Jerry Jenkins on The Chosen Novels and the Legacy of Left Behind

Jerry B. Jenkins is a New York Times bestselling author best known for the Left Behind series and his novelizations of The Chosen. With dozens of books to his name, he’s known for blending faith, storytelling, and emotional depth to...

Michael Foust

Updated Jul 02, 2025

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Bestselling author Jerry Jenkins offered advice to his son Dallas when The Chosen became a global hit -- wisdom drawn from his own experience 30 years earlier. In 1995, Jenkins and the late Tim LaHaye released the first book in the Left Behind series, which became a sensation in the Christian world and a No. 1 bestseller. The elder Jenkins' name -- much like his son's today -- was known by millions.

"We're kind of astounded by the fact that lightning, in a sense, has stricken the same family twice in a generation," Jerry Jenkins told Crosswalk Headlines.

Fans of The Chosen know the elder Jenkins as the author of The Chosen novels, including the latest, The Chosen: Not My Will, which is based on Season 5.

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Originally published July 02, 2025.

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.