The Return Of The Jedi

The Return of the Jedi


Cale Scheinbaum

Jim Monsonis Society and Religion

19 November 1996


     So far this semester, we have studied several different sociological

theories of religion. These theories are built on both the known history of

religions in the world and the cultures in which they originated, as well as,

appropriately enough, theoretical suggestions of how those religions, and indeed

any religion at all, will survive in the future. The theory I find the most true

is Stark and Bainbridge's in The Future of Religion, although I like some

elements from others, like Berger's concepts of reification and secularization.

     George Lucas's Star Wars trilogy, apart from being incredibly

entertaining and extremely well-made, gives us a complete portrait of a society

(The Empire) and a religion (Jediism, for lack of a better term). Although the

movies are mostly devoted to the growth of the characters, throughout the

trilogy we see the society change in a drastic manner. This paper will examine

the history of Jediism, the current (as of the end of the last movie) status of

the religion, and offer some suggestions as to what we can expect from Jediism

in the future.


          I. The Religion

     To examine the future of religion as it relates to society, one must

first have an idea of the tenets and beliefs on which the religion is based.

Jediism is based solely on belief in the "force", a "Universal energy field that

surrounds us and permeates us". (O. Kenobi, SW) Stark and Bainbridge make the

point that any religion based on magic or magic-like rituals is fated to die out

unless the magic can work constantly and consistently. This, they argue, is why

many religions change from promising magic, which is quite verifiable (Did he,

in fact, levitate?) to promising compensators, a sort of unverifiable magic. A

good example of this is the Christian Heaven. Stark and Bainbridge take it as a

given, however, that magic, or abilities that parallel magic, do not, in fact,

exist. This makes an attempt to theorize about the future of Jediism more

difficult, since the religion is based, in part, on the belief that oneness with

the "force" has the ability to confer extraordinary powers to individuals-- a

belief than is vindicated numerous times throughout the series.

     The internal organization of the religion is, apparently, entirely

nonexistant. There is no leader, nor is there any defined structure. Much like

classical Taoism, various masters exist, and students and supplicants must seek

out a master on their own in order to learn. There is no hierarchy to advance in,

other than the ability to eventually hone one's faith to a degree that one can

take on one's own students. The test of this is whether the student becomes

attached to the "dark side" of the "force", as did Obi-Wan Kenobi's first pupil,

Anakin Skywalker, later known as Darth Vader.

     The beliefs of Jediism, again, can be compared to classical Taoism. The

"true" Jedi believes in calm, and strives to maintain calm at all times. He can

experience emotions, but he does not let his emotions control him. He is at one

with his environment at all times. He is fully aware of the existance of all

those around him, and holds free will as one of his highest ideals. He is not

violent, but, if necessary, can fight extremely well and end conflicts rather

quickly. His ultimate goal is universal peace. Jediism is unique, however, in

that along with it developed a mirror religion, one that I will call, for lack

of a better term, Dark Jediism. The tenets of Dark Jediism are all based on

personal desires. To the Dark Jedi, other people are nothing but pawns with

which to attain more personal power or resources. Peace is the defense of

weaklings who don't know how to fulfill their desires. The ultimate goal of the

Dark Jedi is to have complete and total control over the universe. This state,

with the two sides of the "force" existant and constantly at war, might be

compared to a somewhat reified form of Zoroastrianism, in which the two

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