Jesus Decoded from USCCB

News Release from the USCCB (thank you, Fredi) :

U.S. Bishops’ Catholic Communication Campaign Plans ‘Jesus De-Coded’ Web Site and Documentary

WASHINGTON (March 7, 2006)—The U.S. Bishops’ Catholic Communication Campaign will offer key resources to provide accurate information on the life of Jesus and the origins of Christianity prior to the release of the movie based on Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code. Resources include a Web site and documentary slated to air on NBC-TV stations. Also being produced is a 16-page booklet on The Authentic Jesus.

On March 9, the CCC will launch an Internet Web site, www.jesusdecoded.com, to provide accurate information on Jesus, Catholic teaching, and various topics explored in The Da Vinci Code. The Web site will explain Catholic beliefs and include articles from theologians, media commentators, art experts and others that provide background and also rebut the speculation and inaccuracies about Christ and the origins of Christianity. Contributing to the Web site is the prelature of Opus Dei.

Also available in March will be a booklet, The Authentic Jesus, which will address questions raised by The Da Vinci Code and other popular portrayals of Jesus. The booklet, produced by the USCCB Committee on Communications, presents authentic Catholic teaching about Jesus and his divinity, the New Testament, Gnosticism, women and the Church, and other important topics in a convenient question–and–answer format. The Authentic Jesus will be available for individual and bulk sale from USCCB Publishing. Also for sale from USCCB Publishing will be a bulletin insert based on the same material.

Jesus Decoded, a CCC documentary that brings authentic Catholic teaching about Jesus Christ into focus, will be available to NBC-TV stations for broadcast starting the third weekend of May. This first-time airing of the hour-long documentary will highlight clear and accurate information about the person of Jesus, his disciples, and the formation of the books in the canon (or list of books) of the New Testament. Shot on location in Israel, Turkey, and Italy for the CCC by NewGroup Media, Jesus Decoded offers a solid Catholic response to “Da Vinci Code believers,” concentrating especially on the first three centuries of the development of the Church. The program includes interviews with international scholars versed in art, history, and Scripture that help separate Catholic truth from popular fiction. The documentary will be available for purchase on DVD from USCCB Publishing. Further information about the documentary is available at www.jesusdecoded.com.

The Catholic Communication Campaign is an activity of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that develops media programming, public service announcements, and other resources to promote Gospel values. Donations of Catholic parishioners make possible the work of the CCC. For more information, visit our website at: www.usccb.org/ccc .

USCCB Publishing can be contacted at 1-800-235-8722.