Agnostic Alex O’Connor tells Dallas Jenkins he loves ‘The Chosen’: ‘I’m a Jesus nut’ 

A well-known skeptic of Christianity admits he’s a big fan of The Chosen, calling it “great television” and saying he watches each episode with the same excitement as the show’s most devoted fans.

Podcaster and self-described agnostic Alex O’Connor said as much in a new episode of Within Reason, where the popular host sat down with series creator and director Dallas Jenkins for a wide-ranging two-hour conversation that explored everything from Jenkins’ creative decisions behind specific scenes to O’Connor’s own views on faith. It was recorded on the set of The Chosen.

O’Connor made clear that he doesn’t consider himself a Christian and doesn’t believe Jesus performed miracles – yet he finds The Chosen compelling and the New Testament fascinating.

“I think it’s great television. I think it’s extremely moving,” O’Connor said.

The unique dynamic – an agnostic willingly watching a show about the central figure of Christianity – underscores the series’ remarkable popularity and reach. The Chosen has found an audience well beyond traditional Christian circles, drawing viewers from a wide range of religious backgrounds – and even those with no religious faith at all.

Its audience extends well beyond the Christian faithful despite the fact that the series depicts Jesus as the Savior of the world – one who performed miracles, died on the cross and rose again.

Just last year, O’Connor participated in a debate dubbed “1 Atheist vs. 25 Christians,” where he argued against the existence of God and the validity of Christianity. Later in the year, O’Connor said his current position can best be described as agnostic.

Yet during his interview with Jenkins, O’Connor declared, “I’m a Jesus nut,” as he reflected on how some scenes – particularly the episode featuring the woman at the well – emotionally impacted him.

“I think something about just seeing a woman at the end of her desperation being given this lifeline is just wonderful,” he said.

At one point, he compared his excitement about being on the set of The Chosen to visiting Disneyland. He said he’s intrigued by every episode.

“Basically, every single scene that I’m watching, I’m finding it very difficult not to be like, ‘Oh, interesting.’”

O’Connor’s reach, with 2 million YouTube subscribers alone, could introduce the series to even more viewers who might not otherwise consider watching a faith-based show.

“It humanizes Jesus in a way that’s really important. It’s very difficult for me to imagine Jesus having conversations with people. It’s kind of in the same way that when I imagine George Washington – I imagine a painting, an oil painting. I cannot imagine the Declaration of Independence being signed. … It’s literally a painting in my head, and I sort of had a similar view of Jesus.

“… I think The Chosen sort of breaks that open, and I think it’s brilliant for doing so.”

As if to emphasize his unorthodox admiration for the series, O’Connor called The Chosen about the “20th greatest piece of Jesus media ever produced,” placing it only behind 20 of the 27 books of the New Testament.

“It’s such a moving story,” he said.

Unlike some skeptics, O’Connor acknowledges that Jesus actually existed. He even said that the mere existence of the gospels – particularly their harmonization on some of the best-known moments from Jesus’ life – give credence to their validity.

“I’m just so fascinated by it.”

The conversation was cordial and good-natured, often sounding more like a fan of the show interviewing its director than a host questioning the source material.

Jenkins, for his part, defended Scripture and, by extension, Christianity.

“I would die for the truth of Jesus as God because of, not only my analysis of history and the Bible,” Jenkins said, “but also my own personal encounters with God.”

Watch the interview: