Rise of the Jedi

 

By:  Heather Abraham aka Religion Nerd 

Did you know that Jediism is the fourth largest religion in the UK?  That’s right, adherents to the Jedi religion followed Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism in the 2001 census ranking fourth with 0.79% of the population. The Jedi Knight is not only alive and well in the UK but is also thriving in many other English speaking countries including the United States.  According to the most recent census records, adherents to the Jedi religion number 400,000 in England, 53,000 in New Zealand, 55,000 in Canada and 70,000 in Australia.  In the United States, Jedi Churches have been founded in Maryland, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, and Florida.  

Jedi adherents are coming out of their cosmic closets and proudly claiming their commitment to the Jedi way of life.  In April 2009 the BBC reported that the Strathclyde police force had no less than ten members of the Jedi religion.  During an interview with BBC, Chris Herbert, editor for the Jane’s Police Review remarked, “The Force appears to be strong in Strathclyde with their Jedi police officers and staff.  Far from living a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, some members of the noble Jedi order have now chosen Glasgow and its surrounding streets as their home.”    

Before continuing to explore this way cool new religious movement let’s briefly explore the meaning of the term new religious movement (NRM).  In New Religions A Guide, J. Gordon Melton argues, “the ‘new’ in new religions most often refers to the seeker rather than the religion itself.  That is to say, most new religions are presenting old religions in a new context and to a new audience.”   Thus, many new NRM’s are often a complex reimagining of a single or a blending of several existing religious traditions.  However, not all NRM’s arise from existing religious worldviews.  Some movements, like Scientology or Eckankar emerge independently and challenge the very manner in which we define religion.  For some, new religious movements can be construed as “challenging the older religious structures” and thus can be viewed “by many as destructive of the very fabric of society.”  It is important to understand that all religions begin as new religious movements.  Both Christianity and Islam, for example, began as radical new movements whose ideas threatened the existing religious worldview.  Now, let’s get back to the Jedi.                                                                                                                     

What is the Jedi Religion?  Jediism is a non-theistic new religious movement based on the philosophical teachings of the Jedi in George Lucas’ mega hit series, Star Wars.  According to the Temple of The Jedi Force, 

Jediism is a modern religion which was born as the result of the Star Wars mythology.  George Lucas, when he created the Star Wars saga, used various aspects of Taoism, Shintoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Mysticism, and many other religious universal truths as well as a combination of different martial arts and the code of chivalry, in order to create the Jedi and the philosophies behind the Force.  The Jedi are modern versions of the Shao Lin Monk, the European Knight, and the Samurai warrior all mixed together.  The Jedi path has become an inspiration and way of life for many people throughout the world who take on the mantle of the Jedi.  Even though Jediism is a new faith, it is just as real as the ancient faiths and philosophies that it came from….. 

Jedi Creed

Followers of the Jedi religion/philosophy follow the way of the Jedi and live by the Jedi Code.  Like all other religions, established or new, Jediism is complex and extremely diverse.  Having no central authority, each Jedi organization is independent and therefore has differing philosophical and theological beliefs.  For the most part, Jedi organizations are democratic in nature and majority vote is necessary to implement any changes in church structure or doctrine.  Although tremendously diverse, most Jedi organizations profess commitment to the following Jedi Creed.   (Click on the Red Button Below to Read More)