Studying Religion(s) in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars is probably one of the few fictional franchises that does not need an introduction. The success of the original trilogy launched in 1977 (Episode IV: A New Hope [Lucas 1977]; Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back [Kershner 1980]; and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi [Marquand 1983]) was immediate and worldwide. Decade after decade, movie after movie, the popularity of Star Wars never ceased, with each new Star Wars-related material eliciting enthusiastic reactions from an ever-growing number of fans. Star Wars is among the highest-grossing film series of all time, second only to James Bond, and holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for the “most successful film merchandising franchise.” Such a major popular culture phenomenon could not get unnoticed by the academic community. Indeed, since its inception, Star Wars has been the target of intense scholarly interest. Interestingly, the vast majority of Star Wars-derived scholarship has dealt with religion and spirituality. This fact, however, may not be so surprising. Indeed, religions and spirituality are central in the Star Wars franchise. The Force—the mystical power binding together the fictional galaxy—and those following its way are the core of Star Wars narratives. Indeed, the “wars” that gave the name to the franchise are the result of millennia-long conflicts between two Force-related cults, the benevolent Jedi knights and the infamous Sith lords. The importance of religion in Star Wars is so significant that it has rubbed off on the fan community. The magnitude of this influence cannot be overlooked—for instance, the choice of the Star Wars international day (May the 4th, obviously) is directly connected to the fictional religion of the Jedi. More importantly, the last decades witnessed the emergence in real life of a Star Wars-based spiritual movement—Jediism (the Temple of the Jedi Order received a tax exemption in Texas in 2015).

Although many researchers have investigated the spiritual dimension of Star Wars, a significant proportion of these academic works are mainly based upon the original trilogy. This might be perceived as a relative weakness in our understanding of religions and Star Wars. Indeed, numerous sources added to the initial movies over the years, with a second (chronologically first) trilogy released between 1999 and 2005 (Episode I: The Phantom Menace [Lucas 1999]; Episode II: Attack of the Clones [Lucas 2002]; Episode III: Revenge of the Sith [Lucas 2005]), a third trilogy on its way (Episode VII: The Force Awakens [Abrams 2015]; Episode VIII: The Last Jedi [Johnson 2017]; Episode IX should be released in December 2019), and three spin-off movies (the 3D-animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Filoni 2008); Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Edwards 2016); and Solo: A Star Wars Story (Howard 2018). Adding to these movies, we can count two television spin-off movies (Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (Korty 1984); Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (Wheat and Wheat 1985), at least seven animated series (Droids [1985–86], Ewoks [1985–86], Clone Wars [2003–5], Star Wars: The Clone Wars [2008–14, 2019], Star Wars: Rebels [2014–18], Star Wars: Forces of Destiny [2017–], and the recent “Star Wars: Resistance, with the premiere aired in October 2018), numerous books, comic books, and computer games. As time advances, the vision of the Force gets more complex and elaborated. Once solely associated with the once glorious Jedi knights and the tyrannical Sith lords, new paths of understanding of this spiritual energy have surfaced, from the dreamlike Force-embodied planet Mortis (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) to the neutral Force-sensitive Bendu (Star Wars: Rebels). With more and more authors involved in devising the Star Wars background, the influences of multiple religious and spiritual traditions have become more evident. Eastern and neo-pagan influences merge with the traditional Judeo-Christian sources to renew the corpus of mythical symbolism associated with the Force. The understanding of the Force, and of religions in general in Star Wars, has to evolve in order to take into account the constantly evolving sources. As new material appears, new scholarship is needed.

Although the conflicts...