Chris DeVille

Growing up in an evangelical household, I watched films and TV shows meant to teach me about Jesus and the Bible’s larger narrative—works such as McGee and Me!, VeggieTales, and various productions involving Psalty, an anthropomorphic book of worship songs. Not all of them hold up, but the ones that do benefit from sharp writing, laugh-out-loud comedy, and an entertainment value that transcends ideology.

Have you heard about the hit Jesus TV show? The one that launched with a more than $10 million crowdfunding drive? And that streams for free from its own app, where the view counter has surpassed 194 million as of this writing? And that is honestly much better than I expected?By the standards of independent media, The Chosen is a success.