Be that as it may, the Gospel of Luke tells us that there were women who went Jesus and names Mary Magdalene among them (Luke 8:1-3). But she was not possessed by one as the movie mentioned but by many. She is clearly sleeping with a man out of wedlock when the episode begins and they are sleeping together in "the Red Quarter" - a sleazy part of town. I wouldn't take too long discussing these questions. I admire your comment. Why do you think they were removed? Hopefully though, season 2 will find more ways to develop her character in a manner that's dynamic and engaging, because there's still much that could be done. Over the past year, we've been exploring how The Chosen adapts biblical characters like Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, Peter, Andrew, Matthew, Jesus, and the Romans. Although The Chosen is still a few seasons away from the Resurrection of Jesus, it is clearly beginning with the end in mind. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (, As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. There are a few Bible passages that I thought were helpful to discuss the first episode of The Chosen. The Hebrew word "lilit" only shows up in Isaiah 34:14, where most modern translations render it as something along the lines of "night bird." It's a great comfort in the midst of the pandemic and other turmoil. Since I criticized Season 1 of The Chosen for making Mary too perfect, it's only fair that I acknowledge how Season 2 seeks to rectify that issue. But why does Mary Magdalene get all the attention and not Joanna or Susanna, who are also mentioned? (for LOTR: Arwen's bigger role, some action scenes. There's a sense in which Mary's demons might be seen as a metaphor for the oppressive forces that brought her into her life in the sex trade but this is only barely suggested. Without getting too detailed, I found it helpful to get my youth thinking about what adaptations are and how they work. There was just a hint of judgment in Episode 7, but it gets brushed aside way too quickly, given the cultural expectations. For more details, check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, Demons, and Evil Spirits. Catholic priest burned to death, another shot in north Press J to jump to the feed. As COVID drags on and winter sets in, if you're looking for a good activity to do online with your youth group, you might want to consider doing a series of The Chosen Viewing Parties like this. Below I'll share an outline describing how to do a Viewing Party for The Chosen Episode 1 (I Have Called You by Name). What do you think Mary's life was like before Jesus showed up? Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. Why do you think the creators added them? I also suggest setting expectations for the first episode. Just like one day Mary Magdalene will be caught up in despair because she can't find Jesus' body, she's caught up in despair at her own situation. Can you think of moments when you may need to be reminded that God is with you? It's certainly not The Exorcist, but demonic stuff can really freak some people out. The difference between its depiction of her life as a prostitute, with super-sexualized clothing and a zebra chariot, and The Chosen's depiction of her life is emblematic of changing views of prostitutes between the 1920's and today. PROUDLY CREATED WITH WIX.COM, Mary Magdalene in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), Mary and Nicodemus in Season 1 of The Chosen, The important role that Mary Magdalene plays in The Chosen is not nearly as surprising as that of, Be that as it may, the Gospel of Luke tells us that there were women who went Jesus and names Mary Magdalene among them (, But why does Mary Magdalene get all the attention and not Joanna or Susanna, who are also mentioned? Why do you think The Chosen is trying to connect episode 1 to what will happen when Jesus is resurrected? This version of Mary - not the one who needs moral reformation but the one who needs sympathy and belonging - fits perfectly with the kinds of stories that The Chosen has focused on. The important role that Mary Magdalene plays in The Chosen is not nearly as surprising as that of Nicodemus. I can appreciate what theyre trying to do with the show: Theyre taking their time to build your relationship with the characters and to delve into some of the backstory so that everyone becomes a three-dimensional person, not just a mumbling zombie foil for Jesus. Just before Luke introduces us to Mary Magdalene, he tells a story about a prostitute that Jesus forgives (Luke 7:36-50). The Gospels don't tell us very much about what these women do, with the significant exception of the burial and resurrection, but this provides leeway for female characters to play a more significant role throughout the ministry of Jesus and not just when they are mentioned. And the parallels don't end there. If you liked this post, you might want to check out some of my other posts on The Chosen and Bible adaptation. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. More importantly, allowing some of the disciples to judge Mary a bit more would have added more tension and could have fueled future arcs. This is symbolically tied to her encounter with another demon, Belial, who calls Mary Lilith, asserting the continued existence and power of her old identity. I think Mary went by Lilith when she came to Magdala, not scripturally speaking, but for the story line. ***Update: Learn more about the origin of "Lilith" in my recent post ***. One other thing - the show could have allowed some of the disciples (like John) to go a bit further in being judgmental toward after her return. She is clearly sleeping with a man out of wedlock when the episode begins and they are sleeping together in "the Red Quarter" - a sleazy part of town. Over time, there's been a growing awareness of how most women end up in prostitution: not because they are innately promiscuous but rather as a result of coercion, sexual trauma, and systemic inequities. The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. I have Bible studies/discussion guides for each episode of The Chosen Seasons 1-3, blogs exploring how The Chosen adapts key biblical figures, and articles exploring the controversial nature of adaptation. This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. As a result, adaptations of the Gospels from previous generations place a greater emphasis on how Jesus calls Mary to repent and brings about her moral transformation. Lilith was close to committing suicide by walking off a cliff before a dove (Holy Spirit) caught her interest and she followed it back to town, where she had an emotional moment being healed by Jesus who quoted her trusted childhood Bible verse from Isaiah and exorcised her with a hug. Although there's nothing in the Gospels that suggests that these two figures should be linked together, Mary mistakenly became identified with the forgiven prostitute in the interpretative tradition of the Western Church. And just like one day Mary Magdalene will be the first witness to the risen Jesus (perhaps to Nicodemus as well as the disciples), the show also makes her the first witness that we see in action. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. The Chosen invents this story to illustrate biblical teachings about Jesus' grace and forgiveness. All four Gospels suggest Mary was the first witness of the resurrected Jesus (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-11, and John 20:1-18). (ex. LOTR, Harry Potter), In [adaptation], can you think of some characters or stories that were added by the film? Im not a person who cries during Jesus movies, but Ive cried several times during this series, because you can just feel the humanity of the scenes and everything is ten times more relatable. we first meet her as a client flees her place in "the Red Quarter"), but it's relatively disinterested in depicting what her life as a prostitute was actually like. This is Tom My 3 month old son is battling an extremely rare and [Free Friday] after an early miscarriage 3 weeks ago, I Our new campus chapel is so close to being ready! Episode 8 Guide: The Woman at the Well, Eden, & Zohara, Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers, The Chosen Season 2 Controversy (Jesus, the Bible, & the Process of Inspiration), Should Nicodemus Kneel? In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Luke briefly describes how Mary Magdalene was exorcised by Jesus and became one of his traveling followers (Luke 8:1-3). These parallels are more than a neat bit of foreshadowing. Starting around episode three I think is when it finds its groove. Many characters and stories are based on events in the Gospels, but there are also characters and events that the creators made up to tie things together. Dallas Jenkins (Director) is not Catholic, but - in my mind - makes the best Christian films I have seen anywhere. Narrative Ambiguity & Charitable Reading, The Chosen: 6 Good Friday & Easter Episodes, The Rings of Power, LOTR, and Bible Adaptation, Amazon Prime's The Rings of Power & The Challenges of Biblical Adaptation, In Defense of The Chosen and Other Christian Movies, Books, & Media (Part 1), In Defense of The Chosen and Other Christian Movies, Books, & Media (Part 2), Imagining Mary Magdalene (5 More Bible Adaptations While You Wait for The Chosen Season 2), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Intensity in Tent City (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6 with Youth or Small Group), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Clean Part 2 (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5 with Youth or Small Group), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 4: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Clean Part 1 (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 4 with Youth or Small Group), Physician, Heal Thyself (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3 with Youth or Small Group), Two by Two (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 2 with Youth or Small Group), Little James in The Chosen & Scripture (Adapting Biblical Characters), Homecoming (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 1 with Youth or Small Group), John the Baptist in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), Lilith, Demons, & Evil Spirits in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), 2022 BY THE BIBLE ARTIST. Just before Luke introduces us to Mary Magdalene, he tells a story about a prostitute that Jesus forgives (, Since I criticized Season 1 of The Chosen for making Mary too perfect, it's only fair that I acknowledge how Season 2 seeks to rectify that issue. You can find episode one free on YouTube here, although there are lots of ads. We need to remember the perspective is of east and west are different East is how it performs, what it does its function West they would describe what it is or made of. To the credit of the production team, you cant discern a denominational slant from the script. Still, at the end of the day, the 12 disciples who get the most screen time in the Gospels are all males. Also the guy who plays Jesus is Catholic, which is kind of cool. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. We turned it into a bit of a game, where one of my youth would constantly ask "Is that Jesus?" Personally, I would have been much more interested in a subplot about Mary's former pimp trying to coerce her back into her former life than I am with the overly long fish taxation plot. She is clearly sleeping with a man out of wedlock when the episode begins and they are sleeping together in "the Red Quarter" - a sleazy part of town. Jesus clearly expected his disciples to sin frequently and made it clear that he was committed to pursuing them and offering forgiveness (Matthew 18:10-35). For more details, check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, Demons, and Evil Spirits. This allows the show to be more family friendly, but it also weakens the narrative that the show is telling about Jesus' compassion and pity. Because The Chosen seeks to be kid-friendly, it most likely uses the term "Red Quarter" in order to hint to older viewers that Mary is a prostitute without explicitly mentioning prostitution or sex. While watching the show, I made occasional comments through the chat but I tried to not do too much teaching - I wanted the youth to enjoy The Chosen and not just see it as an elaborate preaching illustration. It's odd? Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus. The Gospels never refer to Mary as Lilith. In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. They speak to different audiences & look good on screen), Can you think of characters or stories that the film left out? The Chosen Season 3: What to Expect & How to Watch, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 1 & Episode 2: Reaction and Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episodes 1 & 2: Questions to Discuss Before the Premiere, Preparing for The Chosen Season 3: 7 Episodes to Watch, I am the Law of Moses (The Chosen Season 3 Controversy), Little James in The Chosen & Scripture ***Season 3***, Judas in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Matthew in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Simon and Andrew in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Lilith, Demons, & Evil Spirits in The Chosen, Simon the Zealot & Nathanael in The Chosen, Quintus, Gaius, and the Romans in The Chosen. And just like one day the risen Jesus will reveal himself to Mary and free her from grief and fear by calling her name, Jesus first reveals himself to "Lilith" and frees her from her grief and fear and demons by calling her by her true name, Mary. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. In the modern vernacular, a "red light district" is a term that refers to an area of the city known for prostitution, strip clubs, and other immoral establishments. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. Episode 7 Guide: Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? I think the producer said he wanted to do eight seasons total. As it was, we didn't really get a good sense of why Mary responded the way she did. In my opinion it works. Consider how the show depicts Jesus' first appearance. Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. In the modern vernacular, a "red light district" is a term that refers to an area of the city known for prostitution, strip clubs, and other immoral establishments. I have Bible studies/discussion guides for each episode of The Chosen Seasons 1-3, blogs exploring how The Chosen adapts key biblical figures, and articles exploring the controversial nature of adaptation. They were fully engaged by the show on the level of entertainment but also seemed solidify their understanding of important gospel events and figures, as well as the cultural context. He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. She becomes too perfect and seems to have no ongoing struggles in her faith like Peter or Andrew. To recap: in Episode 5 of Season 2, Mary begins to experience PTSD tied to the trauma of her rape by a Roman solider (implied very quickly in Episode 1 Season 1). I've condensed the lesson into an easily printable pdf below. After sharing that information, you can ask: What stuck out to you about Mary Magdalene's depiction in The Chosen? The episode with the woman at the well in the season finale could have been an interesting opportunity to bring her character into conflict with the other male disciples, but this opportunity was also missed. Normally I wouldn't care but this is a movie about Jesus, and if the people behind it are trying to do good, but it is a great disservice for me to bad-mouth it until the full plot is revealed. Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (Luke 8:1-3) and a story about a prostitute (Luke 7:36-50). Moreover, her biblical significance has been amplified even more by the attention that she's received from the interpretative and artistic traditions of the West. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. This is not a theologian or an apologist. However, some biblical interpreters mistakenly labeled her as such because the story before Luke 8 is about a prostitute being forgiven. Your contributions mean so much. Just long enough to make this point: Adaptations often add, change, and leave out details, because what works in a book isn't always the same as what works in television or film. In The Chosen, when we first Mary Magdalene in Season 1 Episode 1, she has already been possessed by evil spirits for some time. /r/Catholicism is a place to present new developments in the world of Catholicism, discuss theological teachings of the Catholic Church, provide an avenue for reasonable dialogue amongst people of all beliefs, and grow in our own spirituality. And just like one day Mary will initially fail to recognize the risen Jesus, confusing him for a gardener, she initially fails to recognize Jesus when he first comes to her, confusing him for one of the men who's been hassling her. You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Episode 1 depicts how she got these demons cast out of her by Jesus. There you go! Later Jewish tradition described a demonic figure known as Lilith in a variety of ways. This comes out powerfully in the first Episode like to show you why is mary magdalene called lilith in the chosen here. Anyway, I love the series. An adaptation like The Chosen isn't meant to replace the Bible; it's meant to drive us deeper into the Bible and spiritual reflection. The specific demon is not named in Scripture. Unfortunately, because Mary's change happens so quickly, her character goes from being pretty dynamic in episodes 1-2 to being a pretty flat in the remainder of the season. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. It's certainly not, Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. What distinguishes Mary from the other women, however, is her association with prostitution. Interestingly, The King of Kings (1927) also uses Mary Magdalene to introduce us to Jesus for the first time. EDIT: I still have my concerns, but I believe my rash judgment is sinful, so I'll keep it to myself. Hopefully these questions will prove helpful as you watch episode 1 of The Chosen with your youth group. Thats as far off-script as they go for the rest of the season, everything else is pretty true to a harmonized Gospel narrative. After Jesus heals her evil spirit, she resumes calling herself "Mary," her birth name, and refuses to answer to the name associated with her spiritual oppression. The second passage is the Scripture that Mary has written down: This passage that Mary's father taught her is from the Book of Isaiah. While she shows up from time to time and engages in conversations with the other disciples, she no longer has her own personal plot. I will definitely continue watching it then, I just wanted to make sure! It is an excellent form of Lectio Divina. Thank you for your input. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. This shift in our societal understanding of the sex trade has changed the significance of Mary's supposed role as a prostitute. Why do you think The Chosen depicted Mary as a prostitute? Have you seen other examples of how Jesus can show up suddenly and change someone's life in a big way? I thought Mary's storyline in Season 2 of The Chosen had a lot of potential but it was unfortunately not given enough room to breathe. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. The Chosen does the "misunderstood reject rather than sinner" quite a bit in Season 1, but I think it's a sensible direction for Mary's character. An adaptation like The Chosen isn't meant to replace the Bible; it's meant to drive us deeper into the Bible and spiritual reflection. I take comments made by The Chosen Twitter account with a grain of salt, especially since they are most likely made by digital marketers and not the actual creators of The Chosen. However, Jesus knew her real name. [Spoilers] Did anyone else misinterpret the HotD Finale? In Episode 8, we see that Mary is still struggling a bit - her failure is driving her to be a bit too unrelenting in her work for Jesus- but other than that she seems to be back on track. The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. In The Chosen, when we first Mary Magdalene in Season 1 Episode 1, she has already been possessed by an evil spirit, Lilith, for some time. 1 ) Kathleen McGowan Kindle Edition are three Christian Goddesses, making up a female.! Jesus heals her evil spirit(s) at the end of Episode 1. To clarify why the creators would want to add new characters and stories and leave some stories out, you could ask the following questions: What are some other popular adaptations of books into film or television? Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? The Bible never mentions "the Red Quarter." Season 2 Reflection P2: What was The Chosen Season 2 about? The ancient name Lilith derives from a Sumerian word for female demons or wind spirits. Lilith was close to committing suicide by walking off a cliff before a dove (Holy Spirit) caught her interest and she followed it back to town, where she had an emotional moment being healed by Jesus who quoted her trusted childhood Bible verse from Isaiah and exorcised her with a hug. In The Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. The creators of The Chosen have published interactive Bible Studies that are meant to explore some of the Scripture and biblical themes that inspired Season 1 and help viewers apply them to everyday life. I found that my youth struggled to sort out the different characters, so you might want to do a quick slide show of the key characters using the character images I've included throughout this post. To recap: in, One other thing - the show could have allowed some of the disciples (like John) to go a bit further in being judgmental toward after her return. Because The Chosen seeks to be kid-friendly, it may use the term "Red Quarter" in order to hint to older viewers that Mary is either a prostitute or a sexually immoral woman without explicitly mentioning prostitution or sex. So you have to watch past the first couple episodes to get to the good ones. Having offered some criticism, I will say that the scene of Jesus forgiving Mary was moving. The creators make changes in order to adapt the biblical stories to TV. (Plots & Theme), Episode 2 Guide: Philip, Nathanael, & Matthew, Episode 3 Guide: Life Among the Disciples of Jesus, Episode 4 Guide: Simon the Zealot & the Man at the Bethesda Pool, Episode 5 Guide: Mary's Demons & the Destiny of John the Baptist, Episode 8 Guide: Judas, Matthew, & the Sermon on the Mount, Episode 1 Guide: Mary Magdalene, Lilith, and the Redeemer, Episode 2 Guide: Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, and Shabbat, Episode 3 Guide: Depicting Jesus in Art, Film, and TV, Episode 4 Guide: When Jesus Met Simon (Peter), Episode 6 Guide: Jesus, Shmuel, & the Pharisees. Matthew, Mark, and John also describe Mary as a witness of Jesus' crucifixion/burial (Matthew 27:55-61, Mark 15:40-47, and John 19:25). (Plots & Theme), Episode 2 Guide: Philip, Nathanael, & Matthew, Episode 3 Guide: Life Among the Disciples of Jesus, Episode 4 Guide: Simon the Zealot & the Man at the Bethesda Pool, Episode 5 Guide: Mary's Demons & the Destiny of John the Baptist, Episode 8 Guide: Judas, Matthew, & the Sermon on the Mount, Episode 1 Guide: Mary Magdalene, Lilith, and the Redeemer, Episode 2 Guide: Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, and Shabbat, Episode 3 Guide: Depicting Jesus in Art, Film, and TV, Episode 4 Guide: When Jesus Met Simon (Peter), Episode 6 Guide: Jesus, Shmuel, & the Pharisees. It hints at where the show is going: This passage takes place after Jesus' death and resurrection at the end of the Gospels. She struggles to believe that she can be accepted after falling back into her old life but Jesus forgives her and the disciples embrace her. In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. In the same way, we get our first glimpse of the pre-resurrected Jesus as we follow her struggles in the first episode. I offer my work for free and rely on the generous support of readers like you. It's also strange that we never actually return back to the fact that Mary was having PTSD - Jesus forgives her fall but doesn't say anything about her ongoing suffering (perhaps that's a storyline for a future season). Jesus heals her evil spirit(s) at the end of Episode 1. However, In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. In Episode 6, Jesus sends Peter and Matthew to find Mary and bring her back. EDIT: To more specifically address your question about Mary Magdalene, my intuition is that they chose the name Lilith because few viewers are likely to know the name, and so therefore wont confuse her with another Bible character before her true identity is revealed. (for LOTR: Tom Bombadil. The creators of The Chosen have published a series of interactive Bible Studies that help viewers explore some of the Scripture and biblical themes that inspired the show. Describe a pencil. After Jesus heals her evil spirit, she resumes calling herself "Mary," her birth name, and refuses to answer to the name associated with her spiritual oppression. Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (. [SPOILERS] what is Jordan Peele's 'Nope' about? In the passage, who is it that says, "I have called you by name"? You can also purchase the DVDs of season 1 on Amazon if you're worried about trying to stream & do Zoom at the same time. If you liked this post, you might want to check out some of my other posts on The Chosen and Bible adaptation. The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. I hope you enjoy them! When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. One challenge that film adaptations of Jesus' life need to overcome is the lack of significant female characters. Explain: The Chosen is a multi-season streaming series that's adapting the four Gospels. I hope you enjoy them! She was a witness of Jesus' crucifixion and burial (Mark 15:40-47) and also the first person to discover the empty tomb, witness the resurrected Jesus, and share the good news with the disciples (John 20:1-18). Literally none of that is in Scripture or sacred tradition and that bothers me! (he calls her by name at the end when he heals her). And we also just had fun chatting about random stuff, like how Quintus was totally fitting the stereotype of the evil bald guy.
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Royal Stafford China Patterns, 2nd Armored Division Ww2 Roster, Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Memorial Park And Mortuary Obituaries, Judge Trevor N Mcfadden Contact Information, Rangers Youngest Team In Nhl, Articles W