The Bible in Star Wars

This blog is in response to "The driving force of STAR WARS". I wanted to take the time to organize my thoughts and not be limited to 750 characters.

First, before I continue I do want to express that I do not believe "Star Wars" is a perfect picture of biblical truth. However, the influence of the Bible in "Star Wars" motion pictures is rabidly apparent. Second, I do not presume to know Mr. Lucas's actual beliefs on the subject, but I do know that the America he grew up in was one where most people at least knew the Golden Rule, five of the Ten Commandments, and at least attended church services at Easter and Christmas. Third, this is not an exhaustive list of examples, this is what I am recalling right now. For the purpose of my memory I will begin with the Original Trilogy and end with the Prequels.

Episode IV:
The best example we have here is Obi-Wan Kenobi battling Darth Vader. First, Vader tells him that he is now the master, and Ben replies: "Only a master of evil, Darth." The evil of Satan is nothing compared to the goodness of God. It is not equal to God's good. In biblical terms evil is easy, because how difficult is it to think of yourself first and look out for your own interest? Obviously, it's not at all. Next, Ben tells him "if you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine". When Christ died on the cross for the sins of mankind he saved all who would believe in him from death (Ben died to free Luke and the others from the Death Star). However, Christ's work continues, paying for our sin he was physically resurrected and gives believers his Holy Spirit.

In literature there are often figures known as "the Christ character". The author uses them to save the others in some way (the Lion in "Lion, Witch, Wardrobe", for example). To a degree (albeit to an imperfect degree), Ben is symbolic of both Christ and the Holy Spirit, because he continues to speak to Luke and guide him with the information he needs.

Episode V:
Yoda again reminds Luke that the Dark Side of the Force is not equal in strength, or greater, than the Light Side. Luke asks "is the Dark Side stronger". Yoda: "No, no. Quicker, easy, most protective." Again, evil is easy, doing the right thing is difficult.

In another scene with Yoda Luke's X-Wing sinks and Yoda rises it from the murky water. Luke exclaims: "I don't believe it!" Yoda says, "That, is why you fail." Jesus tells us in John 3:16 that "whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life". The word for "believe" means to "trust in, cling to, put your faith in".

Episode VI:
This is where the film and biblical truth have a major difference. Luke knows there is "still good" in his father, but people are not saved on the basis of their goodness. "Only God is good", Jesus told his disciples. Therefore, we do not earn salvation, but it is a gift of grace.

However, p. 120 of THE MAGIC OF MYTH clearly spells out the biblical interpretation of redemption and how it relates to Darth Vader. I was happily surprised to read this back in 1997 when the book was originally published. Basically, that Vader's redemption is not without repentance: he turns from the Dark Side of the Force by destroying the Emperor and returns to the Light Side (again, not a perfect allusion, but certainly a good illustration to a point). Therefore, Vader is no longer a slave to the Emperor or the Dark Side (symbolic of sin).

Episode VI is also the first film where I notice "Jedi hating". First, from Jabba the Hutt (moreso in the novel than in the movie) and second from the Emperor. It seems Jedi are either respected or hated (come to think of it, Owen Lars had a little of this in Episode IV).

I interpret the Jedi as being symbolic of Christians. Some people respect Christianity, even if they themselves are not. Others absolutely hate Christians. When I watched the Prequels, especially Episodes I & II I was often disappointed in the Jedi. Yes, they have supernatural abilities, but they often make major mistakes. Obi-Wan wasn't all that nice to Anakin in the beginning, and the Jedi left Boba Fett orphaned and alone. However, this in and of itself is a good Biblical lesson: if we were perfect, we wouldn't need the saving. God grants salvation to imperfect people and then conforms them to the mind of Christ--but this is a lifelong process. Going back to the blog that inspired me to write this--do I see Christians as guardians? Yes, but like the fictional Jedi, we make mistakes. We sin. That is why Jesus tells us not to judge, because only a Perfect Judge can be just.

The Prequels

If the original Trilogy focuses on Jedi and the redemptive power of the Light Side of the Force, then the Prequels focus on the Sith and the seductiveness of the Dark Side. I did not think it was a mistake that Palpatine's robes have red streaks when he first tempts Anakin with the Dark Side. Palpatine certainly signifies Satan. Like the biblical devil he is manipulative, shrewd, he twists the truth, he is a liar, he plays with emotions. The Bible says that knowledge puffs up and Palpatine tells Anakin, "I foresee that you will be the greatest of all the Jedi". He puffs Anakin with pride and the Bible tells us "pride goes before a fall". Like the devil Palpatine gets people "bogged down in procedure" and gives them phantom menaces to chase while a larger problem goes unchecked (i.e., their spiritual condition).

The part in Episode III that gets me the most is how right on Anakin is when he says, "the Jedi are selfless, they only care about others." In Philippians 2:3-4 Paul writes: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (NIV version). Paul says that's the attitude Christ Jesus had during his ministry on Earth and as Christians (which simply means "little christs") we ought to have the same. So the Sith and the Jedi are not the same; although I can see how Palpatine can twist it into that.

THE MAGIC OF MYTH goes into other ways Lucas borrowed from the Bible, but the point of this blog was to communicate that I believe he might have borrowed more than that book pointed out.

I apologize that this is not exhaustive and there is so much more to say on the subject. Perhaps this is "Part 1".