Christian journalists in Sydney are joining thousands of fellow believers across the world to invite their friends to explore fact and fiction in The Da Vinci Code.

Christians in the Media, based at Annandale Anglican Church, is hosting a dinner tonight for media workers to consider the issues raised by what is said to be the best selling book of all time next to the Bible.

The much-anticipated film adaptation of the book, starring Tom Hanks, is due to hit cinemas on Thursday.

Christians in the Media Director, the Rev Dominic Steele says understanding the mindset of non-believers is essential to the ministry’s evangelistic effort.

"We need to understand that most of the guests we will have on an evening like this will be fans of the book.  Therefore we want to do a fair critique, looking for the good in the book as well as the wrong," Mr Steele says.

"When I read "The Da Vinci Code' I wanted to use three highlight pens; green for the things that Dan Brown gets right, red for the things that are completely wrong, and orange for the places where he so oversimplifies a complex issue that it becomes totally misleading.

"Working out which bit of text should be highlighted with which color is the complex but simulating bit."

While some view Brown's book as destructive to the Christian faith, others see it as an opportunity to promote the truth about Jesus.

"'The Da Vinci Code' has given us a great opportunity to talk about Jesus freely, without being considered irrelevant," says organiser and former journalist Andrew Laird.

"With this dinner we hope to equip many people with the ability to discern fact from fiction in the book."

The evening costs $25 per person, which includes dinner. It begins at 7pm and limited seats are still available. For more information call 9660 2444.

DVD’s of Dominic Steele’s presentation are available from Christians in the Media to use as a resource for Bible study groups and to watch with non-Christian friends.

By Keely Edwards