Huff went on to recount seeing a reenactment of the Gospel of Matthew as a child. A narrator read from the biblical text and actors acted it out—though somewhat woodenly.
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“I think that’s something where ‘The Chosen’ can make it more organic and can actually contribute to our understanding of Scripture, as long as we’re clear on what the source material is and isn’t,” Huff said.
When asked to add his perspective, Ruslan caveated his answer by saying that he is “absolutely biased” by the fact that he is friends with Dallas Jenkins, the show’s creator and director, and has attended ChosenCon.
“But this is what I would say,” Ruslan said. “I think we have to let people define what they’re creating instead of telling them what they’re creating.”
“And we do this all the time. We want to tell people what they’re making instead of hearing what they’re making,” Ruslan continued. “So they’re not making a Bible show; they’re making fan fiction inspired by the Bible. And they’ve always been transparent about that.”
Ruslan went on to recount that a friend of his was once in a financial pinch and decided to live on protein shakes. After about a week, the friend needed to go to the hospital because of the negative side effects of his diet.
“Protein shakes are not sustenance—they’re supplements,” Ruslan said. “You cannot survive off of supplements.”
“So, ‘The Chosen,’ Christian podcasts, whatever you want to talk about, are not sustenance. They’re not your bread. They’re not what you’re supposed to feast on. They’re just supplements in your journey,” Ruslan continued. “And I think when we mix up the categories, then we do things like reading the Bible and envisioning Jonathan Roumie.”
Ruslan nevertheless pointed out, “The data shows that ‘The Chosen’ is driving people to read the Bible more, not less, which I think is a massive net positive.”
