Title image from Star Wars films
Bob Smietana, a religion writer, has written a hilarious article for the Washington Post comparing the Star Wars prequels to the Gnostic Gospels.
From the article:
While those gnostic Gospels have garnered headlines, they’ve never been embraced by the faithful. That’s in part because they’re terrible, filled with stilted dialogue and bizarre plot twists.
Take the Gospel of Judas, which seems to depict Jesus as a visitor from another dimension.
“I know who you are and where you have come from,” Judas tells Jesus at one point. “You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo.” That line would be perfectly at home in the “Star Wars” prequels.
Smietana’s family skipped the prequels and, between rounds of caroling, watched episodes IV, V, and VI, with a trip to their local movie theater for an afternoon showing of The Force Awakens.
Is Star Wars part of your Christmas tradition?
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Fun article. I hate to take it too seriously, but I can’t help but note that the prequels – which I hate less than most people – were directed by George Lucas.
That’s the Biblical equivalent of rock-solid evidence that the Gospel of Thomas was penned by St. Paul.
“How can you spot an Episcopalian in a Star Wars feature?” “Whenever anyone on screen says, ‘May the Force Be With You,’ Episcopalians reverently and audibly reply, “And also with you!” And yes, for those of us over 45 years of age “Trekker” just sounds more appropriate.
ha ha! I didn’t realize that there was a distinction on Trekker/Trekkie.
Rod: That line made me laugh out loud despite having a pretty rough Christmas cold, which was why this story made it into the Café–glad it entertained :).
The film with Jane Fonda was Barbarella. And no, I don’t remember it, as I was a wee child in 1968! But it appears occasionally in movie trivia games.
The correct term is Trekker. Trekkie is viewed as dismissive and insulting.
@ David Allen, “The film with Jane Fonda was Barbarella.” David, I know, I’ve seen it. Jane is my favorite Fonda.
Is it Trekker or Trekkie? Why in all this excitement I kinda lost rack myself.
Think I’ll stick with Trekkie, because despite loving the latest re-incarnation with a younger cast, the pretentious seriousness of it all ought to be dismissed. I ‘ll just eat my popcorn and enjoy the show.
I recommend the movie, Free Enterprise with Eric McCormack, Rafer Weigel, and William Shatner. It’s a great romantic riff on Trekkie geeks coming of age. Shatner’s rap at the end, No Tears For Caesar, is priceless.
oops another slip, I think Dirty Harry actually says, ” …I Kinda lost track myself”. Can I blame that one on spell check too?
The full article is hilarious, although a little dismissive of the non-canonical gospels which are fascinating from a religious studies perspective.
This line from the excerpt above caught my eye, “You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo.” Isn’t “Barbelo” a movie starring Jane Fonda ( :
The religion link to Star Wars is over done. I think of William Shatner’s line in the sketch, the bit where he says to Trekkie convention goers, “GET A LIFE, will you people? I mean, for crying out loud, it’s just a TV show! I mean, look at you, look at the way you’re dressed! You’ve turned an enjoyable little job, that I did as a lark for a few years, into a COLOSSAL WASTE OF TIME! ” ( ;
The Star Wars religion thing is way overdone. Sure, George Lucas played around with some religious themes; but the big thing was the homage to old fashioned movie serials from the 1930s and forward. The opening to the original movie kind of says it all.