true gnosticism is not much of a da vinci code ally

In researching the Gnostic gospels, I came across gnosis.org, a web site (I think) run by this a guy in Hollywood, Stephan Hoeller, "the sole American bishop consecrated by the Duc de Palatine, mysterious bearer of the English Gnostic Transmission." The site links to an interesting story about Hoeller in LA Weekly. Reading it, I can again see why early Christians rejected Gnostism. It's a completely different religion!

What is ironic is, I can't imagine most critics of Christianity out there who celebrate that the The Da Vinci Code is uncovering some suppressed truth that kills Christianity's credibility would have any comfort whatsoever with the far-fetched, unfounded religious claims of the Gnostics. It strikes me as a classic case of, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

But true Gnostics may not be as much of a friend as they'd like. From the article:

Since Bishop Hoeller is a bona fide scholar of the lore alluded to by the now stupendously rich Mr. Brown, the question must be posed: Was it some sort of tantric sex thing between J.C. and M.M. [Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene]?

"Although I'm delighted by the interest in Gnosticism it's stirred up," Hoeller says, "and by its part in restoring Mary Magdalene to her place at the side of Jesus, I must confess that my regard for The Da Vinci Code is considerably less than for The Matrix. For one thing, [Da Vinci Code author] Mr. Brown seems to have an agenda. He appears to be deliberately courting certain "interest groups," among them conspiracy buffs, enthusiastic but badly informed Goddess worshippers and almost anyone who harbors a grudge against the Christian faith. And though the Gnostic Gospels do identify the Magdalene as having a unique spiritual kinship with Jesus, there's no suggestion that the relationship was sexual, much less that it produced offspring. This is a canard derived almost wholly from an earlier piece of sensationalistic pseudo-history called Holy Blood, Holy Grail."

"According to which," I interject, "the bloodline of Jesus produced the French monarchy . . ."

"Yes, well . . . the Merovingian dynasty."

"And your opinion of the Holy Blood theory?"

"Flapdoodle."