The Return of the Jedi :: essays research papers

The Return of the Jedi     So far this semester, we have stu leadd several(prenominal) different sociologicaltheories of godliness. These theories are built on both the cognise history of religions in the world and the cultures in which they originated, as well as, appropriately enough, theoretical suggestions of how those religions, and indeed some(prenominal) religion at all, will stretch out in the future. The theory I find the most trueis ascetic and Bainbridges in The Future of Religion, although I like someelements from former(a)s, like Bergers concepts of depersonalisation and secularization.     George Lucass Star Wars trilogy, apart from being incrediblyentertaining and extremely well-made, gives us a complete portrait of a society(The Empire) and a religion (Jediism, for lack of a better term). Although themovies are mostly devoted to the increment of the characters, throughout thetrilogy we see the society change in a drastic manner. This paper will examinethe history of Jediism, the current (as of the end of the last(a) movie) status ofthe religion, and offer some suggestions as to what we can expect from Jediismin the future.          I. The Religion     To examine the future of religion as it relates to society, virtuoso must(prenominal)first have an idea of the tenets and beliefs on which the religion is based.Jediism is based simply on belief in the "force", a "Universal heftiness field thatsurrounds us and permeates us". (O. Kenobi, SW) Stark and Bainbridge make thepoint that any religion based on magic or magic-like rituals is fated to die outunless the magic can work constantly and consistently. This, they argue, is why many a(prenominal) religions change from bright magic, which is quite verifiable (Did he,in fact, levitate?) to promising compensators, a sort of unverifiable magic. Agood example of this is the Chris tian Heaven. Stark and Bainbridge take it as agiven, however, that magic, or abilities that parallel magic, do not, in fact,exist. This makes an attempt to theorize about the future of Jediism moredifficult, since the religion is based, in part, on the belief that oneness withthe "force" has the ability to contribute extraordinary powers to individuals-- abelief than is vindicated numerous times throughout the series.     The internal organization of the religion is, apparently, entirelynonexistant. There is no leader, nor is there any defined structure. Much likeclassical Taoism, various get the hang exist, and students and supplicants must seekout a master on their deliver in order to learn. There is no hierarchy to advance in,other than the ability to eventually hone ones faith to a degree that one can