{"id":76,"date":"2025-02-21T12:05:57","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T12:05:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/?p=76"},"modified":"2025-02-21T12:05:57","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T12:05:57","slug":"the-gospel-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away-christian-influences-on-the-star-wars-franchise-joshua-workman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/the-gospel-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away-christian-influences-on-the-star-wars-franchise-joshua-workman\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gospel in a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Christian Influences on the Star Wars Franchise (Joshua Workman)"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

While the ‘Creator’ of the Start Wars Universe, George Lucas, has loosely described himself as a \u2018Methodist Buddhist\u2019, Christianity’s influence on the franchise is hard to miss or to deny.\u00a0 This guide is not designed to be exhaustive, nor does it strive to create a single narrative. Instead I will draw out certain themes: the Christian interpretation of the Devil will be presented through Emperor Palpatine\u2019s manipulation of Anakin Skywalker and through Anakin himself, rather than ascribing to one interpretation over the other. The saints, their miracles, and their portrayal will be compared to the abilities of Force users. Furthermore, the rise and downfall of the Knights Templar will be correlated with that of the Jedi Order. Palpatine\u2019s scheming in the shadows of the Republic will be explored in relation to the Devil\u2019s own efforts.<\/p>\n

One constant theme throughout Christianity and Star Wars<\/em> is the battle between light and dark, representing good and evil. However, as we uncover the parallels, consider whether that duality holds true\u2014or whether those lines are blurred across heaven, hell, and a galaxy far, far away\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"
‘If As you declare, your Lord is with you,
\nyou will escape all injury.\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The following examples will present how the reverence of saints and the tales of their miracles align with the mystique and legend of the Force-wielding Jedi. St. Martin of Tours avoided a falling tree as a sign of the superior power of God over paganism. This is mirrored by Luke Skywalker effortlessly dodging the enraged attacks of Kylo Ren, displaying the superiority of the light side of the Force over the dark. The power of saints such as St. Rainer of Arezzo was said to heal a man with a broken arm, just as Rey heals Kylo Ren in The Rise of Skywalker<\/em>. Robert Bartlett notes how \u2018dead saints could communicate with the living\u2019; St. Cuthbert, in particular, conveyed \u2018allusive\u2019 visions of the future. Similarly, Force ghosts appear in Star Wars<\/em> to guide heroes\u2014most notably Obi-Wan Kenobi, who speaks cryptically to Luke about the true story of his father.<\/p>\n

Saints and Jedi also had an affinity with animals. St. Marianus of Auxerre fed birds from his hand, saved boars, and banished a bear that threatened his herd. Likewise, Anakin calms the Reek beast that was sent to kill him during the gladiatorial execution on Geonosis. St. Patrick famously banished all the snakes from Ireland\u2014a story that bears a striking resemblance to Star Wars\u2019<\/em> in-universe deity known as \u2018Father\u2019.The Mortis gods provide an overt example of Christian influence. Their imagery is presented in a saintly manner, as seen in the comparison with St. Simon, St. Jude, and St. Margaret of Antioch. The halos around their heads, coupled with the representation of the Christian symbolism of the number three\u2014Father, Son, and Daughter\u2014provide balance in the Force, just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit comprise the harmony and balance of Christian doctrine. Bartlett states that \u2018God was the author of miracles, not the saints themselves\u2019, just as Kenobi explains that the \u2018Force is what gives a Jedi his power\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowledge and power are not only exhibited through the Jedi and saints themselves but also imbued into physical objects. Relics, usually a body part of a dead saint, \u2018bestowed honour and privileges upon the possessor\u2019, as explained by Barbara Drake Boehm. These relics were housed in reliquaries\u2014precious containers embellished with gold and jewels\u2014such as St. Thomas Becket\u2019s reliquary casket. In Star Wars<\/em>, holocrons function as reliquaries, containing secret knowledge of the Force. For instance, Ezra Bridger unlocks one with the Force, gaining an advantage as the fledgling rebels begin their fight against the overwhelming Empire. Moreover, Becket\u2019s casket details his martyrdom, slain by four knights on the supposed orders of King Henry II. Parallels can be drawn to the Mandalorian Vault, which\u2014though not a reliquary\u2014similarly serves as a sacred space, this time imprisoning Darth Maul after his despotic rule over Mandalore.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\u2018Strike me down in anger and I’ll always be with you. Just like your father.\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Jedi Order also resembles the Catholic Church. An obvious comparison is the fragile balance of bureaucracy and mistrust between the Jedi and the Republic on Coruscant and the Vatican and secular authorities in Rome. More specifically, the Jedi can be interpreted as the Catholic military order of the Knights Templar. Both orders were led by a \u2018Grand Master\u2019\u2014most notably Yoda for the Jedi and Hugues de Payens for the Templars\u2014and composed of knights. Like the Jedi, the Templars swore to give up emotional attachments and possessions to uphold their ideals. Peter Konieczny describes how Templar Knights would \u2018renounce the world, give up personal goods, free themselves to pursue purity, and lead a communal life\u2019. It is difficult to believe that the Knights Templar were not a direct influence on Lucas. Liam Neeson illustrates the similarity through his portrayals of both a Templar Knight, Barisan of Ibelin, in Kingdom of Heaven<\/em> and Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn.<\/p>\n

Moreover, both orders were suspected of supernatural abilities. Jedi \u2018mind tricks\u2019 were well known and used to influence the decisions of others. Similarly, Peter Partner and Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa describe how the Knights Templar were accused of \u2018forbidden magical practices\u2019 and being \u2018engaged in black magic\u2019. Both orders suffered parallel demises. Clarence Perkins explains how Philip IV, Edward II, and Pope Clement V issued sealed writs ordering the arrests of all Templars, taking every precaution to prevent suspicion from leaking before their eventual executions. This resembles the Jedi Purge, in which Palpatine\u2019s \u2018Order 66\u2019 instructs the execution of the Jedi across the entire galaxy.<\/p>\n

Palpatine\u2019s secretive manoeuvring as the elusive Sith Lord while also serving as head of the Republic resonates with the Christian depiction of the Devil and demons. Euan Cameron argues that the reformist Martin Luther was \u2018convinced that the devil was actually occupying, controlling, and directing the Catholic Church\u2019\u2014just as Palpatine controlled the Republic. This idea is echoed by Kosztka\u2019s painting below, in which a mirror at the centre reveals a duality of man and Devil. Furthermore, Thomas Aquinas explains how people would give themselves over to demons, serving them in return for knowledge\u2014just as Anakin submits himself to Palpatine.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Ezra Opening the Jedi Holocron<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Christian symbolism of light and dark permeates the Bible: \u2018And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.\u2019 (John 3:19\u201320). Throughout Star Wars<\/em>, Palpatine is clad in red and black, and he conceals himself beneath a hooded robe whenever he appears as the Sith Lord\u2014reinforcing his role as a figure of deception and darkness.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the conflict between light and dark is visually represented in Anakin and Obi-Wan\u2019s final interactions. The last time they speak before Anakin becomes Darth Vader, Obi-Wan stands in the light while Anakin remains in the shadows. When they meet on Mustafar, Obi-Wan is dressed in light robes, whereas Anakin\u2019s are dark. Maffei\u2019s painting of Michael delivering a decisive blow to his fallen brother Lucifer strikingly resembles Obi-Wan\u2019s dismemberment of his fallen brother and former padawan, Anakin\u2014as light once again vanquishes the dark.<\/p>\n

As presented in this guide, the Star Wars<\/em> universe may be observed as an allegory for Christianity and its interpretation of the supernatural. The abilities of the Jedi mirror those of the saints, both bound by their faith\u2014whether in God or the Force. The parallels between relics and holocrons, the downfall of the Knights Templar and the Jedi Order, and Anakin\u2019s fall to the dark side all reinforce Star Wars<\/em> as a continuation of Christianity\u2019s age-old struggle between good and evil. By comparing classical paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and stained glass with modern Star Wars<\/em> media, we connect the past to the present\u2014demonstrating how the themes of faith, power, and morality remain timeless.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"  While the 'Creator' of the Start Wars Universe, George Lucas, has loosely described himself as a \u2018Methodist Buddhist\u2019, Christianity's influence on the franchise is hard to miss or to […]","protected":false},"author":7118,"featured_media":80,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christianity","category-science-fiction"],"meta_box":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76\/revisions\/86"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/cardiff-supernatural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}