Enlarge imageLONDON (Reuters) - Manchester cathedral is on a quest to discover the truth behind Dan Brown’s runaway bestseller The Da Vinci Code.
The Cathedral is hosting a Da Vinci night on Monday, where experts including an author and theologian will field questions about the book, which has spurred anti-Christian charges.
"Everyone’s fascinated by mystery, secrets and the dark side," said event organiser Canon Robin Gamble.
"This gripping thriller asks lots of questions: Did Jesus really die on a cross? Was the Grail the ’cup of blood?’ Is Easter Day fact or fiction? And why does it matter?"
The Da Vinci Code is a modern-day quest for the Holy Grail, the chalice from which Jesus and his disciples are said to have drunk at the Last Supper.
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The book says Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had children. But Christians are taught that Jesus never married, was crucified and rose from the dead. The storyline has aroused anger among Christians.
The cardinal leading the Vatican’s charge against the Da Vinci Code urged Catholics last week to shun it and branded the bestseller "a sack full of lies insulting the Christian faith".
