Jediism: right now in a galaxy right here
Jediism at the intersection of religion and popular culture
Since the 1970’s, the Star Wars franchise has grown into an iconic artifact of popular culture. Many people call themselves Star Wars ‘fans’, and express their dedication to varying degrees. Yet for a select group of individuals, Star Wars has provided more than simple enjoyment, it is considered a way of life. These are the people that practice Jediism, a religion that is derived from the beliefs and lifestyles of the Jedi in the Star Wars franchise.
It is clear that Jediism arose as a byproduct of Star Wars culture, but it has been widely debated whether this practice should be considered a religion. This article examines the evolution of Jediism, Jediism as a product of popular culture, and Jediism as a religion itself.
Quick links to article sections;
1: The evolution of Jediism
2: Double Circuit of Culture — Jediism and Star Wars
3: Jediism as a religion
EPISODE 1: THE RISE OF JEDIISM
A brief timeline of the technological progression and growth of the Star Wars franchise, that ultimately facilitated the development of the Jediism religion. This provides interesting insight into the development of a modern religion.
1970’s:
— 1970: The beginning of the internet
— 1973: The first personal computer
— 1977: Release of ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope’
The religious themes in Star Wars became an immediate topic of discussion and debate throughout general, academic and religious media. This dialogue occurred via telephone channels, personal mail, and fan published newsletter publications, because the ‘internet’ of the time was still in its rudimentary stages. Additionally, local fan club meetings and conventions promoted face-to-face interaction, further developing a strong community of Star Wars fans (McCormick, 2012).
1980's
— 1980:
-Expansion of ‘Usenet’, an online University discussion platform-Release of ‘Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back’
— 1982: LucasArts gaming division is created
— 1983: Release of ‘Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi’
The release of Usenet, a platform for networked communication between American universities, as well as the release of two more Star Wars films, created an exponential increase in Star Wars based discussion. Dedicated fans were shared deeper understanding of the religious themes in the films, comparing Star Wars to existing religions. The emergence of Star Wars spin-off products, including role playing computer games, enabled personal exploration of the fictional religious identity as a Jedi. Through virtual association with the Star Wars fictional religions, fans began to relate to the Jedi lifestyle and to apply the wisdom of the fictional Jedi to their own lives (McCormick 2012).
1990's
— 1995: Commercial and public access to the internet
Public access to the internet allowed more participation in online discussions and exponentially increased the number of Star Wars discussion threads. This decade characterized an obvious transition from fans to followers, with ‘Jediism’ as a real-life belief system emerging in online conversation (McCormick 2012).
2000’s to Now
Formation of online Jedi academies, such as The Temple of the Jedi Order, provided moral and physical instruction on the path to Jediism through assigned readings, fitness tasks, and mental exercises. While the majority of communication now occurs online, Jediist groups occasionally engage in real-life meetings. Continued engagement maintains a universal doctrine, as well as rules of practice for Jediism (Temple of the Jedi Order).
EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CIRCUIT OF CULTURE
To understand the beliefs and practices of the Jediist religion, it is crucial to examine the influence of the Star Wars universe on Jediism. This connection can be made using Stewart Halls’ “Circuit of Culture” with respect to the cultural elements of Star Wars and Jediism, as practiced in the Temple of the Jedi Order. For a complete analysis, I am proposing a ‘double Circuit of Culture”, to demonstrate how the representation of religion in Star Wars became the basis of Jediism religion.
Star Wars Circuit of Culture
Representation:
Star Wars represents a traditional coming of age story, expressed through a shared pool of mythic archetypes. It connects the myths and religions presented across many cultures, and distills them into universal motifs. These motifs are represented in Star Wars as the ‘Hero’s Journey’, a classic shared storyline, coined by Joseph Campbell (Burns and Becker 2004).
Identity:
Star Wars was directed by American filmmaker, George Lucas. Lucas endeavoured to create a space-opera with heroic characters to make an impression on young people. The 1970’s were dominated by dark apocalyptic films about anti-heroes, reflecting the political cynicism of the time. Lucas had an interest in mythology and philosophy, adding another dimension to his work, and having a large influence on the underlying themes within Star Wars (Burns and Becker 2004).
Production:
When Lucas presented his initial concept of Star Wars, he was rejected by many film companies. His talent was eventually recognized by 20th Century Fox, although very few people involved in the project took it seriously. The film was innovative on many levels as Lucas revolutionized special effects, robotics, merchandising, as well as creative ideas never seen before. Up until the release of Star Wars in 1977, the challenge was creating unity in the production disbelievers to complete the project (Burns and Becker 2004).
Consumption:
Star Wars was initially screened in only 37 theatres. The film was an immediate success generating a total of $273 million in the box office, and far exceeding Lucas’ $10 million expectation. Star Wars connected individuals, with fans greeting each other with the phrase ‘May the force be with you’. The film had world wide cultural, as it represented a story of mankind that was not restricted by culture or geography (Burns and Becker 2004).
Regulation:
The Star Wars film budget, schedule, and creative vision was regulated by its production company, 20th Century Fox. The screening was regulated by movie theatres, and ultimately public acceptance (Burns and Becker 2004).
Jediism Circuit of Culture
Representation:
Jediism is a religion, understood as a collective and institutionalized engagement with the divine. Jediist groups practice their religion in reference to their shared belief in the Force (Davidsen 2016). The Force is explained by the Temple of the Jedi Order, one of the legally recognized Jedi churches and ministries, as an animistic metaphysical entity that surrounds and resides in everyone. The Temple of the Jedi order describes Jediism as being a practice inspired by multiple religions integrated in George Lucas’ vision of the Force (Williams, Miller, and Kitchen 2016).
Identity:
The Temple of the Jedi Order was founded by John Henry Phelan, who was raised in a very Catholic environment in Texas, U.S.A. His distaste of the exclusivity of old world religions and his passion for the religious aspects of Star Wars, encouraged him to found a Jedi organization that was accepting of all individuals (Williams, Miller, and Kitchen 2016).
Jedi’s of the Temple of the Jedi Order can advance in rank from Novice to Master through a degree training program and apprenticeship (Temple of the Jedi Order).
Production:
The Temple of the Jedi Order was established as a non-profit corporation on December 25, 2005. The first action of the corporation was the creation of its website. The Temple has additional online presence on Facebook, Youtube, Google+, and Twitter. As a non-profit church, the funding for the Temple of the Jedi Order is achieved through donations, merchandising and fundraising (Temple of the Jedi Order).
Consumption:
Jediism in the Temple of the Jedi Order can be practiced by any individual who has a belief in the Force (Temple of the Jedi Order). As an online institution, it is accessible to people from all over the world. Many of the endorsed practices such as meditation are practiced individually on members own time. Other practices, such as weekly online sermons, promote collective listening and discussion. Jediism is a very inclusive religion, and individuals of any faith can practice (Davidsen 2016).
Regulation:
The Temple of the Jedi Order is governed by a board of directors, called the Council. Members of the Temple are required to follow a set of rules, or guidelines, that are enforced and regulated by the Council (Williams, Miller, and Kitchen 2016).
EPISODE III: REVENGE OF RELIGION
Is Jediism truly a religion? This is a difficult question to analyze because religion is such an elusive concept to define. Therefore, in this last segment the connection between Jediism and religion will be critically analyzed using Christina Albanese’s three types of definitions of religion, to demonstrate that Jediism constitutes as a religion. The Jedi practices that will be considered in this last section pertain specifically to the Temple of the Jedi Order.
Substantive
‘Substantive definitions of religion focus on the inner core, essence, or nature of a religion and define it by the thing-in-itself’ — C. Albenese (Forbes 2017)
Jediists have a shared belief in the metaphysical divine entity called the Force. Jediism practices involve interacting with the Force through meditation and other ritual techniques. The Force itself is believed to be monistic in nature, meaning that it is intrinsically good. It viewed as an animistic entity, a distinct spiritual essence that is contained within, and surrounds everything. Jedi’s explain that their belief in the Force stems from George Lucas’ depiction of the Force in Star Wars, as a single motif to represent common elements of all religions (Davidsen 2016).
Functional
‘Functional definitions of religion emphasize the effects of religion in actual life. They stress the systems of meaning-making the religion provides and how it helps people deal with the ills, insecurities and catastrophes of living.’ — C. Albenese (Forbes 2017)
There are three aspects of the functional definition of religion, social cohesion, meaning-making, and encounter with transcendence. Jediism, through institutions such as the Temple of the Jedi Order, provides social cohesion through online forums and group events such as live-streamed Sunday sermons and real-life meetings (Temple of the Jedi Order). Jediism provides self-meaning by emphasizing physical and spiritual development, combined with social philanthropic commitment. Jediism also provides an opportunity to encounter transcendence, through the Force, by practices such as meditation and ritual (Williams, Miller, and Kitchen 2016).
Formal
‘Formal definitions of religion look for typically religious forms gleaned from the comparative study of religions and find the presence of religion where such forms can be identified. Religious forms include sacred stories, rituals, moral codes, and communities.’ — C. Albenese(Forbes 2017)
Jediism follows a Jedi doctrine for religious moral guidance, comprised of; the Code, the Creed, the 16 Teachings, the 21 Maxims, and the 3 Tenets (Temple of the Jedi Order). The doctrine is an expression of the collective ideals of Jediism to promote empathy, understanding and compassion. As opposed to constituting divine writings, the Jedi doctrine is fundamentally human in nature serves as a guideline to orthopraxy, an emphasis on moral action and behaviour (Williams, Miller, and Kitchen 2016).
Whether you believe that Jediism is a true religion or not, the underlying belief system of these individuals inspired by George Lucas’ Star Wars can be appreciated. There is no question why it is so easy for individuals to associate with the path of the Jedi, as the inspiration behind Jedi religion, and the Force in Star Wars, was the distillation of many religious beliefs across the world and throughout time.
May the Force be with you!
References:
Burns, Kevin, and Becker, Edith. 2004. Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. Prometheus Entertainment in association with Lucasfilm, DVD.
Davidsen, Markus Altena. 2016. “From Star Wars to Jediism: The Emergence of Fiction-based Religion.” In The Future of the Religious Past, edited by de Vries, Hent, 376–389. Fordham University Press.
Forbes, Bruce David. 2017. “Introduction: Finding Religion in Unexpected Places”. In Religion and Popular Culture in America, 3rd edition, edited by Forbes, Bruce David, and Mahan, Jeffrey H, 1–24. University of California Press.
McCormick, Debbie. 2012. “The Sanctification of Star Wars: From Fans to Followers”. In Handbook of Hyper-real Religions, edited by Possamai, Adam, 165–184. Brill.
Williams, Ash., Bejamin-Alexandre Miller, and Michael Kitchen. 2016. “Jediism and the Temple of the Jedi Order”. In Fiction, Invention and Hyper-reality: From popular culture to religion, edited by Cusack, Carole, 119–133. Routledge.
