Filmmaker Dallas Jenkins envisioned telling the Christmas story from the perspective of a crippled shepherd who meets the baby Jesus at the manger in Bethlehem. That short, gripping episode, called “The Shepherd,” was released in 2017 and ignited the phenomenon that became The Chosen.
Packaged for a postmodern audience, The Chosen depicts the life of Christ from the perspective of people who knew Him. The focus is on the experiences of the people who encountered Christ.
Jenkins, son of the famed Christian novelist Jerry Jenkins, tells the story of Jesus in episodes and as a streaming series. It’s app-based and can be binge-watched.
The first season of The Chosen became the largest crowdfunded television or film project in history. It’s free to watch, and contributors keep it going. As of 2021, viewers had contributed more than $40 million toward its production.
Because Jenkins revisits Jesus from the perspective of the people who met Him and knew Him, segments of the story occur during His ministry, and portions occur before and after the time of Jesus’ ministry. Sometimes Jesus is on stage, and sometimes He is not.
The Chosen enjoys immense popularity. And for good reason. Each episode is invested with humor and sustains realism, a combination rarely found in such biblical reenactments. But even more than that, The Chosen excels in its purpose–to depict the ministry, personality, and life-changing power of Jesus from the viewpoint of the people captivated by His presence.
Even so, popularity by no means equates to accuracy or, especially, approval.
Critics of The Chosen
Critics of The Chosen abound.
Evangelical critics frequently berate Jenkins for partnering with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints—Mormons, that is.
The Chosen is distributed by VidAngel, a company founded by two Mormons, and the LDS Church provides many of the resources for the production, including rare access to its replica of Jerusalem in Goshen, Utah.
But Mormonism teaches unbiblical and false doctrines about God and Jesus Christ. So a partnership with the LDS church for depicting the life of Christ on screen is, at best, unwise.
Even so, the real issue is whether Mormonism fundamentally influences the theology of The Chosen. Jenkins and the staff of the production assert that it does not, and that The Chosen is solidly grounded in orthodox, biblical theology.
I agree. I have started Season 2, and so far I see no overt LDS influence on the theology of The Chosen.
Jenkins’ problem
Even so, Jenkins has a problem.
His understanding of the difference between a biblical theology of Jesus and the LDS theology is clearly lacking. He has commented that Mormons love the “same Jesus” that he does. If, by that, he means that both he and his LDS friends hold a biblical view of Jesus, he’s wrong.
His effort to extinguish this controversy fails and simply reveals his weak grasp of the legitimate problems critics pose.
In a strange twist, however, some evangelicals criticize a perceived Roman Catholic influence on The Chosen. But, ironically, Roman Catholic critics fuss that The Chosen isn’t true enough to RC theology.
So, there’s that.
So why is everyone so confused?
It’s artistic license
I think critics impose on Jenkins and The Chosen something that was never intended. Their expectations ignore Jenkins’ objectives.
The Chosen is not intended to recap verbatim the life and teachings of Jesus. Instead, The Chosen asks “what if?,” while still being faithful to the Gospels. And it is the nature of art to do that—to use artistic license to help us see truth in a fresh way.
What if the intensity of the gospel writer Matthew and his diligent record keeping resulted from autism? Of course, the Bible doesn’t say that, but—what if?
And what if Mary Magdalene and Nicodemus had encountered one another prior to them both meeting Jesus? How would that have impacted them? Of course, the Bible doesn’t depict that, but—what if?
And what if the portrayal of the first interaction between Jesus and Nathaniel seriously considered the omniscience of Christ revealed in their first meeting, which elicited the awe of Nathaniel (John 1:48-49)? Of course, the Bible doesn’t depict the backdrop to Jesus’ greeting, but—what if?
And while he undertakes this approach, Jenkins manages to balance the history of the times, the words of Christ, and Christian theology, and still sustain his unique and needed form of storytelling.
The best way to understand The Chosen
So I think the best way to understand The Chosen is the same way you would read historical fiction.
The history matters, and the facts should not be changed. But in and around that history, the artist has the license to ask and answer the question for us, “what if?” And from that question, we can be inspired to see and experience Christ through a fresh lens—through the experiences of the people who knew Him.
However, with that said, The Chosen doesn’t get a pass on everything. Problems with The Chosen remain.
Problems with The Chosen
Though critics tend to impose on the production more than Jenkins intends, that doesn’t mean they are wrong to be concerned. Here’s why:
- The postmodern problem
The Chosen rides the edge of a postmodern reinterpretation of Jesus, in which the truth is elastic and easily dismissed. Thankfully, Jenkins hasn’t wandered into that territory. Not yet. But the hazard is there, and he must avoid it.
An experience-focused view of Jesus can easily slip away from the truth. To me, critics griping about the perceived LDS influence have overlooked this greater concern.
- The overuse of “what if”
The Chosen’s “what if” questions are not all equally helpful or necessary. When the biblical account gives fodder for Jenkins’ “what if” approach, his storytelling shines. Yet, while the story of Nathaniel’s first meeting with Jesus is based on the biblical record, the idea of Matthew’s autism is not.
Sometimes it is best to leave out the “what if” and just tell the story.
- The inherent confusion
The Chosen can be confusing, especially to young Christians and non-Christians.
If someone assumes The Chosen reflects biblical events accurately and the Bible’s words verbatim, they are wrong. The Chosen not only deviates from the words of Scripture, but adds and subtracts in ways that, to someone unfamiliar with the gospels, could be misleading and even detrimental.
The best use of The Chosen
Like any depiction of biblical events, The Chosen is not a substitute for the Bible. So The Chosen should be seen as a launch point, not a conclusion.
If you are not familiar with the biblical accounts, read them. If you watch it with children, non-Christians, or new Christians, read the biblical text and talk about the differences and Jenkins’ “what if” moment. How is it different? Why would it matter? Is it pure conjecture, or biblically based?
If The Chosen ever promotes unsound or unbiblical theology, turn it off and walk away. We should never brush off scriptural inaccuracies or misrepresentations or even bad theology in the name of artistic license (i.e., my criticism of The Shack is not the story, but the bad theology behind it).
But a “what if” experience, when informed with solid, biblical theology and sound teaching, can propel us into a deeper understanding of the real Jesus, the Word of God, and the way God works in our lives. (C. S. Lewis said that the creative motivation for The Chronicles of Narnia was the question, “What if Jesus showed up in another land?”)
Sometimes we need to ask, “what if?” But don’t stop there. Jesus is not a question.
He is the Answer.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6