Media has become especially important in understanding religion now that newer Christian movements, like so many other things today, exist more in the form of loosely affiliated worlds composed of podcast hosts, preachers with YouTube followings or social media ecosystems than they do in official institutions with websites, clear dogmas or official heads of the church.
There are still plenty of people who would identify as Methodist or Catholic, of course — Catholicism, in particular, is having a moment of hipster popularity, thanks in part to its baroque aesthetic. (JD Vance is a relatively recent convert.) But plenty of Americans consider themselves “just Christian,” which means that analyzing their media diet — their browser history, TikTok bookmarks or favorite movies — is the best way to pin down their exact theology or ideology.
And there’s plenty to analyze. Christian movies and TV are a newly booming industry. There have always been niche movies aimed at a religious crowd, but they were more closely associated with plodding storylines, low production values and a hectoring tone than with box office success. Now, however, a trend of crowd-funding films nearly guarantees an audience before the movie is even made.
Which brings me back to all the Christian movies and TV I’ve watched, and why I’m so fascinated by them. And that’s the fact that it feels very obvious that interest in Judaism is growing among Christians.
Many of the recent movies and shows focus on ancient Israel, whether in Jesus’ time or in King David’s. And, unlike other, older Christian movies, which once avoided the Jewishness of the biblical past, they now make a point of emphasizing Jewish practices. In The Chosen, there are Rosh Hashanah celebrations and the apostles discuss mikvah law. House of David focuses on King David, who is, of course, a Jewish king, but the series is also full of references to midrash.
The thing is, I’m not sure this interest in Jewish ritual equates with interest in actual, living Jews, or even Judaism; instead Jewishness is used as a tool to add mystique to Christianity. Rituals are presented with a fetishized fascination for this ancient past when Jesus lived. Everyone has an unplaceable foreign accent. The writers of The Chosen even told me that they use Hebrew words to add a sense of holiness with the goal of “startling viewers’ ears.” And, of course, ultimately it’s all about spreading the gospel.
When I scan the comments from people who eat up this new media, the vibe I get is that some Christians are seeking a greater sense of authenticity than their modern churches provide. They are drawn to Jewish rituals as a way of getting closer to Jesus, and adding a deeper sense of esoteric, spiritual mystery; if you’d gone to grad school with me, we’d call this a “numinous” feeling. (I would hazard a guess that this same desire for authenticity and mysterious ritual is driving the boom in Catholicism, at least in part.)
This surge in Jewish interest is not just in the movies. Shofars have become common at evangelical gatherings, particularly at political ones, and tallitot are popping up too. Christian Seders are everywhere. Sometimes, Christian services even have congregants dance the hora or pray in Hebrew. Queen Esther features in Texas’ new, religious curriculum and her story has been adapted into numerous Christian theater productions and movies. And then there’s a paternalistic Christian interest in Jews in the form of Project Esther, a plan to fight left-wing antisemitism; drawn up by an evangelical group without consulting Jews, the plan itself features some antisemitic dog whistles.
