‘The Chosen’: Coming soon to a US prison near you

“The Chosen,” the wildly popular TV series based on the life of Jesus and his followers, will soon be available to prisoners at more than 300 correctional institutions in 49 states, courtesy of Prison Fellowship, a criminal justice reform organization founded by evangelical Christians.

Katherine Warnock, head of original content for “The Chosen,” told Religion News Service in an email that the partnership provides the show a new venue in which to introduce “the authentic Jesus to the world” across faiths, party lines and social status.

The show…is the first multiseason drama to hit Floodlight, a streaming platform launched by Prison Fellowship three years ago as a way to get free, faith-based inspirational content into prisons at the height of the pandemic.

Floodlight also pipes other Christian programming into prisons, including worship services from the global megachurch network Hillsong, the Christian 12-step program Celbrate Recovery and from Alpha, a British evangelistic organization known for its 11-week Christian fundamentals course.

James J. Ackerman, president and CEO of Prison Fellowship, told RNS that “The Chosen” is the type of program Floodlight was designed for. “I think ‘The Chosen’ is the most accessible video presentation of the gospel I’ve ever seen. Anybody can watch ‘The Chosen’ and begin to understand who Jesus was, why Jesus came and what Jesus did. Because video is the broadest means by which people receive content, it is a great evangelistic tool.”

Coming just as Prison Fellowship’s in-person ministry to prisons is resuming after the COVID-19 pandemic, Ackerman said, “The Chosen’s” appearance will give prisoners plenty to talk about with the organization’s volunteers, who can provide free Bible resources to supplement the series.

“We love what they’re doing and what they’ve created. It’s a movement,” Ackerman observed. “’The Chosen’ made the gospels human, and made them accessible and understandable by people of all backgrounds, which is why it will be so well received in prisons.”

“The Chosen” began streaming on Floodlight later this month and will be available in June on DVD through Prison Fellowship’s Storehouse, an online resource center for chaplains.

https://religionnews.com/2023/05/03/the-chosen-coming-soon-to-a-us-prison-near-you/

[TBC: As it has been documented, the overwhelming content of The Chosen is made up. From the beginning, The Chosen producers have clearly stated, “We have said EXPLICITLY from day one that we are not a re-enactment of the Bible...” (see https://www.thebereancall.org/content/response-about-chosen). They are not presenting “the authentic Jesus to the world” if it’s “across faiths, party lines and social status.” As Scripture warns, it’s “another Jesus,” unworthy to be called “authentic.”]