Franciscan Media: Star Wars and Christian Mysticism

Over the last four decades many have tried to pin down the possible spiritual or religious origins of Star Wars. Often these attempts have been in vain, as if to boost the validity of one’s own religion or belief-system by attaching it to a cultural phenomenon, as if to say, “See, what I believe is popular!” There’s been an influx of these voices once more with the release of The Rise of Skywalker last December and The Mandalorian on Disney+ (Season 2 was released recently). Know that this is not one of those attempts.

Like any good storytelling, the truths that resound in Star Wars are universal, connecting deeply to the human experience—to each person’s journey through conflict and suffering to love and awakening. Though science-fiction, Star Wars does what Richard Rohr says is true of sacred mythology and parables. It taps into something that is truer than true and, in this sense, is deeply spiritual, resonating across religions, belief-systems, and cultures.

These undertones, I believe, are worth exploring because of their sacred resonance. Its themes are so subjectively true to each viewer that it connects to something that is universally true, something that threads through all of reality. Some might call this “God.”

This blog was first published by Franciscan Media. You can read the rest of the blog entry HERE.