Mary Magdalene in “The Chosen”

I haven’t been much of a TV or movie watcher for several years. But I recently had an opportunity to view the first episode of the extremely popular show, The Chosen. There are theological issues with this show, despite its compelling portrayal. It takes liberties with the Biblical story, twisting the facts and inserting additional narrative. And then there is the issue of whether portraying Jesus at all violates the second commandment. Those issues are important, but they are not the topic of this blog post.

Something about a particular character’s portrayal bothered me.

In the Bible, the references to Mary Magdalene are few. She was present at the crucifixion and at the grave. With other women, she brought spices to anoint Jesus’ body. She saw the angel of the Lord and heard his announcement that Jesus had risen. And references are made indicating that Jesus had driven seven demons out of her. The story of the exorcism is not recorded.

Some believers throughout church history have associated Mary Magdalene with the sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume and dried them with her hair. This connection is not in the Bible. There is nothing in the Bible that says that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute or “sinful woman,” only that she had been demon possessed and set free.

In The Chosen, Mary Magdalene is portrayed as a prostitute and a victim of assault. That is not the part I have a problem with. It may well be true that Mary Magdalene was a “sinner” before her conversion. No one knows.

My problem is that the Mary Magdalene of The Chosen is clearly suffering from PTSD. While the demons are upon her, she is having flashbacks to her previous trauma—the loss of her family and her victimization by a Roman soldier.

This blurring of the line between mental illness and demon possession was probably intended to bring cohesion to the story—to meld the world of the mind and soul together in a way that was beautiful and coherent. To associate literal demons with the “demons” we all deal with on a daily basis—our traumas, our baggage, our own sinfulness. To tie the whole package together into one magnificent whole.

But there’s a problem.

Demons are real.

PTSD is real.

But they’re not the same thing.

It’s not unbiblical to say that Christ came to set us free from our metaphorical demons—sin, trauma, burdens, grief, and anguish. The Bible clearly presents the transformative nature of Christianity as a reality. This is the point the makers of The Chosen seem to have been conveying through their portrayal of Mary Magdalene. She was troubled by many things and was set wholly and completely free by Christ.

But by ignoring the subtle insinuation that trauma causes demon possession, the show has done an injustice to people who are suffering from PTSD and other forms of trauma. Ought those who can’t find their way out of the depths of the torments of their past also have to fear that their experiences have opened their mind to demons? Is it legitimate to say that demon possession is born because of the bad things that have happened to us?

The Bible doesn’t explain why demon possession happens. It happened to children, men, and women. It caused not only symptoms similar to the symptoms of mental illness, but blindness (Matthew 12:22), deafness & muteness (Mark 9), and epilepsy (Matthew 17:14-18). There is no reason to assume that trauma invites literal demons. There is also no reason to suppose that just because someone has symptoms of mental illness that they are demon possessed, any more than we ought to assume a person who can’t see or hear or has epilepsy is demon possessed.

My specific issue with this episode is subtle—but all the more dangerous because of that. When the Bible talks about demons it is not talking about our troubles—our personal, metaphorical demons. By not drawing a clear line between Mary Magdalene’s trauma and her demon possession, The Chosen leaves its viewers in doubt as to whether such a line exists.

Should people with PTSD, depression, and suicidal ideation worry that they are being literally possessed by demons? Demon possession means being indwelt by spiritual beings who have rebelled against God and are trying to destroy God’s authority and creation. This is not our own indwelling sinfulness. It’s not our brokenness. It’s not our past trauma. By lumping these things together with demon possession, The Chosen does a disservice to sufferers. I don’t have all the answers about how demonic influence can play a role in the lives of believers or of unbelievers. But mental illnesses are physical disorders that are too often associated with spiritual weakness and even sin and evil. The portrayal of Mary Magdalene in The Chosen is unjust and damaging.

Are you a Christian parenting an individual with mental illness? Join the Eleventh Willow private Facebook support group to meet other parents who understand. Let’s help each other walk this path.

Image Source: Jacob More, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons