Watching The Chosen: History, Faith, and Interpretation

The Chosen probably presents Jesus’s heart and life to more people in the world right now than any other medium. This book helps us understand and articulate in a more sophisticated way why that is the case. Granted, biblical scholars like myself will have quibbles here and there about some historical details (though overall The Chosen is careful); but had biblical scholars been in charge of the script, it would have been a different genre (documentary) with not a fraction of the impact! Like the ancient practice of lectio divina or medieval Corpus Christi plays, The Chosen engages our imaginations to enter the world of Jesus and invites us to consider for ourselves what it was like to be with our Lord in fully human form.

—Craig S. Keener, Asbury Theological Seminary

While reading this book, I was so enthralled by what I was learning about Christ and his Word that I forgot I’m the one who makes the show they’re referencing. Conversations like the ones in this fascinating book, even in the moments when I disagreed, are what I’ve always hoped the show would engender. We must go deeper in our relationship with and understanding of Christ, and this book is an essential tool in that pursuit.

—Dallas Jenkins, creator of the TV show The Chosen

This volume features scholarly yet accessible essays on The Chosen, perhaps the most remarkable cinematic depiction of the life of Christ in American history. The essays, addressing topics from Jesus’s divinity to his interaction with women, demonstrate that the series stands alone not just because of its widespread popularity but also because of its theologically rich depiction of the life of Christ.

—Thomas Hibbs, Baylor University