Small-group editor Carl Simmons gives you the scoop on small group resources that take on the The Da Vinci Code.

• The Da Vinci Deception, by Erwin W. Lutzer. Set includes textbook (167p.) and leader's workbook (104 p. & DVD). Tyndale House Publishers, $24.99.
• Discussing The Da Vinci Code, by Lee Strobel and Garry Poole. Box set, including textbook (110p.) and leader's workbook (96 p.) & DVD. Zondervan, $19.99.

Very few people need to be told about the current controversy being fueled by The Da Vinci Code -- both the Dan Brown book and the new Ron Howard movie -- but many churches and small groups are looking for answers on how to address it. For those groups looking to investigate and/or refute the claims made by the book and movie, two new resources are out there with the intention of helping you do just that.

With The Da Vinci Deception, Erwin Lutzer takes groups through a seven-week study covering all of the challenges presented by The Da Vinci Code -- including the existence of the Gnostic gospels, the nature of Mary Magdalene's relationship with Jesus, and the suggested role of the Roman emperor Constantine in shaping Christianity.

The study -- which is clearly designed for small-group use -- is easy to follow, although it requires a decent amount of outside study and preparation by both leader and participants. Optional quizzes are included to reinforce the outside assignment as well.

The sessions are thorough (arguably too thorough, although some sections are left to the discretion of the group leader) and the DVD segments are informative without being overly long, although they consist only of a single shot of Lutzer speaking. In general, this study does the better job of addressing the issues raised of the two reviewed here. And as a side benefit, this study could easily serve as a launching pad to the often overlooked wealth of church history readily available to Christians.

One caveat here: Although the cover advertises this for possible outreach use, I would be very hesitant to do so. Starting with the word "deception" in the title, this study starts with the authenticity of the gospels as a foregone conclusion -- more than fine in a Christian context, but the general tone here can be too automatically dismissive of any opposing viewpoints (notwithstanding how wrong they may be). This is reinforced in the occasional tangents against the Jesus Seminar, the New Age movement, Mormonism, and "liberal Protestantism and liberal Catholicism."

In short, if you're looking for informed arguments to combat the heresies and fallacies presented in The DaVinci Code, this is a good study to work through. Just don't invite the people you want to have those arguments with.

For a more outreach/seeker-friendly study, the Lee Strobel-led Discussing the Da Vinci Code is the ticket. Strobel's (and co-author Garry Poole's) approach, while no less authoritative at the end, is presented more in the form of a dialogue than as a dismissal of the doubts or questions raised here.

Those who like Strobel's approach in books like The Case for Christ won't be disappointed here -- in typical form, he introduces each subject in an inviting, conversational style, then brings in the "expert witnesses" who inevitably guide us toward "Lee's Perspective," presented at the end of each of the four sessions here. (The "witness" interviews are also reproduced in the accompanying textbook.)

Discussing the Da Vinci Code requires considerably less work and preparation for leaders and group members -- basically pop in the DVD and work through the questions. It's worth noting, though, that the length of the four sessions themselves seem rather daunting as presented here. There are anywhere from 13-17 questions per session, as well as nearly 20 minutes of DVD viewing (the "expert witness" interviews are broken up into smaller seven-minute sections, but they often feel longer). Plan on at least two hours per session here.

On the positive side, other aspects of the DVD are much more compelling here than in The Da Vinci Deception. One particularly nice touch is the on-site footage segments shot at locations used in The Da Vinci Code, including the Louvre, Lincoln Cathedral and Temple Church.

It's also fair to say that for this study, the definition of "group" is more wide open here. Especially given the lack of preparation needed, Discussing the Da Vinci Code is much more adaptable as a large-group series. And at four sessions, easier for a larger group to swallow as a series.

To sum it up: Want something you can invite a whole church -- as well as the Da Vinci-based skeptics you know -- to? Go for Discussing the Da Vinci Code. Want to prepare for some serious theological battle with them in a smaller-group setting? Try The Da Vinci Deception.