The Chosen has a few mistakes in it but one thing I really appreciate is how they didn't shy away from the existence of demons. They are creatures that a lot of modern Christians seem to pretend don't exist

This is actually one of the things I appreciate about the movie Ben Hur(the 1959 version). Jesus's face is actually never seen by the audience, but is seen by the main character. I always thought the way did it was tastefully done.

I think our Lord was portrayed in a great manner by Jim Caviezel (Passion of Christ) and the actor in Ben Hur (1959). Jim Caviezel is unbeaten!

Good video! We don’t necessarily disagree with most of what you say-it IS very challenging to try to get Jesus right, it’s fraught with risk, and viewers should absolutely seek out other sources in their understanding of Jesus, starting of course with the Bible! As the show creator’s wife publicly said when discussing a phrase she’d heard from a story about the power of the Bible, “I love the show, but who cares, it’s just a show…BIBLE PREACH.”

After listening to this, I remembered reading about C.S. Lewis being asked why he never took a crack at writing a reversed version of The Screwtape Letters from the perspective of an Archangel writing to a guardian angel. He said he wouldn't because he knew that no matter how hard he tried to show the grace and good nature of an angel, it would fall short in comparison to the real thing. He felt it would be an injustice. I think there's something to be said about avoiding depicting Jesus in film and TV for this same reason.

I have not watched The Chosen. I am an elderly Catholic and am spending this Advent trying to add to my usual rosary and devotions by increasing time in mental prayer. I am using The Incarnation” by st. Athanasius as a jumping off point. I am trying to understand more of what God sees in me. And let God reveal Himself to me.

I'm a devout Catholic and I thoroughly enjoy the depiction of Jesus in his humanity but also those surrounding Him. The depiction of the wedding feast was incredible.

When Jesus tells Nicodemus to follow his heart ("what does your heart say" was the line I think), this is when I checked out. Jesus says the human heart is wicked, so why would they ever include such a contradictory line???

I personally love the Chosen and it has helped convert my husband and many others. Always will recommend the Show.

To me, any biblical film has to overcome what I call the Christmas Pageant problem: this nagging feeling like you're just watching high paid actors running around in bathrobes with towels on their heads.

As a devout cradle Catholic I feel that I’m pretty grounded in my faith. I have been watching the Chosen series since it began and I can honestly say that I am enjoying it immensely, however there were certain parts that I did not agree with that did not follow Catholic dogma such as the birth of our Lord during the Nativity scene, as a matter of fact Jonathan Roumie, who plays the part of Jesus and also who is a devout Catholic said that he was a bit uncomfortable with that scene being left in. It’s funny Brian that you bring up the episode when our Lord was planning out his Sermon on the Mount and he was struggling to figure out how he was going to present it with Matthew sitting there taking down notes and Jesus asking Matthew if that sounded right, that really bothered me and I couldn’t understand why because I too was looking at the fact that Jesus is fully God and fully Man but I couldn’t put my finger on what was disturbing me until you just brought it up and brought it home for me by making it much clearer in the theological sense. I think anybody who is strong in their Catholic faith who knows what the truth is and cannot be swayed by artistic license in films can comfortably and safely watch movies about the life of Christ and get whatever good they can get out of it still knowing what to believe and what not to believe when a conflicting situation comes up in the episodes that don’t correspond with our Catholic tradition and dogma. Just my thoughts. If nothing else, this should make all Catholics reach for the Catechism of the Catholic Church and their Bibles with a compendium to further educate themselves about their Catholic faith. I am glad that you brought up the movie the Passion of the Christ, it was that film that moved me to enter into the religious life, though I was one of the stubborn ones that entered later in life it literally changed my entire world! May God the Holy Spirit guide and enlighten us all to the Truth. Merry Christmas and God bless!

Jonathan Roumie is a Catholic and does a lot of work with Scott Hahn and Word on Fire ministries. He takes the responsibility of portraying Jesus extremely seriously and explicitly says the purpose of the show is to lead people to the Gospel. He also does not hide his Catholicism even though the majority of the audience is evangelical. The praise Mel Gibson gets from traditional Catholics while they offer this actor almost no support is just strange.

I think Jonathan Roumie does a great job in his portrayal of Jesus...but I agree with you for the most part... being a long series it will be plagued with pitfalls...nontheless it is very good so far...there are very moving parts and it helps to understand the context which is great... I dont particularly like the portrayal of Mary and I dont know if I will continue to watch... Jonathan is by far the best, I hope his faith keeps him on the right path...

All fair points you made, and they are legitimate concerns. I’ve watched the first season and bits of the second, and if memory serves me right there wasn’t anything about the portrayal of Jesus that made me question the show, but I think the producers have done a good job in emphasizing that the show is not meant to be a substitution for the actual Gospel

For me, the Chosen helps me want to bust out my Bible and get to know Jesus for myself.

I get where Brian is coming from and he makes really good arguments. But, I still like Chosen and I think we need more Christian filmography in that vein. Chosen is clearly made with both love and respect to the source material. When translating Biblical events to film, it is necessary to . . . fill in the gaps. When someone who has nothing but contempt for the Bible tries to fill in this gaps, they invariably fail because they try to undermine it. I don't get that feeling from Chosen.

The show uses Bishop Robert Barron as a reference (one of many), and Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus, is a very devoute Catholic. So with that said, I trust that their input and backgrounds help make the show more theologically correct. I watch the show, and I haven't found much of anything that conflicts with our faith. That is all, God Bless.

It’s very interesting to me that Protestants who have many problems with Catholic Christian representational art depicting saints, Christ and Mary, just love movies about them. I tried watching an episode of the show and had problems with it for the reasons you elucidated.

Regardless, I love "The Chosen" I love the way it is filmed. I love the way the major characters come to life with their own special personalities with their faults and virtues their character flaws and disabilities. . I love the way Jesus is portrayed. The reason Jesus "rehearsed" His Sermon on the Mount with Matthew was not for Himself but for Matthew. And the fact that this series is the most widely viewed television series in the world is a sign that it is Divinely inspired and a bright light in the Darkness we are living in.

I know exactly what you're talking about and exercise the same caution although I will say that watching The Chosen has really helped my kids learn about the apostles, remembering the timeline of events, etc. And as others have mentioned, Jonathan Roumie's portrayal is excellent. Grain of salt, though, yes, always.

I love your show. A huge fan of you. However, you can not comment on the chosen until you watch it. I'm a Latin mass, Orthodox thinking Catholic. I felt the same as you, until I entered into the chosen without prejudice.... Its truly phenomenal. Watch it, then do a show on it, good, or bad.

i don't expect directors and producers of biblical stories to produce theological or catechetical works so I am seldom disappointed by their works. I don't expect them to be anything other than story tellers who take artistic license and tell a story the way they see it. I'm OK with that, since I don't look to these artists to form my faith. Having said that I am impressed and inspired by the Chosen. I think one way to consider it, is less as a an unfiltered depiction of Jesus as a depiction of Jesus as he must have appeared to those who encountered him and in this I think the creators have succeeded admirably. And in doing so, have captured the mystery of the incarnation better than any other depiction to date. The bewilderment the disciples must have experienced is beautifully laid out. Here is a man who clearly and completely human, more human than anyone else previously encountered - and yet, somehow God is manifest in this man. How can that be? How can someone be fully human and yet also clearly divine? How can the two go together? How does that work? It's manifestly true but how? This is precisely the mystery of the incarnation, the mystery the early church struggled with and the mystery presented by Chosen.

that is also my perception. I tried watching the Chosen, because I heard good reviews for it, but I found myself uncomfortable with the portrayals of the characters that I’ve known so well from reading the Bible. I couldn’t finish the first episode.

To God, it doesn't matter if one or more scenes have a mishap or not, He will use anyone or anything, even The Chosen, to bring others to Christ. The Chosen is doing just that. The Chosen is an attempt to make the disciples more human as we've never seen or imagined them before. In fact, this humanity makes us get closer to them because either we have or we know someone with those human tendencies or faults. Also, Jonathan Roumie is doing an outstanding job portraying Jesus. I'm excited that God chose this time, during COVID and all the other crazy things going on in our country, to ensure that The Chosen would be available for us and the world. God is up to something, and The Chosen, is just another gold nugget of God's great plan for America!

I watched the first Chosen series and I found it to be more disturbing than helpful. It seemed to me that many of the characters were projections of strange personality disorders. Extreme liberties we taken regarding what Jesus was like. Again, it seemed like projections of personal experiences. "Risen" had a compelling Jesus figure, but again, they altered actual scripture in ways that seemed like an apologetic for the modern evangelical movement.

The logic of this doesn’t follow with your reasoning that the Passion was fine by you. It’s just a subjective decision that you made that you liked that representation, whereas you admit you haven’t even viewed the chosen. The Chosen’s depiction of Christ has helped me and other family members dive deeper into the scriptures and prayerfully learn more about who Christ is.

After watching The Passion of the Christ it's really hard not to compare any film depiction of Christ and it always suffers in comparison.

I am not watching The Chosen either. The best portrayal of Our Lord ever made into the screen was in The Passion of the Christ by Jim Caviezel. Jim was able to capture the seriousness, thoughtfulness, and, most of all, the majesty of Our Lord. This majesty is portrayed quite subtly and was this majesty that made Him so charismatic. Like Brian said, He wouldn’t have any insecurities because He was the Perfect Human Being. Any portrayals that depart from that will be a disappointment to me.

I got my non religious husband to actually watch the show because he went to acting school with Jonathan Roumie. He was very moved by the show and was asking me really good questions that actually helped me practice in articulating the differences between Protestantism and Catholicism. He got the weird sermon of the mount stunt. It made the show silly at that point even for him because it doesn’t go with Jesus’s “character” no matter what your preconceptions are of Christ.

I watched the first season of, The Chosen. Though the producers, writers, directors, actors, were in no way try to be disrespectful, I was left with feeling mildly uncomfortable with the casualness of the persona of Jesus. It was to me, almost as if he was just, "one of the guys". I had the same reaction to the depiction of our Blessed Mother. Found her character to be almost a little too much modern, suburban house wife persona. I had actually been looking forward to seeing it, since there is little produced on screen of our Lord that is good. My only yardstick by which to judge, movie wise, was, The Passion of the Christ, which was/is, to date , for myself the most realistic portrayal I have ever seen. A final scene at the end of one of, The Chosen, episodes, annoyed me no end. It was, Jesus, meeting the woman at the well. After telling the woman her sins were forgiven, they left out the rest of the Jesus' message to her. They left out, "...now go and sin no more." Just had the woman happily walk off, with no further direction as to what needed to change for her. I wouldn't watch any other episodes after that, since they left out something that important.

Hebrews 4:15 says "For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." The Amplified Bible makes it even more plain: "For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin." This would mean in his humanity he felt fear but did not sin by losing faith. He felt anxiety but did not rely on his human strength to overcome but went to His Father instead. When rejected, I'm sure it hurt, but he harbored no ill will toward the guilty. We know he felt sadness. I'm sure, in his humanity, Jesus was extremely human, in every way other than sinful ways. People flocked to him, so he must have been a pleasing person to be around. He used humor to make points. He got angry when righteousness called for it. Whether he had to plan out how to present sacred truths or not, I do not know. But remember, all sacred scripture is the infallible Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit, yet each writer's personality and voice comes through in their writings. I'm sure Paul thought carefully how to express the Truths the Holy Spirit and Jesus revealed to him. Why would it not be the same with Jesus? He was fully human, which means he had a distinct personality - a sense of humor, individuality, maybe even a little quirky way of using his hands while speaking. There must have been things he did better and things not as well. I'm sure he made mistakes while learning new skills, just as we do. If his experience wasn't as close to ours as possible then Hebrews 4:15 delivers very little comfort on reflection.

One thing that I can't understate the is the effect the show's portrayal of the Blessed Mother may have on Protestants. She's a central character. The power of her intercession, and Jesus' devotion to her, is actually highlighted, not kept under a basket in embarrassment. If a Catholic had done this, it would be easier for Protestants to dismiss it. But the fact that the show is made by Protestants makes it more powerful to non-Catholics and, quite possibly, may inspire a newfound appreciation of the role of Mary. There are things about the show I disagree with. The over-emphasis on Christ's humanity at times is one of them (especially the Sermon on the Mount preparation, where He was too plagued by doubt). But if we follow this logic too far, we should also jettison Mere Christianity because it's not always in lockstep with Catholic doctrine.

You make a very valid point as I have caught myself many a time when reading scripture beginning to visualize aspects of the Chosen. From say seeing The actor playing Mathew while reading his gospel. To seeing a scene play out comparatively to the passage I may be studying from any given gospel. It really makes you stop and think of all the media that we ingest on a Daly level and to what thoughts or ideas actually come from our innermost being, being our own.

I love the Chosen for its depiction on the apostles as being human. All the thier normalities are endearing and fresh. It one of the best since Robert Powel's portrayal.

I’m hesitant to partake of the Chosen for much the same reason. I’ve often found the depictions of Jesus in film, even the best intentioned ones, to be somewhat off putting. I’ve never been able to put my finger as to why but there it is.

Brian, I have felt the same way from the very beginning about this series👍🏻 Thanks for speaking up for Christology.

I really enjoy the portrayal of Jesus and the deciples in The Chosen. The actor portraying Jesus is also a practicing Catholic. Definitely something to give a chance. I think it's a great stepping stone for people to jump into the faith. And I always am consciously thinking that even with how good I think this is, it may be a little inaccurate and I would never prefer this over the truth.

I'm a non Catholic at the moment, but going through RCIA classes where I live. I completely agree with you Brian. I have not seen this program, and you have put into words the very same thoughts I've had most of my life about Jesus. Thank you for putting your thoughts into words the way you have in this video, because you've done so for me, exactly the same, and I appreciate that because I struggle with explaining myself. God bless you, and your loved ones, and your work here. 🙏

I think considering it’s a Protestant who made the show, they have done generally well. There are of course some things they portrayed not perfectly, but I will say I’d rather my kids watch this than some of the junk on tv or KZfaq lol. When we watched the part of the finding of Jesus in the temple we talked about how what was portrayed wasn’t in keeping with what we necessarily believe. I do think one can be too scrupulous at times.

Nothing humans do will ever be perfect, however , this series is badly needed now and God’s hand is in it.

I'll always have a place in my heart for Robert Powell as Jesus in Jesus of Nazareth. It was one of my favorite movies as a child. I liked that it stayed so near the text and dialogue of the Gospels.

It's my understanding that Jonathan Roumie is a devout Catholic, but I have watched a couple episodes and I agree with your take on the whole thing. There is a theologically misleading approach to render Christ into that "buddy jesus" archetype, which emphasizes his humanity rather than Godhood.

I love The Chosen. It gets to the heart of Jesus. It isn’t supposed to be an exact representation of every detail of Christ’s life. I actually believe in this era of theological reversion, etc, the hearts need to be captured first. This is a mode by which this is transmitted. The ultra-heady may not appreciate it, but millions do. The thing that distinguishes The Chosen is that it tells the story through the eyes of the disciples with all the emotions and internal conflict along the way. It certainly helped me to love Christ more deeply. I highly suggest giving it a chance and be ok “with not agreeing with everything” depicted in the show.

I could not agree with you more. Great analysis of the Christological problematics. And, yes, Gibson’s PASSION of the CHR IST is absolutely the best film presentation of Jesus Christ, ever, for the very reasons you point out. Excellent. Thank you.

I think it is important to remember, that while there are minor inconsistencies and flaws with the show, overall it is fantastic and it is very needed in our very secular and post modern world . I am grateful that we have a show about the Gospels to even argue about in these modern times of ours. Of course, if it were blatantly blasphemous that would be another story, but it is not. The show gets A LOT of it right, as taken from the Gospels. I applaud Dallas, Jonathan and the entire cast and crew for their dedication and faith. It took a lot of courage to produce this show. I would recommend it. For what it is worth, I am also a devout Catholic and I take my faith seriously. God bless you all. Merry Christmas.

Initially, it was interesting to see the back story of the Apostles, the Romans and the Jewish leaders. As it went along, I found myself feeling more uncomfortable. When they had the Disciples build the stage and curtain for Jesus to give his "first big sermon", I thought that was it for me. It was almost as if they were presenting the beginning of the modern mega-church evangelical movement.

I think everyone watching The Chosen knows that Jonathan Rumie is not Jesus and the director is not The Holy Spirit. I would share your concern if it was a show of outright falsehoods and blasphemies, such as the modern Noah movie. Then I could understand not even watching it. However, while the Chosen does have a few things that don't line up completely with Catholic theology, overall it is a fantastic show. The things that don't quite line up, I think we can sort out pretty well and it is still done in a way that is respectful and careful. I think you should actually watch it before making a video about why you don't like it.

I felt grieved just watching the ad when it first came out and I couldn’t even watch the full ad let alone contemplate watching the program. The power of a visual image can captivate a mind in ways we just don’t fully understand which is why I don’t watch much tv and am very careful what I put before my eyes. I am grateful that the Word of God had already captivated my mind so that this movie couldn’t .

So far I've found many emotional moments that do not really betray the message the series wishes to bring. Of course it's very romanticised, not exactly "accurate" to the Scriptures, but it never wanted to be and it says so right at the start. I see it as a medium with which to introduce a really interesting perspective of the Gospels, that of the people that actually lived through it. Ironically, I see it as very similar to series like Band of Brothers. It's a fictionalised account of real events that takes a lot of artistic liberty in order to create an immersive narration, without profoundly betraying its original meaning. Yes, some interpretations might go for the "hippie" side, but honestly? I appreciated both the characterisation and the idea that whether or not how Jesus behaved appears in the Scriptures, it tries to show aspects of daily life and relationships He had that we can only wonder about. And, at least in my humble opinion, it did so magnificently. I think the main message I try to take from this series is the call to follow Christ. The Chosen is mainly about this, the struggle of those who are chosen by Him and how we can imagine to react when He calls us to follow Him.

I enjoy the Chosen. Granted it took a few tries to get into it but once I accepted that it’s an artistic rendition I began to enjoy the show. It’s better than anything on TV. I love looking to see how they get it right and make a game of it when they get it wrong. I’d love to see them get our blessed Mother correct, but hey, Protestants are involved. That’s when it becomes a prayerful time for me with our Blessed Mother, apologizing for how wrong they depicted Her. Still, it has more uplifting moments than disappointing ones.

Thank you. You articulate a nagging discomfort I had with the previous series of “The Chosen.” and didn’t understand why I couldn’t watch it anymore. It’s “good“ but not enough. Like eating too many treats as a kid. But I could say it “worked” in the sense it repelled me away from the treats to a greater appreciation of “solid foods” - prayer, Mass & the Sacraments and the teaching of the Saints.

Hey Brian, I’m wondering what song you use at the intro of your videos?

I began to watch The Chosen from the beginning but had finally 'chose' to stop after some disturbing scenes. I could overlook the depiction of the characters, especially Peter, as cartoonish and even some dialogue that was so glaringly out of step with the times as to be distracting, but when the producers created a carnival type atmosphere of Jesus's miracles, I really began to question why I was watching. There was a long line of miracle seekers leading up to a booth where a couple of disciples sorted them out, then sent them to an attached enclosed tent in the back where Jesus was waiting to do the requested miracle on demand and I found this was very disturbing to me. But I shook it off and continued on. I tried to overlook the depiction of Mary of Magdalene as a demon infested prostitute, and one disciple being a ninja styled zealot and trained assassin, but the Sermon on the Mount depiction killed the show for me. Jesus being insecure as to how to 'preform' it, the discussion on how to present it, how crowd control and security was to be an issue, making up and sending out handbills (to an illiterate populaion!) and to the discussion of what color sash Jesus should wear so as to seem more approachable and sincere all smacked of a politician's campaign speech. I just cannot picture my Lord and Savior coming onto a stage, through curtains, no less, and delivering one of the most important and beautiful sermons in the Bible like a well rehearsed campaign speech. It cheapened the whole experience and it saddens me. The show went from cartoonish to disrespectful to downright embarrassing and we finally had to stop watching. I had been so excited to see this series when I first heard about it and I'm sure the creators have great intentions, but I just can't believe how Christ and the 'chosen' disciples can be depicted in such a childish way. It was a great disappointment.

I think the scene with Matthew has more to do with Jesus including Matthew rather than Jesus needing Matthew's input. Their depiction of Matthew in the series is that he is an outcast. I think the souls that are being reached by the show far outweigh the downside of the inconsistencies with our Catholic faith. I use those inconsistencies as opportunities to start discussions with my children and they know that the show writers won't necessarily be in line with our belief system. The actor playing Jesus being Catholic was the reason I even considered watching it in the first place.

I've been reviewing the Chosen series of my channel 'ScotsMaiar'. I expressed some concerns with this show as well yet the overall quality was still excellent. Your right to point out 'Jesus Rehearsing'. That is an example of risking creative liberty to depict Scripture but at least Dallas Jenkins and his team acknowledge this. In fact, this self awareness of their own community is one of the ways in which they've managed to make a widespread appeal in many regards.

I absolutely LOVE The Chosen. I really didn't like it when I started watching it and then gave it another chance and now I can't stop binge watching some of the BEST episodes like the Wedding at Cana, the healing of the man at the pool, Mama Mary bringing Mary Magdalene to Jesus (It was totally a portrayal of the Sacrament of Reconciliation!), and my personal favorite moment - healing a Samaritan with a broken leg. We all know by now that they are taking creative liberties. The show is not going to be perfect nor is it aiming to, imo. It's bringing people to Jesus and portraying him in a more relatable manner than just opening the Bible and reading scripture. And to the modern day atheist - this show is literally converting people. Someone who will never walk into the Vatican or walk through a museum and see sacred art, someone who wouldn't know an icon if it hit them in the head, someone who has little to no desire to step foot in a Church. This show is a shallow entry point for them. And Dallas gets letters all the time from people who are touched by this show. Best of all - IT'S GOOD QUALITY ACTING! Something sorely missing in most Christian shows and movies.

Many series speaks to my heart, but the chosen, speaks to my soul.

Responding to the comments, not the video. I dunno...I appreciate that their last Christmas episode was centered around Mary and the Magnificat. Yes, they mess stuff up with Mary, but it's the first evangelical production I've seen that shows her as an active part of Jesus' life as an adult, and as a mentor, roll model, and mother figure to the disciples. For a production headed by people who don't have access to the full deposit of the faith, and that are from a religious tradition that's been downright paranoid about giving ANY honor to Mary, that's pretty freaking impressive. And my husband and I like to watch the episodes and have a nerdy discussion about all the details we think they got wrong, lol. Which...yes, there's some stuff, but there's an awful lot they get right, too.

What is the name of the chant at beginning of video?

This is a great conversation. There are a few follow-up questions I would like to put forth, not to defend The Chosen, but to continue the conversation on art in the church. First, how would you reconcile your view (on avoiding art that does not depict God in the precise literal sense) with areas in scripture that reference God's invisible attributes being made seen through implicit forms like the sky and creation, for example Psalms 19 and Romans 1? To add to that, how would you reconcile that view to moments in Jesus's ministry where he spoke only in parables, leaving them up to the interpretation of the hearer (for a definitive example, Mark 4:34)? Second, is it possible for someone without much accurate knowledge of God to come to learn about God in art that depicts any good and true attributes of God? For example, is it possible for someone who "hates" the Bible, and knows nothing about Jesus but what secular culture has taught them, to encounter art that depicts true and right attributes of God and walk away learning something true and right about God? Third, would you apply the same principle (of avoiding art that possibly depicts Jesus slightly off from his literal incarnate presence on earth) to a pastor/preacher trying to convey Biblical truths about Jesus at their church but who, at intermittent points throughout their ministry, sincerely mistook small interpretations of the text while still putting forth the Gospel? (To put it plainly, would you apply the principle of avoiding them all together?Would you also tell this pastor, that though it is extremely easy to make mistakes in interpreting the Bible, he should not try to do so? Should a person going to church also avoid it for this sake? Fourth, on your point at 9:26 You said God said "they could not produce any depictions of him." That's slightly off from what God said. The interpretation of the second commandment (not to make graven images) is highly debated, as you mentioned. "Graven images" amongst many scholars is interpreted widely as being applied to images of other gods, which I wish you had mentioned. :) It is actually the case that no definite idol statues have been discovered depicting the God of Yahweh at any time before or after the Exodus. The commandment in Exodus states, "You shall not make for yourself a carved image in the form of anything in heaven above* or on the earth beneath* or in the waters below.*" In light of this, by interpreting the word "image" in Ex. 20:4 as a "literal image," how do you interpret God's later commandments in Exodus to build the tabernacle with literal images of pomegranates, palm trees, cherubim etc. woven and carved into the materials? Would that break the commandment? Thanks for letting me banter if you get to read this! I am really curious about what you might have to say! :) Thanks!!! I should add, I'm an artist, so this topic is extremely important for me.

I haven’t seen it either and I couldn’t put in words the reason as to why! I have the same problem you have ; I would always prefer the mystery of not knowing the complete story instead of making my own story or to just accept someone else’s “creative” idea of God!

As a devout Catholic this could be one the best portrayals of Jesus I've ever seen. I truly believe that this show was brought to us by the Holy Spirit for these times. You're missing out man, good luck to you and I hope you change your mind about not watching it.

11:25 What is the song playing in the background ?

When we were Protestant, my mother taught Bible School. She was meticulously pedantic about pictures and other visual aids that depicted the Bible because she didn't want the children to leave with questionable perceptions, and she always made a point of teaching the children that these were just pictures of someone's ideas about what things looked like to help us visualize, but they weren't necessarily true. She drove that point home!! Every child in her class could leave and give you an argument like the one you've just made about interpretation vs. truth. You're so right in pointing all this out - my mother would be proud of you!! Those are big words!!

Thank you Brian. I tried to like The Chosen, but the "artistic license" being used in the series left me feeling confused, so I felt it better to step away from it. God bless you 🕊️

I’ve been wanting to watch more religious movies and shows. I grew up with a bit of religious media like the CCC of America which are animated shorts for kids and claymation films as well. It has helped me realize what the saints and Jesus went through when they were on earth. That helps me understand that I could do what they did.

I really enjoy that the actor portraying Jesus is a Catholic, who leads a daily Divine Mercy. I have enjoyed it...

I have seen the Chosen and even recommended it --- but now after hearing you, I see the problems inherent in the "fleshing out" of a Christ image in a movie. You have nailed the reasons I struggled through some of the scenes and depictions --- like the depiction of Mary at the birth and the interpolations that are so non divine and contrary to the Fathers of the Church. I love your reasonings. Excellent logic and theology.

You have just articulated the exact reservations I’ve had about the Chosen. I watched one episode and didn’t feel compelled to continue watching.

I have an aversion towards The Chosen and you just expressed why. Thank you.

I watched one of the first episodes - the birth of Jesus. I remember it showed Mary in pain during delivery. That told me what I needed to know. I turned it off and haven’t gone back to it.

During the last couple times reading through the Gospels, I've been humbled by the struggles of those early disciples in identifying and follow the promised Messiah. That is what I love about the Chosen and its tempering of the supposed "obviousness" of Christ's divinity. Many were confused even while in the presence of the Son of God. Luke 4:22 "Is not this Joseph's Son?" John 10:24 "How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly." Christ at one point asks the question, who do people think that I am, and in Matthew 16:14 the response is mixed. "Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets." I appreciate the Chosen because it attempts to portray the difficulty of discipleship in an open and honest way. In some ways, I look at The Chosen as a type of "spiritual stress test". Would I have been able to discern and accept a Jesus that seemed to fit so seamlessly within the society of his day? Would I have been able to discern and accept his apostles and their complete backstories? It's easier believing in dead people then in those we are more intimately familiar with. Christ's said it well at one point Luke 4:24, "No prophet is accepted in his own country." The Chosen inspires, motivates, challenges, and stretches my faith in many ways. Obviously not a replacement for scripture, but a good addition to my day.

I think that Jesus in "The Chosen" practising his Sermon on the Mount speech was more to teach Matthew. Of course He knew what He was going to say. Matthew didn't know that he was going to be an evangelist and that his words would be read every day until the end of time but Jesus did. Personally, I love "The Chosen".

I accept the imperfections of “The Chosen” and take from it the whole of the experience, I do the same with the Bible. I don’t know and understand all that it says but I get the jest of it. That to me is the beauty of it all.

I've always wanted to know the title of the song that plays in the background at the start and the end of your amazing videos 🥲🤗

The Chosen can be an instrument of conversion to bring people [back] to God, but can also be a stumbling block for the more devout. How much do you look forward to the next episode and talking about it vs. looking forward and preparing for Mass? Or spending time in prayer/meditation and being alone with God? Twenty years ago my heart was lit on fire for God by the phenomenon of Medjugorje. Today I have serious doubts about the phenomenon; I doubt its heavenly origin.

I would analogize this with a childrens book. Books that were read to me when I was young were very helpful and influential in my development. Now that I am more mature these books would seem moronic if someone told me I should read them. The Chosen is probably a great show for people who are immature in their knowledge of Christ. For someone like Brian who has deeply contemplated Christology, of course the show would seem lacking.

These are really good points. No wonder I couldn’t get through even one episode.

My concern is that the additional imagined detail and artistic license allows for the show to tread some dangerous waters. The show creators are evangelical and have a tendency to push and highlight aspects that that support their theology, ecclesiology, and historical take. For example, the idea that the disciples were writing down their accounts as they witnessed them. This is an attempt to support sola scriptura. It’s effect is to minimize the importance of the oral tradition that drove the expansion of the faith for the first few decades after Pentecost.

I caught up with the first season of The Chosen on the recommendation of a friend, but haven't bothered with anything further. I appreciate your cautions about the gendre in general. The one thing that I thought most interesting from what I saw in that first season were the depictions of the disciples, which seemed especially humanizing to me. There was some humor in the depiction of Matthew as a guy quite challenged with OCD. Whether that's how he really was seems up for grabs, though it was an aspect of creative license I could live with.

I read a lot of the comments here and I'm very impressed with what I saw. Catholics and Christians coming together Giving praise to the movie and how it's either helped them or given them comfort during these times 🙌 It personally changed my life watching this series. I remember sitting and sobbing... wondering why I've never had a relationship with Jesus. I am now every day in The Bible, and go to church every Sunday. It's a wonderful series and Brian is missing out.. But that's his choice.. Probably one of the few choices we all have left in this world. I also didn't like that Brian used the name The Chosen in the title as click bait. For anyone who has not watched the series yet I highly recommend it. It's very moving, and teaches you about Jesus. And let me remind everyone that we all should be in our bibles daily. It's what God intended for us. Merry Christmas to everyone.

Brian - - Totally agree with your take on "The Passion." I think that because Gibson presented what Jesus DID so accurately and with all of that realism, it helped us understand who Jesus actually was as a person. Of course, we will have to wait for a fuller grasp of the mystery of how He could be both God and human. We are looking through a darkened glass, for now.

I think Jim Cavizel's portrayal is definitely the best. I think one reason it was so successful is because of how Jim prayed, "let them see you, Lord, not me." The Lord delivered!

I agree totally. I think it is am extremely difficult task for any director, writer and/or actor to be able to present Jesus in the perfect manner according to scripture. I did watch the Chosen but I will not anymore. On the Chosen Christmas movie which came out just before Christmas 2021. The director Dallas was interviewing the music artists. One of the music artists group name was CAIN. That was the first red flag for me. Why did they choose that name for their group? Cain in the bible was the first murderer. Then one of the members of the group spoke up for the music group and she said that we all can make Jesus into whatever we want him to be. That is so not scripture. He makes us into what He wants us to be not the other way around. There are some other red flags that I won't get into right now. We really need to be careful what we watch and listen too. We have to guard ourselves against deception and apostasy which is very prevalent right now. God bless you.

Brian, I share all your concerns. And then some, since not even Caviezel cut it for me. In the interest of full disclosure, I've only watched five or six episodes of The Chosen, and very reluctantly so, because of those concerns we share. I will no say that you're wrong; only that you should be open to the possibility that this time, only this time, somebody got it right, that maybe Jesus Himself is using Jonathan Roumie as a docile instrument to spread His Kingdom, and I'm sure you don't want to be an hindrance to such a thing. As for the scene you mention about Jesus rehearsing the sermon on the Mount... Yeah, I a cannot picture Jesus doing something like that either. But that doesn't mean He couldn't have done it. There isn't anything in Christology that would conflict with it. In fact, there are situations where Jesus human nature appears to be entirely disassociated with the divine, such as in the crucial moment of His "fiat" in the garden, when He could not see that it was necessary for Him to "drink of that cup" and asks of His Father to consider the possibility for it to pass, even though not long before He Himself had rebuked Peter for doing precisely that. I guess, what I'm trying to say, who is it to claim enough Christological acumen as to adjudicate this way or that. I heard people who are by no means ignorant of Christological notions speak very highly of the Chosen, and I would think twice before voicing an opinion contrary to what people such as Fr. Mike Schmitz and Scott Hahn have opined.

Thank you for your perspective on this. I’ve avoided watching the series partly for the same reason. I’ve also been reluctant to use it in the theology classes at s Catholic high school for these reasons.

How can you not watch it if you're in it?

Brian/everybody - What is a good book to start with on Christology?

Brian. I regularly listen to your talks and have a lot of respect for your viewpoint and how you voice it. I have to say I think the writers of the Chosen have navigated the risks you describe better than you might think. The preparation for the Sermon on the Mount and associated dialog with Mathew is nuanced and plausible. The team of priests and scholars advising the writers takes the responsibility to get it right very seriously.

I appreciate and love how your mind works Brian. I don't always agree with you, but that's ok. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. God Bless, Peace

I'm a Catholic convert who mostly avoids modern 'Christian media' because I find it a JV effort at best - saccharine, cringey, and unwilling to tackle difficult issues/questions because it knowingly is playing to the choir ("God Is Not Dead" being a prime example) So I was extremely taken with "Passion of the Christ" because it was so well-done and shockingly brutal and moving. I was very unwilling to watch The Chosen. But dang if I haven't been pleasantly surprised! I personally enjoy the way the show has interpreted the personalities of the Apostles. I've enjoyed the way it's woven biblical events into non-biblical storylines, frequently it has moved me emotionally and just as often it has impressed me with it's creativity in this regard. I certainly respect your opinion and decision regarding this show, but at the same time I still think you'd enjoy it if you gave it a chance. Yes, I do have some minor quibbles with certain Catholic vs. Protestant interpretations and how they were played out, but on the other hand I've been impressed with how Mary was not ignored by the show and they depict the Son and His mother's love and devotion to each other. No doubt there are firm Protestants who aren't happy that Mary was even included, so I think there are surely quibbles from our Christian separated brethren regarding show choices as well. Not gonna lie, I'm worried about the Bread of Life discourse and how it will be handled. But I think that is a testament to how much I think the show is doing well! If I'm worrying they might truly screw it up to the point I'd stop watching the show, that clearly means I am NOT looking forward to disappointment because of how well they've been doing so far.

Brilliant !! God Bless & Merry Christmas

I really loved the show. I think it helps understand ppls mindset in those days. Its cool to have all the versions of Christ from different shows because he appears differently to everyone. We all interpret scripture differently but we can agree to love God and to love others as ourselves.

The humanity of Christ in this series really gave me a desire to have a better conversation with a very real person of Christ. I don't know how to express that. I'm a practicing cathloic and I listen to your program regularly.

Good points, but when you refer to Aramaic in Gibson's film (which I fully agree is the superior version of the Passion) as better because you can't alter the language, etc., you forget that you're still engaging with a translation - unless you're versed in the language itself rather than reading the English subtitles. Regardless or whether or not the translation in question is "authoritative", privileging this as authentic is up for debate.

Very good points and a lot of food for thought. Thanks, Brian!

I stopped watching the chosen last year, after the episode where mary DOUBTS that Jesus is truly God. The Christmas episode depicting mary in childbirth was bothersome, and I could already see them setting the scene for a anti-hierarchical church structure ( Jesus telling Peter he’s“not a fan of religion”) so the attack on Mary’s sinlessness was the last straw for me 🤷‍♀️

I wish that a Catholic would make some of these movies and TV shows. Everyone always ends after the crucifixion but I wish someone would keep going and do a well produced series on the church fathers. They should show the formation of the church in a historical way.

I didn't have a problem with the depiction of Jesus preparing for the Sermon on the Mount. I thought it was more for the benefit of Matthew getting a solid foundation of those teachings so he could pass them along to us in his Gospel. I understand when the writers are adding to the Gospels, and I don't take those as "Gospel", but it brings Jesus and his disciples to a place where those who don't have a good understanding of Christianity can approach Him, and consider learning more from Scripture study,

Hey Brian, very well elucidated. Really appreciate the way you put forward your thoughts on this sensitive but very imp. matter esp. for artists, who have to really struggle to get their vision across. Of course also keeping in mind that they should not have to make any theological errors on the way, lest their entire art falls flat in the light of the gospel truth.