How “The Chosen” does Evangelicalism the Right Way

Every Christian denomination has its pros and cons. Throughout history, denominations go through seasons of revival and seasons of scandal. Right now, the American Evangelical Church has been in a long season of scandal, and it doesn’t look like it is dying down anytime soon.

As someone who grew up in an Evangelical church and currently serves in one of the longest running Evangelical youth parachurches, I can honestly say the majority of criticism is justified.

Decades of covering up horrific abuse in Evangelical churches are being brought to light. A disturbing increase of christian Nationalism is primarily gaining traction in White Evangelical spaces. (Gorski and Perry, 2022, Pg. 18) Political idolatry and selective morality is being shown by many influential Evangelical leaders.

Many who are still in the Evangelical tradition desire critical thinking and recognition for Church history that isn’t being touched in mainstream Evangelicalism. (Ortlund, 2019, Pg. 27) Instead, there is often an oversimplification to deep social issues and an ignorance to the historic faith. On top of everything else, the Gospel itself feels significantly watered down to individualistic decision making.

The term “Evangelical” takes root from the word “Gospel” in Greek. (McKnight, , Pg. 28-29) Historically, it was fitting for Evangelicalism to have “Gospel” in its name. Evangelicalism didn’t desire to sweep away Church history/tradition, nor did it mean to oversimplify the complexity of the world. Rather, Evangelicalism wanted the Gospel to be the center of how we approach these topics. How do our traditions line up with Scripture and the Gospel? How do we see Jesus in our complicated day-to-day problems?

Evangelicalism was also rooted in a zeal to step beyond complacency with organized religion. Again, the issue is not having a denomination or worshiping in a certain tradition. Pioneers of Evangelicalism like John Wesley relied heavily on liturgy like the Book of Common Prayer. The concern for Evangelicals was making sure those things, while helpful in our worship, didn’t replace the living Person of Christ. Am I Christian because I go to church on Sundays, or because Jesus is my King and I have been born again?

With mainstream Evangelicalism being the center of controversy and criticism, it is refreshing to watch a great show directed by an Evangelical who uses classic Evangelical principles in its production and presentation.

Dallas Jenkins’ The Chosen recently finished its third season, with popularity continuing to rise. The show adapts the story of Jesus from the four Gospels. The show understandably uses artistic liberty to give more in depth backgrounds to the characters.

Like any Christian media that gains popularity, it has fans and critics. Personally, I love the show and find it very compelling. It isn’t perfect, all three seasons have their flaws. But I find the show to be a powerful adaptation, and I can honestly say I’ve cried multiple times during different moments throughout the series.

The more I’ve thought about it, the more I am convinced Evangelicals can look at a show like The Chosen and how it’s made as an example of what Evangelicalism is supposed to be. Let’s first look at the show itself and how it presents the Gospel in an Evangelical way.

Centered on the whole Gospel
When the New Testament talks about the Gospel, it shares far more than the “Romans Road”. All four Gospels show Jesus being the fulfillment of Scripture, Israel’s Messiah, and the Lord of all. They show the mystery of God’s Son becoming a suffering servant, coming alongside the weak and poor, healing and proclaiming good news. They show God’s victory over the powers of darkness, proclaiming an unseen Kingdom that turns the world upside down.

The Chosen emphasizes all these things. Jonathan Roumie brilliantly portrays Jesus as the gentle yet unapologetic Messiah, defending the marginalized and challenging the elite.

The Disciples in The Chosen challenge us to examine ourselves
To be honest, The Chosen isn’t actually a show primarily about Jesus of Nazareth. It’s far more about the people who encounter Jesus and have their lives changed. It’s a show about the bleakness of the world, the promises God made to Israel, and seeing Jesus step into it all.

Conversion, testimony, healing, and sanctification are pillars in historical Evangelicalism. When looking back on the most famous Evangelical revivals, we see lives changing and bearing witness to the impact of the Gospel.

There is a deep conviction of sin, a desire to repent and turn to Christ. Social injustices are confronted and rebuked. The vulnerable are cared for. A special unity among diverse congregants form.

For the first time people are truly encountering the God they’ve only heard about for themselves. All these things are what often makes up an Evangelical movement, and we see multiple examples of this in different characters throughout The Chosen.

The show’s portrayal of the disciples is done so well because Jenkins uses their experiences throughout the episodes to bring very relevant questions to Christians today. What if the Messiah isn’t who I thought he was supposed to be? Why does God perform some miracles but not others? Why does this person get to follow Jesus?

All Christians should wrestle with this, but considering the different controversies of tribalism and hypocrisy in the Evangelical Church today, I feel it is especially relevant for my tradition.

Evangelicalism places a high view of Scripture, as does The Chosen. One thing I love about the show is that it holds Scripture to high regard, while also showing the uncomfortable reality of how easily people twist Scripture.

I found season three’s adaptation of the bleeding woman very powerful. (Mark 5:25-34) The two-part episode forces the audience to ask a bold question: how do we respond if Scripture is being weaponized against a vulnerable person? We may all agree to Scripture’s authority, but that doesn’t mean we all interpret it the same. If people are hurt because of that, where is God in the middle of that mess?

Seasons two and three also portray the disciples in tension with each other. We see resentment and cultural differences butt heads. Some of these get resolved over the episodes, and sometimes they stew within the characters throughout the seasons. While the majority of these conflicts in the show are made up for the show, they are very relevant issues in our churches today, making the disciples more relatable to the audience.

The Kingdom not of this world
Historically, Evangelicalism focuses on revivalism and being born again. There is a zeal to seek the Kingdom of God that is already present yet not fully realized. With today’s ongoing problem of christian Nationalism, it is nice to see The Chosen depict the counter cultural way Jesus brings His Kingdom to earth. We see the poor, tax collectors, Zealots, and Gentiles all be amazed at the upside down way of life Jesus offers.

Jesus isn’t interesting in taking sides with a political party, yet He is also not detached from the political/social issues of Israel. The Chosen shows the complexity of different injustices and tensions between the Romans and the Jews. Instead of choosing one particular side, or just being a moderate, Jesus invites the characters in the show to follow His unique way that challenges all sides while refusing compromise.

The Production of The Chosen
Before wrapping up, I want to acknowledge how Dallas Jenkins lives out his Evangelical faith through his directing. While Evangelicalism is Protestant, it also tends to be pretty nuanced in its systematic theology, wanting to focus less on detailed doctrines and more on Jesus and the Gospel. Because of this, Evangelicalism is historically quite ecumenical.

If you follow The Chosen behind the scenes, you’ll see that Jenkins seeks diverse consultants for Biblical scholarship. His cast is quite diverse too, some being Christians from different traditions, and some secular.

Beyond ecumenism, Jenkins also doesn’t gatekeep who gets to work on the show, hiring production crews who aren’t necessarily Christian, and even using a set from the Church of Latter-Day Saints. There has predictably come no shortage of criticism to Jenkins regarding all these decisions. Jenkins has made it clear more than once that his Evangelical beliefs are not compromised nor does hiring such religiously/theologically diverse workers affect the show’s portrayal of the Gospel.

I personally agree with Jenkins and I think he sets a great example for fellow Evangelicals. We are called to not be of the world, but we cannot sincerely live in total isolation. And frankly, we shouldn’t live in total isolation, as that is not the example Jesus set for us.

If this were a church or parachurch these concerns I think would be totally legitimate. But at the end of the day, The Chosen is a television show. It is a product, not the Bride of Christ, and because of that, I believe there can be grey area on who gets to work on the show.

There is a strange irony in seeing Christians use secular media like Twitter and YouTube to voice condemnation on The Chosen for being too “worldly”. It reminds me of how angry some Christians used to get when Christian rock bands/rappers would tour or collaborate with secular artists. I thought it was an overreaction then, and I think it is an overreaction now with The Chosen.

Jenkins recognizes the talent others can bring to his production while not allowing the show to be negatively influenced by secularism. The show is still directed by an Evangelical. If season four starts preaching against historical orthodoxy, I’ll be more concerned. And who is to say God won’t use the show to influence any secular crew members to Christ?

Conclusion
Since The Chosen is a product and not a church, I recognize there are limitations in showing how Jenkins promotes Evangelical theology through his show. However, I think in many ways we see the historic traditions of Evangelicalism in the way Jenkins presents himself, his work ethic, and the final product of the show.

I’m looking forward to season four coming out, and if you haven’t checked the show out I’d highly recommend it.

Bibliography
Gorski and Perry. (2022). The Flag and The Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy. New York, NY. Oxford University Press.
Ortlund, G. (2019). Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals: Why we need our Past to have a Future. Wheaton, IL. Crossway.
McKnight, S. (2011). The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan.