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The Chosen is a television show about the life of Christ. Season 1, released in 2019 (with a pilot episode on the birth of Christ released in 2017), garnered attention for several reasons: it is the first TV show of its kind, presenting the life of Christ over multiple seasons (it plans seven seasons total); it was crowd-funded, bringing in more donations (over $40 million as of 2023) than any other media project ever; it is the first series to be launched in every country simultaneously via its own app (with over 108 million views so far in 180 countries); and it is being praised for its engaging storytelling.
The Chosen is free to watch, with no fee or subscription necessary. DVDs of each season are also available for purchase. The show’s creator, Dallas Jenkins (son of Left Behind co-author Jerry Jenkins), has a degree in Biblical Studies. In creating the show, Jenkins put together a panel of expert consultants to ensure biblical and historical accuracy in the script he was co-writing for the show. On the panel were a Messianic Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest, and an evangelical professor of biblical studies.
Jenkins’ stated goal in creating the show was to help people know Jesus better and love Scripture more. To reach that goal, he and the other scriptwriters took the gospel accounts and added what are, in their opinion, plausible details about the lives of the biblical figures found there. They added backstories to well-known characters and fleshed out other characters who might receive only a passing mention in Scripture. The intended result is that viewers see the people in the Bible as real people who dealt with the same types of issues we all have to deal with. In The Chosen, the disciples have families and friends, they have reputations to uphold, they have a sense of humor, and they struggle with finances and other concerns.
As with all storytelling based on historical events, some artistic license is evident. In The Chosen, there is often a tremendous amount of artistic license. In retelling the gospel accounts, the writers have inserted or modified some characters, storylines, and details of the inspired original. The changes are designed to give each episode a feeling of being grounded in real life. One example of these artistic choices is that the disciple Matthew is depicted as a young man on the Asperger’s/autism spectrum. There is no direct biblical evidence that Matthew had this disorder, but it is a plausible detail, so the writers felt comfortable using artistic license to insert this additional trait to Matthew’s character. Since no one is claiming that the show is God’s Word or that it is on par with the Bible, the creators of The Chosen believe such license is acceptable, and even expected in a medium such as television. As long as viewers remember that what they are seeing is art and not real life—and they compare what they view with Scripture—there is no danger of confusion. We should all know intuitively that, for all its historical accuracy and attention to cultural context, The Chosen is simply one idea from one group of people about what they think it might have been like to be near Jesus.
Dramatizations of biblical events such as are presented in The Chosen provide an opportunity for sharing the gospel with those who otherwise might not be exposed to the Bible. For believers, such dramatizations can promote spiritual growth, reminding us that the Bible is more than just a story—it relates actual events in the lives of real people who had emotions, relationships, and concerns similar to ours.
There is some concern that members of the Mormon Church are involved in the production of The Chosen and that resources owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are used to film the show. In fact, the distributer of the show, VidAngel, was founded by two Mormons. Also of concern are some statements made by Dallas Jenkins that seem to embrace Mormons as his brothers and sisters in Christ. Are these concerns enough to keep us from viewing The Chosen? That is a matter of personal conviction. The question we need to ask is, “Is this a Mormon show?” That is, “Does this show teach Mormon theology?” The answer is “no,” at least so far. Nothing in the series is promoting uniquely Mormon doctrine, or Catholic, or that of any other group. So, it is possible to use things owned by a Mormon company without producing a Mormon product. Most people, if they don’t hear about Mormons on the set, would never think that The Chosen has an LDS connection at all. That is because the finished product is not Mormon.
The show’s evangelical creators still retain full control over the content of the show. As long as that does not change and The Chosen keeps seeking to produce a faithful retelling of the life of Christ, whether or not to watch The Chosen is a matter of Christian freedom and discernment. If elements of errant theology begin creeping into the show itself, then the creators will have betrayed their viewers and the truth of the gospel. Until that time, watching The Chosen is a matter of conscience. Some Christians will appreciate the retelling of Jesus’ life. Others will have difficulty with the artistic license involved with portraying Jesus’ life on film. Still others will find a myriad of other reasons not to watch the show including the Mormon or Catholic involvement, even if Mormon or Catholic theology is not promoted. Each person is to prayerfully discern whether watching the show will be a benefit or a hindrance to his/her walk with the Lord: “Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind” (Romans 14:5).
