However, Jesus knew her real name. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus cleansed her of seven demons, and she financially aided him in Galilee. Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. The creators make changes in order to adapt the biblical stories to TV. By. This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. Yes, there are plenty of women who show up in the Gospels. Her name always was Mary, but through her past of turmoil, mental illness, rape, or whatever else caused her to be mentally tortured, she led everyone to believe she was Lilith. Do you believe Jesus knows you by name? In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. When he encounters her again in Season 1 Episode 2, he is surprised to discover that she has been completely healed and is free of the evil spirits. As a general rule, the characters who follow Jesus aren't bad people; they're misunderstood and rejected and in need of love. Catholic Christianity offers the world the fullness of the Christian Faith. 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. 1 ) Kathleen McGowan Kindle Edition are three Christian Goddesses, making up a female.! Have my posts about Bible adaptation helped you learn more about the Bible and explore it with your ministry or family? The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. Although, like Nicodemus, the account of Jesus' life in the Gospels tells us relatively little about her, the part that she plays as the first witness to the Resurrection is objectively much more significant. This is not a theologian or an apologist. In Episode 6, Jesus sends Peter and Matthew to find Mary and bring her back. The assumption at that time was that women became prostitutes because they were inherently immoral and desirous. Also the guy who plays Jesus is Catholic, which is kind of cool. Why do you think The Chosen is trying to connect episode 1 to what will happen when Jesus is resurrected? See a Roman centurion fill Lilith/Mary s sight, a suggestion that the woman have. The Bible never mentions "the Red Quarter." What do you think Mary's life was like before Jesus showed up? These experiences cause Mary to flee back to her old life, drinking and gambling. (Jesus), What about Jesus' identity does this hint at? The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. In The Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. East pencil writes or draws used for note taking West pencil is yellow has a eraser and lead. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. 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. 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). 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. Have you seen other examples of how Jesus can show up suddenly and change someone's life in a big way? 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. Dallas mentioned how some viewers didn't like that Mary fell back into old ways, which seems ridiculous, but just goes to show how out of touch some people are with both real life and how stories work. I've condensed the lesson into an easily printable pdf below. Yes, we see that Jesus had warm and empowering relationships with females. Instead of being a femme fatale that Jesus needs to resist and tame, Mary Magdalene the prostitute is seen as an object of compassion and pity that Jesus needs to provide acceptance and safety. Pray World's oldest person, French nun Sister Andre, dies at Thief steals St. Michael statue from church, trips, and A photo I took of our altar at Midnight Mass this Christmas, Mother on death bed, priest refused to see her. 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. 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. While she shows up from time to time and engages in conversations with the other disciples, she no longer has her own personal plot. She becomes too perfect and seems to have no ongoing struggles in her faith like Peter or Andrew. Have my posts about Bible adaptation helped you learn more about the Bible and explore it with your ministry or family? 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? 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. 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. (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. But why does Mary Magdalene get all the attention and not Joanna or Susanna, who are also mentioned? 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. Thats as far off-script as they go for the rest of the season, everything else is pretty true to a harmonized Gospel narrative. The Chosen seems to be hinting that Mary is a prostitute (e.g. In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. Interestingly, The King of Kings (1927) also uses Mary Magdalene to introduce us to Jesus for the first time. Over time, the label stuck and now many adaptations depict her this way. 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. By noting how Mary is in the "Red Quarter", The Chosen is implying that she is a prostitute. One challenge that film adaptations of Jesus' life need to overcome is the lack of significant female characters. 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. Jesus clearly expected his disciples to sin frequently and made it clear that he was committed to pursuing them and offering forgiveness (. 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." In The Chosen, when we first Mary Magdalene in Season 1 Episode 1, she has already been possessed by evil spirits for some time. This shift in our societal understanding of the sex trade has changed the significance of Mary's supposed role as a prostitute. 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. Episode 1 depicts how she got these demons cast out of her by Jesus. There was just a hint of judgment in Episode 7, but it gets brushed aside way too quickly, given the cultural expectations. The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. 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. 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. Nicodemus was brought in to perform an exorcism on her but failed, making him question the fullness of the Law. And to be fair, there isnt a whole lot of backstory for any of the disciples in the Bible, so its not a surprise the writers filled in the blanks with some artistic license. What's disappointing is that it doesn't delve too far into the implications of this. It's odd? Consider how the show depicts Jesus' first appearance. The last passage is an optional bonus for youth that like digging deeper. 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. It hints at where the show is going: This passage takes place after Jesus' death and resurrection at the end of the Gospels. 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. And the parallels don't end there. However, a post by the official Twitter account for The Chosen claims that Mary is not being portrayed as a prostitute. The Chosen isn't trying to mess with the Bible. 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. (for LOTR: Arwen's bigger role, some action scenes. I also suggest setting expectations for the first episode. [SPOILERS] what is Jordan Peele's 'Nope' about? . Below I'll share an outline describing how to do a Viewing Party for The Chosen Episode 1 (I Have Called You by Name). In The Chosen, Mary Magdalene is played by Elizabeth Tabish. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. I think Mary went by Lilith when she came to Magdala, not scripturally speaking, but for the story line. I love this series. 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? 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. In my opinion it works. You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. Later Jewish tradition described a demonic figure known as Lilith in a variety of ways. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. However, In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. [SPOILERS] Is the Jon Snow spin-off really such a good idea? I would have introduced her PTSD much earlier in the season, giving her more space to try to struggle with it on her own before eventually falling back into her old life. It's certainly not, Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. Why do you think they were removed? New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. /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. 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. In the same way, we get our first glimpse of the pre-resurrected Jesus as we follow her struggles in the first episode. 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. I hope you enjoy them! Starting around episode three I think is when it finds its groove. 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! 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. There are a few Bible passages that I thought were helpful to discuss the first episode of The Chosen. Thus, when Jesus first encounters Mary, what he offers her isn't forgiveness for her life of prostitution; it's relief from the oppressive demons that drove her to the type of life that she's lived. This comes out powerfully in the first Episode like to show you why is mary magdalene called lilith in the chosen here. In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. 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. Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (. 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). I have not seen any anti Catholic scenes. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. I offer my work for free and rely on the generous support of readers like you. I wouldn't take too long discussing these questions. 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. Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. (he is God). I agree with the Twitter post that the show clearly depicts Mary as a victim of rape/sexual assault, but prostitutes often are victims of rape and sexual assault. You can find episode one free on YouTube here, although there are lots of ads. There is however a very clear disclaimer at the beginning of the series saying this isnt word-for-word and its no replacement for reading your Bible, etc. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. 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." These parallels are more than a neat bit of foreshadowing. 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). Without getting too detailed, I found it helpful to get my youth thinking about what adaptations are and how they work. Luke notes that Mary had seven spirits exorcised from her, but the other women experienced miraculous healing as well. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. 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. For Mary's actual fall, it felt like the show was trying too hard to keep her character PG. every time a new character showed up. Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. 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. Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. It's a great comfort in the midst of the pandemic and other turmoil. You can find episode one, The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. Your contributions mean so much. Having offered some criticism, I will say that the scene of Jesus forgiving Mary was moving. Its not perfect, but its a pretty great start. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. In a previous era of Hollywood Mary's status as a prostitute made her exotic and intriguing. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. Initially Mary doesn't recognize Jesus. I'm not saying we needed to see anything explicit, but the show certainly could have implied a bit more than it did. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The Gospels never refer to Mary as Lilith. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. If you liked this post, you might want to check out some of my other posts on The Chosen and Bible adaptation. Until Jesus shows up, some youth may find the show a little slow. Although The Chosen is still a few seasons away from the Resurrection of Jesus, it is clearly beginning with the end in mind. 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. Lilith here could just mean demon possessed. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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). The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. 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. Why do you think The Chosen depicted Mary as a prostitute? 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. I will definitely continue watching it then, I just wanted to make sure! 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). Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. Can you think of moments when you may need to be reminded that God is with you? This passage is one of the few appearances of Mary Magdalene in the Gospels. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Although we'll have to wait in order to understand fully what the show wants us to conclude, this could be a subtle and effective way to show how Jesus' ability to heal and save is ultimately grounded in his willingness to die and rise again. Your contributions mean so much. The Bible never suggests Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. It is an excellent form of Lectio Divina. I hope I better can temper myself. 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. For more details, check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, Demons, and Evil Spirits. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. If you liked this post, you might want to check out some of my other posts on The Chosen and Bible adaptation. Episode 7 Guide: Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? Explain: The Chosen is a multi-season streaming series that's adapting the four Gospels. Thank you! 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). Jesus heals her evil spirit(s) at the end of Episode 1. Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? Im not sure many people caught this, but when Jesus follows Mary outside, he calls to her saying, Mary of Magdala! Mary then turns around, dropping her jar and says to him, How do you know my name? I think one could make sense of the Mary/Lilith name in that scene alone. (for LOTR: Tom Bombadil. The specific demon is not named in Scripture. Expert Answers: The Gospels never refer to Mary as Lilith. 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), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3: Recap, Review, & Analysis, 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. ***Update: Learn more about the origin of "Lilith" in my recent post ***. 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? 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. 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. Why do you think the creators added them? To the credit of the production team, you cant discern a denominational slant from the script. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you try it out, please let me know how it goes and if you have any feedback! 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. Click here for my affiliation policy. Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (. EDIT: I still have my concerns, but I believe my rash judgment is sinful, so I'll keep it to myself. 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. 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. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. And we also just had fun chatting about random stuff, like how Quintus was totally fitting the stereotype of the evil bald guy. However, some biblical interpreters mistakenly labeled her as such because the story before Luke 8 is about a prostitute being forgiven. 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. Jesus heals her evil spirit(s) at the end of Episode 1. What distinguishes Mary from the other women, however, is her association with prostitution. As it was, we didn't really get a good sense of why Mary responded the way she did. We turned it into a bit of a game, where one of my youth would constantly ask "Is that Jesus?" LOTR, Harry Potter), In [adaptation], can you think of some characters or stories that were added by the film? 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. PROUDLY CREATED WITH WIX.COM, Mary Magdalene, Lilith, & the Redeemer (Exploring The Chosen with Youth), Elizabeth Tabish as Lilith/Mary Magdalene in The Chosen, Over the past year, we've been exploring how The Chosen adapts biblical characters like, You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. (ex. Anyway, I love the series. The important role that Mary Magdalene plays in The Chosen is not nearly as surprising as that of Nicodemus. There you go! 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. In the story, Mary Magdalene (called Lilith) was raped by a Roman centurian which led to demonic possession and social isolation. 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. Thank you for your input. 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. Thank you! It's certainly not The Exorcist, but demonic stuff can really freak some people out. There was just a hint of judgment in, Mary Magdalene was a female disciple who traveled with Jesus during his ministry (, All four Gospels suggest Mary was the first witness of the resurrected Jesus (, The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. (the Lord), Who is it that says these words in the show? 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. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. 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. After Mary's encounter with Jesus, we never really get to see her deal with her former life. 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. 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 Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. Everything is very true to the Gospels, and theres no dialogue written to score theological points. 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. This association with prostitution opens a variety of directions for adaptations to take in their portrayal of her, especially given the affection Jesus shows for her (John 20). Season 2 Reflection P2: What was The Chosen Season 2 about? That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. Enough said.). Dallas Jenkins (Director) is not Catholic, but - in my mind - makes the best Christian films I have seen anywhere. 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. More importantly, allowing some of the disciples to judge Mary a bit more would have added more tension and could have fueled future arcs. 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 Episode 3: Recap, Review, & 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. Catholic priest burned to death, another shot in north Press J to jump to the feed. 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. For the most part, I just clarified who characters were (see my comment above) and occasionally I briefly explained a reference or allusion that was confusing to my youth. You can really connect with the characters, and it really helps you better immerse yourself with the Gospel. The Chosen invents this story to illustrate biblical teachings about Jesus' grace and forgiveness. So I'm glad The Chosen did something - I just hope that, instead of trying to jam so many story arcs into each season, future seasons trim the fat to make room so significant arcs like Mary's have room to be fully realized. The first passage is regarding Mary Magdalene (Lilith): In case you didn't catch it, at the end of The Chosen episode 1 we discover that the character called Lilith for most of the episode is actually named Mary Magdalene. 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. 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. However, I'll acknowledge that what the show is suggesting about Mary's past life is certainly open to interpretation.]. 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. The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. They speak to different audiences & look good on screen), Can you think of characters or stories that the film left out? When he encounters her again in Season 1 Episode 2, he is surprised to discover that she has been completely healed and is free of the evil spirits. 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. 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? Literally none of that is in Scripture or sacred tradition and that bothers me! What distinguishes Mary from the other women, however, is her association with prostitution. Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus. Many Christians still memorize this passage to remind them of how God is always with us, even in the most difficult trials. Under the influence of this tradition, many people see Mary as being emblematic of Jesus' compassion for lost and broken souls, and this makes her a perfect candidate for the kinds of stories that The Chosen wants to tell. I hope you enjoy them! When they are engaged in sin, it's often a result of their difficult circumstances or their status as outsiders, and so what they primarily need is love and acceptance, not forgiveness and repentance. rhetorical analysis jason reynolds lesley university speech worksheet, female country music singers that smoke cigarettes, white lodging rise, sage green and terracotta, dallas flexhaug husband, bodies at the bottom of lake tahoe, graham walker mahomes, danielle kang husband, crocodile singapore warehouse sale 2022, formal, functional and perceptual regions, comma after other than that, how to read json response in selenium webdriver, what will buildings look like in the future, is justin martindale related to wink martindale, scarborough funeral home durham, nc obituaries, You learn more about the Bible, there is no indication that Magdalene... Getting too detailed, I earn from qualifying purchases is associated with demons in Jewish traditions, Magdalene! 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