Guess what’s big at the box office and the streaming-service menu, boys? It’s biblical fiction! From the giant-smash hit House of David on Amazon Prime, to The Chosen and its planned Bibleverse, to the new King of Kings animated Jesus movie and even more adaptations from Old and New Testaments, these creations are winning millions of fans but also some evangelical enemies. Few of these seem interested in asking: what is biblical fiction? Mission update Lorehaven action item: Captive last week, Curse of Silence this week Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Fathoms by Lisa T. Bergren Realm Makers Expo 2025 Johanna Frank, author of Here Lyeth Inheritance by J. A. Webb Quotes and notes Stephen’s series of Lorehaven articles: Discerning Biblical Fiction Yes, Dallas Jenkins is Launching the Bible Cinematic Universe Christian-Made Stories Got Even Better in 2024 ‘Gabriel and the Guardians’ Echoes a Golden Era of Saturday Morning Cartoons Amazon’s ‘House of David’ Anoints an Intriguing Biblical Epic Fantastical Truth episode 148. Why Do Some Christians Revile ‘The Chosen’? | with Josiah DeGraaf and Jenneth Dyck Fantastical Truth episode 237. How Has ‘The Chosen’ Become The World’s Top Christian-Made Fandom? | with Ryan Swanson Two Christians Made a Show about Jews. It’s Phenomenal , Batya Ungar-Sargon at The Free Press, March 23, 2025 What do we mean by “biblical fiction”? To understand the label of biblical fiction , let’s define it briefly and carefully. Let’s start by accepting what biblical fiction is not meant to be. It’s not a replacement for Scripture. It’s not a sermon or textbook about Scripture. It’s not an exact, verse-by-verse re-enactment of Scripture. It’s not only focused on historical figures like Jesus, Mary, or Paul. Instead, let’s understand and accept what biblical fiction is meant to be. It is set in ancient times as described by the Bible. It often involves historical people that Scripture describes. It often explores plotlines and specific events we read in Scripture. It usually adds situations, people, or events we don’t read in Scripture Based on these points, let’s build a working description of biblical fiction: Biblical fiction is set in biblical times and often involves real-world people, plotlines, and events we read about in the Scripture, while sometimes adding people, plotlines, events, and settings that are not in Scripture. Let’s accept the story “rules” for biblical fiction. Viewers (and readers, etc.) should recognize this definition of what biblical fiction is. Then we must adjust our expectations. That’s just part of good interpretation practice, whether we read the Bible or engage with any person’s creative work.[1. Adapted from Stephen’s article Behold the Fantastic Purposes of ‘The Chosen’ and Other Great Biblical Fiction , Lorehaven, May 3, 2021.] 1. Biblical fiction does not instruct in the Bible. This confusion arises when Christians only have one category for “big popular thing that aims to say something about the Biblical account” That “big popular thing” category many have is simply this: preacher . Many have little interest in other ways that we share the Scripture. But most already know we have songs, kids’ books, even summaries. Every single person who complains about biblical fiction is already assuming (not preaching) certain ideas they think are from Scripture. That’s half the argument: preaching is great, but it’s not everything . Stephen compares preaching/teaching to instruction , as the Bible says: The book of Proverbs urges instruction not just by teaching Bible in church, but at home. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7) “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4) “He [the church overseer] must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” (Titus 1:9) For instance, The Chosen presents many of Jesus’s miracles and full-length sermons (and the occasional parables), but not to teach us . Instead, these events are teaching the characters in the story itself. That’s why a show, literally about the most famous Preacher Who ever lived, is not itself preachy . Its writers are thinking about their audience, but the audience sees people , not sermons. Any sermons in the show are meant first for the characters themselves, who may resemble viewers. (By the way, authors: this is how you can handle sermons in fiction! They will not solve everything for our heroes, but only add more challenge.) Joseph Fiennes portrays Roman tribune Clavius, an extra-biblical but not unbiblical character, in the biblical fiction drama Risen (2016). 2. Biblical fiction does illustrate the Bible. However, biblical fiction is
