Netflix’s American Primeval: The Prejudiced Fiction of Brigham Young

Imagine, if you will, a historical epic set in the time of the Roman Empire. Our main characters are fictional, trying to navigate a time of brutality. You’ve got characters in the Roman Legion who find themselves in skirmishes with worshipers of Mithras. You’ve got political scenes of Emperor Tiberius working with senators. But you’ve also got some up-and-comer named Constantine in the court. So as an audience member, you know they’re obviously playing around with the historicity a bit.

Early on in the first episode of this hypothetical show, you learn about a traitorous sect that is following not just a providential governor but someone they describe as a king. They remain a mysterious force. We meet a few of the people from this traitorous sect. They’re helpful and seem relatively normal. But they are scared of the Romans, and you can sense maybe there is something to the rumors.

We see Gessius Florus attack a temple in the middle of these folks. And then we see this sect, in revenge, slaughter the Roman soldiers. While this is happening, we cut back to the leader of this traitorous sect, someone named Jesus, and we hear him give a voiceover to the violence.

“The strong shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after blood: for they shall be filled. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Those who do not bear fruit will be cut down.”

Now, as a Christian you might be rather upset with a show of this type. As a Christian, you’re probably rather fond of Jesus, and this retelling of his life is blatantly inaccurate. But how do you articulate that?

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