Over 120 guests attended a private event at the Temple Church where Robin Griffiths-Jones, the Reverend and Valiant Master of the Temple gave a talk entitled “From Magna Carta to Dan Brown: The Templars in Fact and Fantasy”.
The Temple Church itself is one of London’s famously historic and beautiful churches and its Round Church is modelled on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, having been partially destroyed during the second world war.
Robin described how the Temple Church is also the historic spiritual home of the Knights Templar, and the final resting place of crusading knights, which feature large in Dan Brown's 'Da Vinci Code'. Featuring in the film himself, Robin told how he regularly finds tourists on the Da Vinci trail but started by setting out Dan Brown's understanding of Christianity and the role of the Church, which are vastly different from the Church's understanding of these things. He went on to explore how much of Dan Brown's version is true, how much is plausible and how much is fanciful.
Robin explained how the Temple played a central role in the gestation of Magna Carta, and in the spread of the Charter’s principles to America and throughout the world and its importance in today’s judicial system.
Following a number of delightful anecdotes about the Temple’s history, including one about the redoubtable Mrs Robinson who, it’s safe to say, saved the church from certain destruction, JM Finn & Co’s guests enjoyed drinks and canapés in the Church.