  We examine Chern-Simons theory as a deformation of a 3-dimensional BF theory
that is partially holomorphic and partially topological. In particular, we
introduce a novel gauge that leads naturally to a one-loop exact quantization
of this BF theory and Chern-Simons theory. This approach illuminates several
important features of Chern-Simons theory, notably the bulk-boundary
correspondence of Chern-Simons theory with chiral WZW theory. In addition to
rigorously constructing the theory, we also explain how it applies to a large
class of closely related 3-dimensional theories and some of the consequences
for factorization algebras of observables.
