Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

At first glance, Star Wars appears to be a fictional world built with religion and religious ethos: The Jedi live an ascetic lifestyle (much like Jesus, the Qumran community, Buddhist monks, and other religious orders), they dress kind of like Franciscan monks, they have a temple to gather in, they are guided by prophecy, and await deliverance to a better era by a "chosen one" figure; and let's not forget, Anakin Skywalker is literally the product of a virgin birth. Yet, probe a little deeper and you find most of that world building is only surface-level, falling apart under scrutiny. In this episode, join us as we ask Dr Andrew Mark Henry, What, if anything, does Star Wars have to offer those of us interested in religion? And how could George Lucas have created a better realized narrative? Our conversation focuses on the third installment in the Star Wars saga, Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) - the only film of our season with a failed "chosen one".  

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Glossary:

Asceticism -

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A practice of austere self-discipline, and abstention from certain behaviours and material comforts.

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Asceticism can be seen in many religious traditions (practised, for example, by members of Christian monastic orders, within Islamic mysticism, in Jainism, and in some types of Buddhism). However, the specifics of the practice differ according to the religious group, including which worldly comforts are avoided.

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Ascetic -

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One who practises self-discipline, austerity, and abstinence; sometimes, mortification of the body. From the Greek askētēs, meaning "monk".

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Canon -

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From the Greek, kanōn, meaning "measuring rod" or "standard". Can refer to a corpus of approved writings (or other works), comprising either (i) writings genuinely considered to be those of a given author; or (ii) writings traditionally considered to demonstrative of a particular genre, culture, nation, language, or set of beliefs. Canon can also refer to: a principle (or, ethics); an ecclesiastical law; an official list of saints; or, a cathedral dignitary.  

 

The Christian Bible is considered canon therefore, because it is a collection of texts recognized by an authoritative body (religious leaders) to be genuine or authoritative. However, just as there is no one set of religious leaders in Christianity, there is no one Bible either: The Anglican, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Assyrian churches, for example, each have their own canons. For this same reason, the Jewish canon, the Tanakh, differs (in the selection of texts and/or how they are ordered) from Christian Old Testaments. Though the concept of canonicity comes mainly from Christianity, many religious traditions have a set of texts or books given a special authority within that tradition.

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Deuterocanon - 

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The texts and writings included in the Old Testament canon by the the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, and Assyrian churches, but not included in Protestant canon. 

 

Nag Hammadi Library -

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A set of early Christian and Gnostic texts dating to the 3rd and 4th centuries. Buried in a sealed jar, the library was discovered in the upper Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi in 1945.

 

Gnostic -

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One who possesses special knowledge of spiritual truth (good and evil) and of the illusory nature of the world, or gnosis.

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Episode Credits:

Many thanks to Dr Andrew Mark Henry for his time and expertise.

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Andrew is a scholar of early Christianity with a research focus on late Roman magical practices and demonology. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Mind and Culture, a non-profit research centre in Boston, MA. Andrew also manages Religion for Breakfast, a hugely popular YouTube channel dedicated to online religious literacy education. You can find Andrew on Twitter @AndrewMarkHenry

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Additional Content:

Enjoyed what you heard and looking for more? Don't miss our Bonus Chat with Andrew​, where we talk about teaching religion with film and the process behind Religion for Breakfast.

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