The Gospel According to Hollywood: Star Wars

Since its movie debut in 1977, it has had quite a following. There have been six movies, animated specials, books, video games and more. Star Wars presents a theology all its own. This article will examine the theology of Star Wars. This is not an exhaustive examination, but a brief glimpse.

God

The controlling influence in the galaxy of Star Wars is the force. The force makes up everything in the galaxy. There are two sides of the force. The light side is the Jedi, and the dark side is the sith. The two sides are locked in a never ending struggle.

Knowledge

Knowledge of the galaxy is through the force. While the force makes up all of the universe, some people have more of the force than others. The numbers of biological creatures, known as mediclorians, determine your knowledge of the force. Common people have no sense of the force. Only a few of the population are Jedi or Sith.

Anthropology

Humans in Star Wars are not the same as humans on earth. All humans of Star Wars are connected to the force, but some more than others.

Ethics

You would think that the light side is moral ethical and benevolent. The Jedi tend to be very pragmatic. They can be cruel. They have lied, covered things up, and manipulated. The dark side is sometimes more open and honest. Good does not necessarily overcome evil. Neither side can truly win the war. The only hope is to bring the chosen one who can balance the force.

Afterlife

At death, a Jedi goes to the netherworld. They have the ability to advise the living. It seems that those on the dark side who have died can also cross over and advise the living.

Bottom Line

George Lucas said he derived the Jedi religion form several faiths. There are similarities to pantheism, dualism, Ne Age and Buddhism. Lucas said of Annikim Skywalker, "Hmm, a mother but no father. Where did I get that from?" In Star Wars, good and evil are simply two sides of a coin. While the light side is favorable, the dark side is not totally condemned. There is no final defeat of evil. Peace can only be achieved when the force is balanced.