Dr. W. Ward Gasque is a historian of early Christianity with a PhD from Manchester University, England, where he studied under the late Professor F. F. Bruce, perhaps the most distinguished Bible scholar of the second half of the twentieth century.
An authority on The Acts of the Apostles (the earliest history of the first century church) and the writings of Saint Paul (the oldest documents contained in the New Testament), he is the author of two books, editor of four collections of essays and more than twenty commentaries, and has written more than 200 articles and numerous book reviews for publications such as Christianity Today, Christian Week, Interpretation, Theologische Zeitschrift, Hokmah, Radix, and Themelios.
Dr. Gasque serves as President Emeritus, Pacific Association (Seattle, WA); President, ERRC Educational Society (Canada); Adjunct Professor and Member of Board of Regents for Bakke Graduate University. He also serves as
Adjunct Professor for Fuller Theological Seminary, Schloss Mittersill Study Centre, and Seattle Pacific University. Currently, he is serving as transitional pastor of Oaklands Chapel in Victoria, B.C.
If you want to be part of the cultural conversation that is sure to intensify when The Da Vinci Code movie is released in May, you might want to order this DVD of a lecture by W. Ward Gasque.
Dr. Gasque thoroughly covers the historical people, places, and ideas in The Da Vinci Code, examining the evidence in a straightforward manner and giving the viewer the final say on how the evidence should be interpreted. Even if you haven’t read The Da Vinci Code, this lecture will prove to be valuable for its in-depth look at a broad range of historical subjects. The lecture concludes with a brief question and answer session with the audience.
THE DA VINCI CODE: Harmless Thriller or Dangerous Hoax?
Article for Radix Magazine by W. Ward Gasque
An excerpt:
"Why should Christians be concerned with a book like The Da Vinci Code, which has no credibility with scholars?
(1) The book has been read by millions of individuals, many of whom have been duped by its fraudulent historical pretensions. It is likely to be read by many, many more during the next couple of years and perhaps for a decade to come. It’s only fiction, of course, even though the author’s prologue and his interviews with the media claim that the book’s historical allusions are accurate. To a historian, the claims are ludicrous. But to many people they seem as credible as any other claims they are exposed to on soap operas or talk radio.
(2) The Da Vinci Code reflects the Zeitgeist of the time in which we live. The part of the USA that stretches from the northwest Canadian border down to a hundred miles or so south of where Radix is published is the part of North America where people are least likely to be regular churchgoers. It is also a region where neo-paganism and new age spiritualities are flourishing, That’s why our unchurched friends are enthusiastic about DVC: it rings true to what they already believe. If we are to be effective in sharing the Good News with our neighbors, we need to know the culture in which they live and breathe."To read the complete article, click here.
(1) The book has been read by millions of individuals, many of whom have been duped by its fraudulent historical pretensions. It is likely to be read by many, many more during the next couple of years and perhaps for a decade to come. It’s only fiction, of course, even though the author’s prologue and his interviews with the media claim that the book’s historical allusions are accurate. To a historian, the claims are ludicrous. But to many people they seem as credible as any other claims they are exposed to on soap operas or talk radio.
