Nicholas Dease: Personal Blog 2

Religion in Star Wars

An interesting topic that was briefly mentioned by a student in one of our earlier classes is the interpretation of Star Wars as a religious film. While it appears that no one is investigating the theme further in their essays, I think it would be an appropriate question to explore in this personal reflection blog.

As an avid fan of the series, Star Wars has always resonated with me. Admittedly, the narrative is composed of numerous clichés and the dialogue throughout appears downright insincere for the most part. However, there is definitely something deeper in Star Wars that connects with the human condition—certainly enough to warrant 1.5 percent of New Zealand's population to record their religion as “Jedi” in the 2001 census. But what is the source of this phenomenon? What is it about this story that connects so many individuals together in a spiritual way? From my experience, I think it has a great deal to do with the overall philosophy of the Jedi in relation to the physicality of their universe. Within the Star Wars mythology, there is an omnipresent energy that flows throughout all of existence. This energy binds all matter together and, with the zen-like practice of meditation and study, may be harnessed for the enhancement of an individual's physical abilities.

This rather simple plot device is strikingly similar to the age-old Taoist faith originating from China. Like “the Force,” as it is called in Star Wars, ancient Chinese philosophers believed that there was a flow of energy to the universe and that cannot be understood rationally but rather must be grasped intuitively. The Tao, which binds the universe together, must be respected and the individual must act according to it instead of their own desires. Essentially, it was taught that one must “go with the flow” of the Tao. This rings true in Star Wars as well as the Jedi practice Buddhist-like detachment from desire and dedicate themselves to the preservation of the universe-order as mandated by the force. To this extent, Star Wars may be viewed as an amalgamation of three distinct Asian religions, Zen, Buddhism, and Taoism. Even elements of Bushido, the way of the samurai, may be seen in the nature of the Jedi Warriors. Like Samurai, the Jedi embody their personal energy in their weapon, the light saber. These sabers are unique to each individual and are inseparably connected to their person. In order to preserve the flow of The Force, the philosopher-warriors use the very energy of the universe to ensure its place. The Sith, enemy of the Jedi, embody the polar opposite, warriors who use the energy of the universe to create disarray and chaos. This simple Good/Evil dynamic is also seen in myriad religions—Christianity for example, contains two distinct realms, heaven and hell, which correspond to Good and Evil.

While the film may be easily dismissed for its over-the-top narrative and excessive use of special effects, it is certain that it contains an underlying narrative which illustrates a startling high number of religious themes.