Presentation Type
Paper
Abstract
Of Backstories and Epiphanies: A formalist’s analysis of Dallas Jenkin’s The Chosen
In this essay, I attempt a formalist’s analysis of YouTube sensation The Chosen, so far a two part, sixteen-episode series about Jesus. In taking a formalist’s approach to this series, I seek the unifying principle holding the episodes of The Chosen together and determining the selection and arrangement of parts.
Presented from perspective of Jesus’ followers, the series' episodes make use of backstories and epiphanies to convey the unifying message that Jesus Christ was God and man. Those who experiences the epiphanies, often occurring in backstories intended to give depth Jesus’ followers, generally undergo a transition from the darkness that consumes the world to the world of light that is so often associated with Jesus Christ and His heavenly kingdom.
In the past two years, this series (which has been downloaded over 200,000,00 times throughout the world), has proven to be a huge success, one that has garnered films critics’ overwhelming approval. Indeed, the series’ popularity is the result of several factors: the timing of the series release, the hope that the series has conveyed in response to the seemingly unending despair caused by the Covid pandemic, the unique characterization of Jesus, and the use of backstories, fictional additions that give depth to and insight into to the characters from whose perspective the Jesus’ story is told, and the life-changing epiphanies—or God-sent revelations—contained in the backstories that allow these chosen or selected characters to see and realize that Jesus Christ is, simultaneously, God and man.
Keywords
Epiphany, Chosen, Jesus, Disciples, Christianity and Politics
"Of Backstories and Epiphanies and Such: A Formalist's Analysis of Dallas Jenkins' YouTube Series 'The Chosen.'"
Of Backstories and Epiphanies: A formalist’s analysis of Dallas Jenkin’s The Chosen
In this essay, I attempt a formalist’s analysis of YouTube sensation The Chosen, so far a two part, sixteen-episode series about Jesus. In taking a formalist’s approach to this series, I seek the unifying principle holding the episodes of The Chosen together and determining the selection and arrangement of parts.
Presented from perspective of Jesus’ followers, the series' episodes make use of backstories and epiphanies to convey the unifying message that Jesus Christ was God and man. Those who experiences the epiphanies, often occurring in backstories intended to give depth Jesus’ followers, generally undergo a transition from the darkness that consumes the world to the world of light that is so often associated with Jesus Christ and His heavenly kingdom.
In the past two years, this series (which has been downloaded over 200,000,00 times throughout the world), has proven to be a huge success, one that has garnered films critics’ overwhelming approval. Indeed, the series’ popularity is the result of several factors: the timing of the series release, the hope that the series has conveyed in response to the seemingly unending despair caused by the Covid pandemic, the unique characterization of Jesus, and the use of backstories, fictional additions that give depth to and insight into to the characters from whose perspective the Jesus’ story is told, and the life-changing epiphanies—or God-sent revelations—contained in the backstories that allow these chosen or selected characters to see and realize that Jesus Christ is, simultaneously, God and man.
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