(01:02) Quote of Ian McKellen
In a May 17, 2006 appearance on the Today Show, the actor Ian McKellen, who plays Sir Leigh Teabing in The Da Vinci Code, responded to a question by the show's host:

Matt Lauer, interviewer: There have been calls from some religious groups. They wanted a disclaimer at the beginning of this movie saying it is fiction because, again, one of the themes in the book really knocks Christianity right on its ear: if Christ survived the crucifixion, he did not die for our sins and therefore was not resurrected. Tom's looking like… what?!

Tom Hanks, actor: Is that in the book?

Matt Lauer, interviewer: What I'm saying is, people wanted this to say "fiction, fiction, fiction." How would you all have felt if there was a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie? Would it have been okay with you?

Ian McKellen, actor: Well, I've often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying this is fiction. I mean, walking on water, it takes an act of faith. And I have faith in this movie. Not that it's true, not that it's factual, but that it's a jolly good story. And I think audiences are clever enough and bright enough to separate out fact and fiction, and discuss the thing after they've seen it.

(01:49–02:20) Music Played
"Aaj Ki Raat" from Kronos Caravan, performed by Kronos Quartet

(01:55) Secret Society and Da Vinci Painting
In Krista's introduction, she summarizes the plot of the The Da Vinci Code and refers to a secret "passed down through an elite society" — Opus Dei — and encoded in a Da Vinci painting, The Last Supper.

(02:15) Actuality from The Da Vinci Code
The audio clip featuring the voice of Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing was excerpted from the movie trailer for the 2006 film, The Da Vinci Code.

(02:46–03:16) Music Played
"Aaj Ki Raat" from Kronos Caravan, performed by Kronos Quartet

(03:35) Johnson's Classic Text
Johnson's classic work examining the New Testament in theological, social, literary, and historical context is The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation.

(04:15) Process of Canonization
The biblical canon — from the Greek Kanon, or "a rod used to measure" — is a collection of sacred texts that form the authoritative backdrop for Christians. The process took hundreds of years and is not unanimous among all Christian denominations. For example, Roman Catholics have included several additional books, the Deuterocanonical Apocrypha, in the Old Testament not recognized by other Christians or Jews.

The 27 writings known as the New Testament are meant to be a definitive measure of Christian teaching and identity. They include:

• The Gospels (4): Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of John — Narratives about the life of Jesus.
• Acts of the Apostles (1): Narrative about the early church.
• Pauline Epistles (14): Epistle to the Romans, First Epistle to the Corinthians, Second Epistle to the Corinthians, Epistle to the Galatians, Epistle to the Ephesians, Epistle to the Philippians, Epistle to the Colossians, First Epistle to the Thessalonians, Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, First Epistle to Timothy, Second Epistle to Timothy, Epistle to Titus, Epistle to Philemon, Epistle to the Hebrews — letters from the Apostle Paul early churches.
• General Epistles (7): Epistle of James, First Epistle of Peter, Second Epistle of Peter, First Epistle of John, Second Epistle of John, Third Epistle of John, Epistle of Jude — letters from early leaders
• Book of Revelation (1): an apocalyptic vision.

(07:37–09:28) Music Played
"Dominus Regnavit, Prolegendum" from The Mystery Of Santo Domingo De Silos, performed by Santo Domingo de Silos Abbey Monks' Choir

(08:00) The Gnostic Movement
Gnosticism was a philosophical and religious movement that was prominent during the 2nd century CE. The term Gnostic is derived from the Greek term gnostikos, one who has "secret knowledge." Although ancient Gnostic belief systems are diverse, they share common elements. Gnostics emphasized the power of divine revelation over empirical observation and knowledge. They viewed the unconscious self as equivalent of the Godhead that was cast into a fallen world, which can only be discovered through divine revelation that transcends Scripture and reason. The mystery of the self is intuited.

Many Gnostic texts take a dualistic view of human and divine nature. The flesh is suspect and corrupt, and only the spirit is desirable and pure. Gnostics adhered only to divine authority, which failed to conform to the doctrines of the early church. Gnosticism was declared a heresy in the 4th century CE. In many respects, Christian doctrine was a reaction to Gnosticism. Creeds and overt Christian symbols were created. The canon of the New Testament was formalized.

(08:41) Tatian Reference
Tatian was a Syrian-born philosopher who studied under the Roman theologian Justin Martyr. Tatian is most famous for his creation of the Diatesseron (Greek for "Out of Four") — a gospel harmony created from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The early church father Irenaeus writes about Tatian in Against Heresies:

Many offshoots of numerous heresies have already been formed from those heretics we have described. This arises from the fact that numbers of them — indeed, we may say all — desire themselves to be teachers, and to break off from the particular heresy in which they have been involved. Forming one set of doctrines out of a totally different system of opinions, and then again others from others, they insist upon teaching something new, declaring themselves the inventors of any sort of opinion which they may have been able to call into existence.

… They deny, too, the salvation of Him who was first created. It is but lately, however, that this opinion has been invented among them. A certain man named Tatian first introduced the blasphemy. He was a hearer of Justin's, and as long as he continued with him he expressed no such views; but after his martyrdom he separated from the Church, and, excited and puffed up by the thought of being a teacher, as if he were superior to others, he composed his own peculiar type of doctrine. He invented a system of certain invisible Aeons, like the followers of Valentinus; while, like Marcion and Saturninus, he declared that marriage was nothing else than corruption and fornication. But his denial of Adam's salvation was an opinion due entirely to himself.

(12:12) The Necessity of Creed for Community
For an in-depth discussion of the use of creeds in Christian practice, listen to Krista's 2003 conversation with Jaroslav Pelikan in "The Need for Creeds". Here, they discuss the history and nature of creeds, and how a fixed creed can be reconciled with an honest, intellectual faith that changes and evolves.

(15:24–16:01) Music Played
"Aaj Ki Raat" from Kronos Caravan, performed by Kronos Quartet

(16:11) Jars from Nag Hammadi
In 1945, a jar buried since the 4th century CE was discovered by a farmer in upper Egypt while digging for fertilizer. It contained 13 ancient papyrus books bound in leather containing 52 texts written in Coptic, many of them being gnostic scriptures — including the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, and the Acts of Peter. These texts tend to focus on what Jesus told his disciples after the resurrection and fall outside of accepted church doctrine.

(16:22) Gospel of Judas
National Geographic recently produced (2006) a television program examining the history and the meaning of the ancient Coptic manuscript of Judas Iscariot. Read translated version. (PDF)

(17:00–18:48) Music Played
"Cum processit" from Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy, performed by Sequentia Ensemble for Medieval Music, Cologne

(17:15) Two Readings from the Gospel of Thomas
Written between 50–140 CE, the 114 secret sayings of Jesus were likely written by Didymos Judas Thomas. The opening and closing passages included in the program were excerpted from a translation by Thomas O. Lambdin:

Opening Passages
These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.

And he said, "Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death."

Jesus said, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the All."

Final Passage
Simon Peter said to him, "Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life." Jesus said, "I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven."

(19:40) Paraphrase by Luke Timothy Johnson
Dr. Johnson paraphrases one of the teachings in the Gospel of Thomas, "He who has found the world has found a corpse." Following is the passage to which he refers (translated by Thomas O. Lambdin):

Jesus said, "Whoever has come to understand the world has found (only) a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the world."

(20:26–20:44) Music Played
"Aaj Ki Raat" from Kronos Caravan, performed by Kronos Quartet

(21:20) Citation of Rosemary Ruether
Rosemary Radford Ruether is Christian feminist theologian whose book, Sexism and God-Talk, is considered a classic in the field of feminist theology. She currently teaches at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.

(22:48–23:21) Music Played
"Drumming, Pt. IV " from Drumming, performed by Steve Reich

(23:05–25:54) Music Played
"Tromba Lontana" from John Adams: Tromba Lontana, performed by John Adams and the BBC Symphony Orchestra

(33:08–33:33) Music Played
"Pano da Costa" from White Man Sleeps, performed by Kronos Quartet

(33:30–34:15) Music Played
"Alleluia, O virga mediatrix" from Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy, performed by Sequentia Ensemble for Medieval Music, Cologne

(36:30) Discovery of Junia
During her graduate studies Harvard Divinity School in the late 1970s, Brooten discovered that one of the Christian apostles mentioned by Paul (Romans 16:7) was actually a woman, Junia. Early church elders had interpreted the name as a feminine name, but scholars mistranslated her name as Junias during the Middle Ages and the Reformation. The correction was made with the publication of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible in 1989.

New Revised Standard Version I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.

Revised Standard Version I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cen'chre-ae, that you may receive her in the Lord as befits the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a helper of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aq'uila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I but also all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks; greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epae'netus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. Greet Mary, who has worked hard among you. Greet Androni'cus and Ju'nias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners; they are men of note among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.

(41:38) Newsweek's "It" Girl
Krista cites the opening sentence of the 2004 Newsweek article, "The Bible's Lost Stories": "The year's surprise 'it' girl is the star of a mega best seller, a hot topic on campuses and rumored to be the "special friend" of a famous and powerful man."

(43:14–44:56) Music Played
"Cum processit" from Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy, performed by Sequentia Ensemble for Medieval Music, Cologne

(44:26) Reading from the Gospel of Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene came from the town of Magdala Tarichaea, meaning "Tower of Salted Fish," and is thought to have been a fishmonger. Mary Magdalene is often conflated with other women in the Bible named Mary. The name Miriam was the most popular name at this time — 50 percent of women were named Mary or Salome, which might account for some of the confusion.

The eighth chapter of the Gospel of Luke provides an account of Jesus performing exorcisms on local people, including Mary:

Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.

When Mary had said this, she fell silent, since it was to this point that the Savior had spoken with her. But Andrew answered and said to the brethren, "Say what you (wish to) say about what she has said. I at least do not believe that the Savior said this. For certainly these teachings are strange ideas." Peter answered and spoke concerning these same things. He questioned them about the Savior: "Did he really speak with a woman without our knowledge (and) not openly? Are we to turn about and all listen to her? Did he prefer her to us?"

Then Mary wept and said to Peter, "My brother Peter, what do you think? Do you think that I thought this up myself in my heart, or that I am lying about the Savior?" Levi answered and said to Peter, "Peter, you are always hot-tempered. Now I see you contending against the woman like the adversaries. But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you indeed to reject her? Surely the Savior knows her very well. This is why he loved her more than us.

(44:52–45:20) Music Played
"Quia ergo femina" from Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy, performed by Sequentia Ensemble for Medieval Music, Cologne

(49:36–52:44) Music Played
"Aaj Ki Raat" from Kronos Caravan, performed by Kronos Quartet