Dallas Jenkins Says Most Hate for 'The Chosen' Based on Misunderstandings, Falsehoods

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The director behind "The Chosen" says much of the staunch opposition to the series stems from misunderstandings and falsehoods, though he adds that some objections are sincere and that he doesn’t expect everyone to like the show.

Filmmaker Dallas Jenkins made the remarks during a wide-ranging, impromptu conversation with fans on his Instagram page last week after posting a clip from his interview with Alex O’Connor, a self-described agnostic who is nevertheless a fan of "The Chosen."

"The Chosen" is a scheduled seven-season series about Jesus and His impact on those around Him.

“Some people have sincere reasons for not liking it or refusing to watch, and I certainly don't expect everyone to like or watch it,” Jenkins wrote of the series. “But the majority of ‘hate’ is based on misunderstandings, half-truths, exaggerations, or outright falsehoods.”

Jenkins also cleared up misconceptions some fans had about the series on his Instagram thread.

“It's a mix of historical fact, cultural context, and some fan fiction, and we've made that explicitly clear for 8 years,” Jenkins said alongside a smile emoji.

When one fan implied that Jenkins was given a vision from God “of what really happened” during the time of Christ, Jenkins gently pushed back.

“That's a kind thing to say, and I appreciate the support, but please know that on no level do I believe God showed me a vision of what really happened,” Jenkins wrote. “I'm sure I've stumbled across some of those things because of my commitment to accurately capturing the character of these people from Scripture, but this should absolutely be taken for what it is: Historical fan fiction inspired by the Bible.”

One fan said she started watching The Chosen in February and was so moved by the story that she started reading her Bible and then got baptized.

“Beautiful!!” Jenkins responded.

He later wrote: “It's hard to imagine anyone watching the show and becoming LESS engaged with the Bible or Jesus. It's only been the same or more.”

Jenkins and his team are filming Season 7, which will focus on the resurrection of Jesus and the events that follow. Before then, though, fans will get Season 6, which spotlights the crucifixion and will make its streaming debut on Prime Video in November.

Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Charisma Media

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

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