Conventional wisdom would tell us that there is a significant difference between popularity and influence. Godly wisdom will tell us that popularity is to be shunned and that, when we have found ourselves popular, we can be sure our influence is short-lived. Jesus says with good reason, "Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers treat the false prophets" (Luke 6:26). In other words, people (and their inventions) that become popular usually

Created by Dallas Jenkins in 2017, The Chosen is a multi-season television series dramatizing the humanity of Jesus from the viewpoint of His disciples. Jenkins, in the spirit of literary license, has created 95% of the show's material to fill what he calls "gaps" in the Biblical record. The show's predominantly fictional content has not precluded its being billed as historical drama; nor has it hindered the credulity of Jenkins' fans. On the contrary, the vast majority of

Introduction Without apology, I think it is fair to ask that a show about Jesus be produced from a uniquely Christian perspective. Viewers have a right to know the influences behind The Chosen , and they have a right to critique the show accordingly. If these influences are determined to be less than Christian, whether in the screenwriting or in the acting or even in the production, we have the right to ask why Jenkins is using them. And if Jenkins has a prejudice against

Introduction The Chosen  seems to be breaking stereotypes left and right.  That would be a good thing, right?  People reportedly have...

Jenkins' "Chosen" Jesus said no one can serve both God and mammon. Neither can anyone serve both truth and relatability. By...

A "More Human" Jesus? I have long wrestled with Dallas Jenkins' portrayal of Jesus in The Chosen. From what little I have watched in...

An "Authentic" Jesus? In a show designed to entertain, I think it is fair to ask whether this purpose also applies to its...

Introduction: The Internet, smartphones, GPS, digital cameras--these staples of daily life were foreign to most of us two generations ago, and, if they existed at all, were initially regarded as novelties, if not downright oddities. But someone's idea found not only "wings" but "landing gear," (as C. D. Jackson, a United States government psychological warfare advisor, put it), and here we are wondering how we ever got along without these "necessities." Whether these conv

Introduction: As this highly acclaimed film series created by Dallas Jenkins continues to gain popularity around the globe, it also continues to garner serious controversy. We can ignore this controversy and give The Chosen's producer the benefit of the doubt, or we can test all things as Scripture commands us to do and wonder whether statements like this one--that "Dallas Jenkins has become the face of Jesus for millions of viewers worldwide"--pose a serious threat to

Introduction We are commanded in Scripture to test all things, whether they are true and whether they are right.  In matters of eternal consequence, we assume nothing.  We have examined in a previous post Dallas Jenkins’ professed purposes for creating The Chosen , the show’s enormous profits and popularity, and Jenkins’ personae of a Jesus and His “chosen” admittedly different than those of the Scriptures. In our examination, we have not only raised several red flags; we h

Introduction This popular television series depicting the life of Jesus from the viewpoint of His disciples began as a small crowdfunded endeavor in 2017 but has since become a worldwide sensation with over 280 million viewers. Boasting a broad interfaith appeal, the series draws two-thirds of its viewers from Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, and even Muslim backgrounds and the remaining third from those who claim no religious affiliation at all. Dallas Jenkins, the show's cr