The Chosenhas become a major hit, despite taking some creative liberties with biblical texts. The series focuses on the life of Jesus of Nazareth, his disciples, and the people he encountered. The show has become acclaimed for its compelling storytelling, relatable characters, and emotional depth — factors that resonate with audiences, even when historical or scriptural details are condensed or altered.The Chosenalso features an excellent castwho all work off each other to make these familiar stories come to life.
Although the series' biblical accuracy is up for debate, it’s still making an impact. Amazon Prime Video decided to buy the exclusive streaming rights to the show, so that has to speak to its popularity.The Chosenseason 5is set to be released July 01, 2025, on Prime Video andThe Chosenseasons 6 and 7, along with other spin-offs,are already in development. But popularity can only bring so much to a show. The messages and complex characters featured inThe Chosenmake the show resonate with so many viewers, Christian or not.
The Chosen’s Disclaimer Says Biblical Events Are Condensed
The Disclaimer Plays Before Each Episode
The disclaimer at the beginning ofThe Chosenemphasizes that “Biblical events are condensed,” signaling that while the series is rooted in the Bible, the events are sometimes adjusted for the sake of storytelling, which is typical when adapting a text to the screen. With any text-to-screen adaptation, certain aspects of the story are going to be changed/condensed for the sake of the plot. By condensing some parts of the Bible,The Chosen’s writers can craft a more character-driven story while maintaining the core themes.
The Chosen’s Biblical Shared Universe: All Upcoming Shows & Spinoffs
Following the success of the Christian historical drama television series The Chosen from Angel Studios, several spinoffs are in the works.
For example,The Chosentook a different approach than the Bible with the character Nicodemus. The Bible presents Nicodemus as an ancient Pharisee who visits Jesus to ask about spiritual matters. InThe Chosen, their encounter is expanded, showing Nicodemus’ internal conflict and struggles with the religious system, likely to add tension to the character so that the story can have greater stakes. Also,The Chosenexplores Nicodemus and his motivations more thoroughly, which makes him a more complete character and elevates the impact of his eventual interaction with Jesus.
Expert Consultants Were Used For The Chosen’s Development
They Are Bible And Theological Experts
Dallas Jenkins, creator ofThe Chosen, has a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies. While these credentials alone don’t necessarily guarantee an accurate depiction of biblical stories, they certainly help bring authenticity to the show. At the very least, Jenkins has a clear passionate about the subject, even if he’s not an expert. However duringThe Chosen’sdevelopment,Jenkins and other creatives sought the input of theological experts.
Dr. Doug Huffman is the dean of the undergraduate Division of Biblical Studies and Theology at Biola University Talbot School of Theology, and he serves as a script consultant onThe Chosen.He claims to be an expert in first-century biblical studies, which is whenThe Chosentakes place. Huffman discussedThe Chosen’sbiblical accuracy and how scripts are written on theThink Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culturepodcast. On the podcast, Huffman said he works with the crew to create an accurate depiction, thoughDr. Huffman clarifiedThe Chosenis meant to be a story first and isn’t intended to put scripture directly on screen(viaThink Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture):
“So the words of scripture are a written genre and they’re trying to do a dramatization in a visual sort of way. So there have been movies made about Jesus that attempt to take just the words of scripture and put that in the text, but that’s not the goal ofThe Chosen. The Chosenwas designed to be an imaginative exercise to examine the lives of the first century people that Jesus chose to follow him. So there’s got to be this little flexible space of creativity to have this imagination, but the problems come when the imagination runs over the line, if you will. And that’s precisely why they’ve asked a handful of us to be consultants, to ensure they don’t overstep their creativity.”
The Chosen’s Mary Magdalene and Sermon On The Mount Controversies, Explained
The Depictions Aren’t Biblically Accurate
The Chosen’s adherence to scripture has sparked controversy, especially regarding the portrayal of Mary Magdalene and the depiction of the Sermon on the Mount. In the Bible, Mary Magdalene is introduced as a woman who Jesus helps by casting out seven demons from her soul. However,The Chosenexpands Mary’s backstory, depicting her as a deeply troubled woman with a complex past, which includes scenes where she’s struggling with addiction.
Arguably, adding elements about Mary’s backstory and personal life adds authenticity to her character and gives viewers a deeper understanding of her transformation. Mary’s portrayal can also be seen as biblically inaccurate, as it adds fictional elements not found in the Bible, which may distort the character’s true biblical role or could lead to misconceptions about biblical history.
It’s worth noting thatsome biblical writers, like Kevin Keating ofThe Bible Artist,believe that Mary’s depiction inThe Chosenmakes her a more compelling character that viewers can relate to.Keating expanded upon his point, writing thatThe Chosencould have gone into more detail about Mary’s struggles with addiction so that her encounter with Jesus is more meaningful. He thinks that, if anything, Mary’s transition to a sober and devout follower of Jesus is too abrupt, as she goes from struggling with alcohol in the wake of her sexual assault to completely casting off the shackles of addiction, which Keating argues is unrealistic in terms of story (ViaThe Bible Artist).
The Chosen’sdepiction of the Sermon on the Mount has also become the subject of controversy.InThe Chosen, the scene is dramatized as the dialogue between Jesus and His followers is expanded to be more conversational than scripture. This approach serves as a way to explore the themes of the sermon in more detail. ButThe Chosen’sdepiction of the Sermon arguably diminishes the power and brevity of Jesus' words.
Yes,The Chosendoes not follow scripture to the letter, but it has found a balance between artistic interpretation and spiritual depth.
However, the dialogue is adjusted to emphasize the emotions and relationships between the characters, which makes it work in terms of story, but doesn’t emphasize the literal scripture found in the Bible. Yes,The Chosendoes not follow scripture to the letter, but it has found a balance between artistic interpretation and spiritual depth, making it a compelling story, which is what any series made for the screen is supposed to be.
Despite Some Biblical Inaccuracies, The Chosen Remains A Hit
Season 5 Is Coming Later In 2025
One of the biggest reasonsThe Chosenhas gained popularity is its ability to humanize biblical figures. Despite its biblical inaccuracies,The Chosen’sdeep exploration of characters like Mary Magdalene makes the series feel more real and accessible. Aside fromThe Chosen’shumanization of scripture, its production value also contributed to its success. High-quality cinematography, music, and performances all elevate the storytelling, makingThe Chosenstand out from other series, especially faith-based programming.
Plus,The Chosenseason 4 was released theatricallyto great box office success, raking in almost $60 million (viaThe Numbers). Also,The Chosenis so popular that it spawned multiple television and film deals for Dallas Jenkins and the production studio behind it. Amazon Prime has inked a deal with Dallas Jenkins and his 5&2 Studios to create more biblically-centered stories.
Even without strictly adhering to scripture,The Chosenoffers meaningful messages about faith and emotion, and people are watching.
Amazon seems to be doubling down on religious content, as the streamer recently struck a deal with faith-based studio,The Wonder Project, with their first collaboration,The House of David, which begins streaming on February 27. Ultimately, even without strictly adhering to scripture,The Chosenoffers meaningful messages about faith and emotion, and people are watching. Its success proves that even when biblical accuracy is adjusted, powerful storytelling and relatable themes can captivate audiences.
