Based on Dan Brown's bestseller, the movie, which stars Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou, is set to be one of the year's major blockbusters.

Anglican Media Sydney will run 20-second ads on 250 screens in 15 multiplexes in Sydney, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

The ads, which promote a new website created by the organisation - http://www.challengingdavinci.com - will start on May 11, a week before the release of the film, and will run for four weeks.

The money has come from funds set aside by the Sydney Anglican Diocese's synod last year to be used in promoting the gospel in popular media.

Bishop Robert Forsyth, chairman of Anglican Media Sydney, said the church had seized the opportunity to capitalise on the interest the film is expected to create in the story of Jesus to talk to people who otherwise would not normally go near the church.

"We've been surprised and challenged in that The Da Vinci Code has created a lot of interest in Jesus," Bishop Forsyth said.

"We are not afraid of the film. We are not seeking to discourage people from seeing it. But we are well aware of the power of film, and the danger of what is actually a fictional story filling the information void about Jesus."

Jeremy Halcrow, also from Anglican Media Sydney, hoped people would discover the "truth" about Jesus and get "connected with a church community".

"It's obviously part of the mission of the Sydney Diocese to see more people in church," he said. The church is also holding a series of forums on the issue across the country.

The book and the film, in cinemas from May 18, have prompted an enormous reaction worldwide, ranging from fury to bemusement from church groups and theologians, and spawned a plethora of resources devoted to discussing the claims.

Ross Entwistle, the managing director of Sony Pictures Releasing, said it had to be remembered it was a "fictional story".

"But judging from the contributions to thedavincichallenge.com and other sites, it seems the discussion and debate of the issues contained in the book is being conducted in a very open and sensible manner," he said.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has issued an open letter advising people of the "book's false claims about Jesus" and inviting them to learn the truth about Christianity, directing them to their parish priest if they have any questions and to websites and writings on the origins of Christ.

Father Brian Lucas, Secretary of the Conference, described the book's propositions as fiction. "The movie will make a lot of money for a lot of people, and it will come and it will go. But Jesus will still be there."

The Bible Society NSW is also releasing a book, Da Ciphering Da Vinci, on Friday.

The society's Martin Johnson said the huge interest in the story was a "wonderful opportunity for Christians ... to discuss issues raised in the film".

Reverend Craig Tucker, from the Drummoyne Presbyterian Church, said the book had been a positive.

"Nobody has left the church because the book's raised doubts, but people have come to us," he said.

"The book has raised questions that they haven't thought of before."

President of the Uniting Church Reverend Dean Drayton said popular culture was an "important avenue from which Australians may start to search for answers to the deeply spiritual questions they continue to ask today".

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