Jesus, the star of the screen: the line between religion and entertainment is blurring
After developing within a Christian ecosystem, religious productions are conquering Hollywood and the general public, reports The Guardian. Series and films on biblical themes are multiplying on Amazon and Netflix, which are tapping into this vein. This cultural phenomenon reflects American society, where faith is increasingly spilling over into the public sphere.
If you're looking for a savior this Easter, you've come to the right place. Religion has never been so in the odor of sanctity: new messiahs are flourishing on our screens, if not resurrecting those of yesteryear. But if we had to choose just one, it would be Jonathan Roumie, the Arab-American-Irish star of the hit series inspired by the Bible, The Chosen .
Nine years ago, Jonathan Roumie was still one of the many struggling actors in Los Angeles, desperate to make it big. He was also a practicing Catholic. One morning, he tells me, he asked for divine intervention: “I literally said to God, ‘Lord, take this burden off my shoulders. It’s in your hands now. It’s out of my hands.’ ” Three months later, he was cast as Jesus in The Chosen, a series that retells the story of Christ as a long-running soap opera rather than the mythical narrative we’re used to—with an ambitious production, realistic characters, a historical context, and a narrative arc that stretches over seven seasons to allow for the possibility of embroidering on Scripture.
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Courrier International
