before him. So this is the Holy Trinity I requested. The Three Wise Men.
Pausing a moment to assert his power, Kirsch walked over to the window and gazed out at the breathtaking panorama below. A sunlit patchwork of ancient pastoral lands stretched across a deep valley, giving way to the rugged peaks of the Collserola mountain range. Miles beyond, somewhere out over the Balearic Sea, a menacing bank of storm clouds was now gathering on the horizon.
Fitting, Kirsch thought, sensing the turbulence he would soon cause in this room, and in the world beyond.
“Gentlemen,” he commenced, turning abruptly back toward them. “I believe Bishop Valdespino has already conveyed to you my request for secrecy. Before we continue, I just want to clarify that what I am about to share with you must be kept in the strictest confidence. Simply stated, I am asking for a vow of silence from all of you. Are we in agreement?”
All three men gave nods of tacit acquiescence, which Kirsch knew were probably redundant anyway. They will want to bury this information—not broadcast it.
“I am here today,” Kirsch began, “because I have made a scientific discovery I believe you will find startling. It is something I have pursued for many years, hoping to provide answers to two of the most fundamental questions of our human experience. Now that I have succeeded, I have come to you specifically because I believe this information will affect the world’s faithful in a profound way, quite possibly causing a shift that can only be described as, shall we say—disruptive. At the moment, I am the only person on earth who has the information I am about to reveal to you.”
Kirsch reached into his suit coat and pulled out an oversized smartphone—one that he had designed and built to serve his own unique needs. The phone had a vibrantly colored mosaic case, and he propped it up before the three men like a television. In a moment, he would use the device to dial into an ultrasecure server, enter his forty-seven-character password, and live-stream a presentation for them.
“What you are about to see,” Kirsch said, “is a rough cut of an announcement I hope to share with the world—perhaps in a month or so. But before I do, I wanted to consult with a few of the world’s most influential religious thinkers, to gain insight into how this news will be received by those it affects most.”
The bishop sighed loudly, sounding more bored than concerned. “An intriguing preamble, Mr. Kirsch. You speak as if whatever you are about to show us will shake the foundations of the world’s religions.”
Kirsch glanced around the ancient repository of sacred texts. It will not shake your foundations. It will shatter them.
Kirsch appraised the men before him. What they did not know was that in only three days’ time, Kirsch planned to go public with this presentation in a stunning, meticulously choreographed event. When he did, people across the world would realize that the teachings of all religions did indeed have one thing in common.
They were all dead wrong.
PROLOGUE
As the ancient cogwheel train clawed its way up the dizzying incline, Edmond Kirsch surveyed the jagged mountaintop above him. In the distance, built into the face of a sheer cliff, the massive stone monastery seemed to hang in space, as if magically fused to the vertical precipice.
This timeless sanctuary in Catalonia, Spain, had endured the relentless pull of gravity for more than four centuries, never slipping from its original purpose: to insulate its occupants from the modern world.
Ironically, they will now be the first to learn the truth, Kirsch thought, wondering how they would react. Historically, the most dangerous men on earth were men of God . . . especially when their gods became threatened. And I am about to hurl a flaming spear into a hornets’ nest.
When the train reached the mountaintop, Kirsch saw a solitary figure waiting for him on the platform. The wizened skeleton of a man was draped in the traditional Catholic purple cassock and white rochet, with a zucchetto on his head. Kirsch recognized his host’s rawboned features from photos and felt an unexpected surge of adrenaline.
Valdespino is greeting me personally.
Bishop Antonio Valdespino was a formidable figure in Spain—not only a trusted friend and counselor to the king himself, but one of the country’s most vocal and influential advocates for the preservation of conservative Catholic values and traditional political standards.
“Edmond Kirsch, I assume?” the bishop intoned as Kirsch exited the train.
“Guilty as charged,” Kirsch said, smiling as he reached out to shake his host’s bony hand. “Bishop Valdespino, I want to thank you for arranging this meeting.”
“I appreciate your requesting it.” The bishop’s voice was stronger than Kirsch expected—clear and penetrating, like a bell. “It is not often we are consulted by men of science, especially one of your prominence. This way, please.”
As Valdespino guided Kirsch across the platform, the cold mountain air whipped at the bishop’s cassock.
“I must confess,” Valdespino said, “you look different than I imagined. I was expecting a scientist, but you’re quite . . .” He eyed his guest’s sleek Kiton K50 suit and Barker ostrich shoes with a hint of disdain. “ ‘Hip,’ I believe, is the word?”
Kirsch smiled politely. The word “hip” went out of style decades ago.
“In reading your list of accomplishments,” the bishop said, “I am still not entirely sure what it is you do.”
“I specialize in game theory and computer modeling.”
“So you make the computer games that the children play?”
Kirsch sensed the bishop was feigning ignorance in an attempt to be quaint. More accurately, Kirsch knew, Valdespino was a frighteningly well-informed student of technology and often warned others of its dangers. “No, sir, actually game theory is a field of mathematics that studies patterns in order to make predictions about the future.”
“Ah yes. I believe I read that you predicted a European monetary crisis some years ago? When nobody listened, you saved the day by inventing a computer program that pulled the EU back from the dead. What was your famous quote? ‘At thirty-three years old, I am the same age as Christ when He performed His resurrection.’ ”
Kirsch cringed. “A poor analogy, Your Grace. I was young.”
“Young?” The bishop chuckled. “And how old are you now . . . perhaps forty?”
“Just.”
The old man smiled as the strong wind continued to billow his robe. “Well, the meek were supposed to inherit the earth, but instead it has gone to the young—the technically inclined, those who stare into video screens rather than into their own souls. I must admit, I never imagined I would have reason to meet the young man leading the charge. They call you a prophet, you know.”
“Not a very good one in your case, Your Grace,” Kirsch replied. “When I asked if I might meet you and your colleagues privately, I calculated only a twenty percent chance you would accept.”
“And as I told my colleagues, the devout can always benefit from listening to nonbelievers. It is in hearing the voice of the devil that we can better appreciate the voice of God.” The old man smiled. “I am joking, of course. Please forgive my aging sense of humor. My filters fail me from time to time.”
With that, Bishop Valdespino motioned ahead. “The others are waiting. This way, please.”
Kirsch eyed their destination, a colossal citadel of gray stone perched on the edge of a sheer cliff that plunged thousands of feet down into a lush tapestry of wooded foothills. Unnerved by the height, Kirsch averted his eyes from the chasm and followed the bishop along the uneven cliffside path, turning his thoughts to the meeting ahead.
Kirsch had requested an audience with three prominent religious leaders who had just finished attending a conference here.
The Parliament of the World’s Religions.
Since 1893, hundreds of spiritual leaders from nearly thirty world religions had gathered in a different location every few years to spend a week engaged in interfaith dialogue. Participants included a wide array of influential Christian priests, Jewish rabbis, and Islamic mullahs from around the world, along with Hindu pujaris, Buddhist bhikkhus, Jains, Sikhs, and others.
The parliament’s self-proclaimed objective was “to cultivate harmony among the world’s religions, build bridges between diverse spiritualities, and celebrate the intersections of all faith.”
A noble quest, Kirsch thought, despite seeing it as an empty exercise— a meaningless search for random points of correspondence among a hodgepodge of ancient fictions, fables, and myths.
As Bishop Valdespino guided him along the pathway, Kirsch peered down the mountainside with a sardonic thought. Moses climbed a mountain to accept the Word of God . . . and I have climbed a mountain to do quite the opposite.
Kirsch’s motivation for climbing this mountain, he had told himself, was one of ethical obligation, but he knew there was a good dose of hubris fueling this visit— he was eager to feel the gratification of sitting face-to-face with these clerics and foretelling their imminent demise.
You’ve had your run at defining our truth.
“I looked at your curriculum vitae,” the bishop said abruptly, glancing at Kirsch. “I see you’re a product of Harvard University?”
“Undergraduate. Yes.”
“I see. Recently, I read that for the first time in Harvard’s history, the incoming student body consists of more atheists and agnostics than those who identify as followers of any religion. That is quite a telling statistic, Mr. Kirsch.”
What can I tell you, Kirsch wanted to reply, our students keep getting smarter.
The wind whipped harder as they arrived at the ancient stone edifice. Inside the dim light of the building’s entryway, the air was heavy with the thick fragrance of burning frankincense. The two men snaked through a maze of dark corridors, and Kirsch’s eyes fought to adjust as he followed his cloaked host. Finally, they arrived at an unusually small wooden door. The bishop knocked, ducked down, and entered, motioning for his guest to follow.
Uncertain, Kirsch stepped over the threshold.
He found himself in a rectangular chamber whose high walls burgeoned with ancient leather-bound tomes. Additional freestanding bookshelves jutted out of the walls like ribs, interspersed with cast-iron radiators that clanged and hissed, giving the room the eerie sense that it was alive. Kirsch raised his eyes to the ornately balustraded walkway that encircled the second story and knew without a doubt where he was.
The famed library of Montserrat, he realized, startled to have been admitted. This sacred room was rumored to contain uniquely rare texts accessible only to those monks who had devoted their lives to God and who were sequestered here on this mountain.
“You asked for discretion,” the bishop said. “This is our most private space. Few outsiders have ever entered.”
“A generous privilege. Thank you.”
Kirsch followed the bishop to a large wooden table where two elderly men sat waiting. The man on the left looked timeworn, with tired eyes and a matted white beard. He wore a crumpled black suit, white shirt, and fedora.
“This is Rabbi Yehuda Köves,” the bishop said. “He is a prominent Jewish philosopher who has written extensively on Kabbalistic cosmology.”
Kirsch reached across the table and politely shook hands with Rabbi Köves. “A pleasure to meet you, sir,” Kirsch said. “I’ve read your books on Kabbala. I can’t say I understood them, but I’ve read them.”
Köves gave an amiable nod, dabbing at his watery eyes with his handkerchief.
“And here,” the bishop continued, motioning to the other man, “you have the respected allamah, Syed al-Fadl.”
The revered Islamic scholar stood up and smiled broadly. He was short and squat with a jovial face that seemed a mismatch with his dark penetrating eyes. He was dressed in an unassuming white thawb. “And, Mr. Kirsch, I have read your predictions on the future of mankind. I can’t say I agree with them, but I have read them.”
Kirsch gave a gracious smile and shook the man’s hand.
“And our guest, Edmond Kirsch,” the bishop concluded, addressing his two colleagues, “as you know, is a highly regarded computer scientist, game theorist, inventor, and something of a prophet in the technological world. Considering his background, I was puzzled by his request to address the three of us. Therefore, I shall now leave it to Mr. Kirsch to explain why he has come.”
With that, Bishop Valdespino took a seat between his two colleagues, folded his hands, and gazed up expectantly at Kirsch. All three men faced him like a tribunal, creating an ambience more like that of an inquisition than a friendly meeting of scholars. The bishop, Kirsch now realized, had not even set out a chair for him.
Kirsch felt more bemused than intimidated as he studied the three aging men before him. So this is the Holy Trinity I requested. The Three Wise Men.
Pausing a moment to assert his power, Kirsch walked over to the window and gazed out at the breathtaking panorama below. A sunlit patchwork of ancient pastoral lands stretched across a deep valley, giving way to the rugged peaks of the Collserola mountain range. Miles beyond, somewhere out over the Balearic Sea, a menacing bank of storm clouds was now gathering on the horizon.
Fitting, Kirsch thought, sensing the turbulence he would soon cause in this room, and in the world beyond.
“Gentlemen,” he commenced, turning abruptly back toward them. “I believe Bishop Valdespino has already conveyed to you my request for secrecy. Before we continue, I just want to clarify that what I am about to share with you must be kept in the strictest confidence. Simply stated, I am asking for a vow of silence from all of you. Are we in agreement?”
All three men gave nods of tacit acquiescence, which Kirsch knew were probably redundant anyway. They will want to bury this information—not broadcast it.
“I am here today,” Kirsch began, “because I have made a scientific discovery I believe you will find startling. It is something I have pursued for many years, hoping to provide answers to two of the most fundamental questions of our human experience. Now that I have succeeded, I have come to you specifically because I believe this information will affect the world’s faithful in a profound way, quite possibly causing a shift that can only be described as, shall we say—disruptive. At the moment, I am the only person on earth who has the information I am about to reveal to you.”
Kirsch reached into his suit coat and pulled out an oversized smartphone—one that he had designed and built to serve his own unique needs. The phone had a vibrantly colored mosaic case, and he propped it up before the three men like a television. In a moment, he would use the device to dial into an ultrasecure server, enter his forty-seven-character password, and live-stream a presentation for them.
“What you are about to see,” Kirsch said, “is a rough cut of an announcement I hope to share with the world—perhaps in a month or so. But before I do, I wanted to consult with a few of the world’s most influential religious thinkers, to gain insight into how this news will be received by those it affects most.”
The bishop sighed loudly, sounding more bored than concerned. “An intriguing preamble, Mr. Kirsch. You speak as if whatever you are about to show us will shake the foundations of the world’s religions.”
Kirsch glanced around the ancient repository of sacred texts. It will not shake your foundations. It will shatter them.
Kirsch appraised the men before him. What they did not know was that in only three days’ time, Kirsch planned to go public with this presentation in a stunning, meticulously choreographed event. When he did, people across the world would realize that the teachings of all religions did indeed have one thing in common.
They were all dead wrong.
