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A True Hope: Jedi Perils and the Way of Jesus
The Star Wars films have maintained a tremendous following for almost forty years, attracting successive generations of audiences while sustaining their appeal for lifelong fans. As viewers return to these stories again and again, the movies exert tremendous influence on their perceptions of the world. Star Wars offers an accessible starting point for considering substantive issues of faith, philosophy, and ethics. In A True Hope, Joshua Hays explores some of these challenging ideas through the sayings of the Jedi Masters, encouraging Christians to reflect on them thoughtfully. In so doing, Hays examines the ways the worldview of the Jedi is at odds with that of the Bible. Readers who accompany Hays on this journey will continue to enjoy the entertainment of the Star Wars galaxy while strengthening the stability and coherence of their faith.
186 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 29, 2015
3 1/2 stars....I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book starts with one premise: the religion of the Jedi, a fictional part of the very fictional universe of Star Wars, is real, or at least real enough that people will take it seriously and convert to Jedi-ism.
I find this to be a very long stretch of the imagination, however, there are numbers to back up the author’s claim. For instance, in the 2001 census, there were almost 400,000 people that put down Jedi as their religion in the official census (wikipedia link here).
Because of this, the author has spent a considerable amount of time debunking why being a Jedi is a good, true religion, instead of Christianity. If these almost 400,000 people in the UK were actually serious about their choice of belief system, I would say that the author had some pretty good points.
The author does an incredible job of defining the Jedi belief system, and then comparing it to Christianity, showing, without a doubt that Christianity is the superior choice in religions.
At the end of it though, I have yet to see anyone besides monks in monasteries, wearing robes, and I haven’t heard of anyone seriously wielding a light saber, truly believing they are a Jedi of the Star Wars universe.
While the premise of the book is noble, saving all those unsuspecting Jedi-wannabe’s from the fiery pits of hell for following Yoda and Obi-Wan, I think the numbers of Jedi in our midst are more an inflated reaction of thumbing their nose at the government’s inclusion of religion in the census than true followers of the Force.
This book starts with one premise: the religion of the Jedi, a fictional part of the very fictional universe of Star Wars, is real, or at least real enough that people will take it seriously and convert to Jedi-ism.
I find this to be a very long stretch of the imagination, however, there are numbers to back up the author’s claim. For instance, in the 2001 census, there were almost 400,000 people that put down Jedi as their religion in the official census (wikipedia link here).
Because of this, the author has spent a considerable amount of time debunking why being a Jedi is a good, true religion, instead of Christianity. If these almost 400,000 people in the UK were actually serious about their choice of belief system, I would say that the author had some pretty good points.
The author does an incredible job of defining the Jedi belief system, and then comparing it to Christianity, showing, without a doubt that Christianity is the superior choice in religions.
At the end of it though, I have yet to see anyone besides monks in monasteries, wearing robes, and I haven’t heard of anyone seriously wielding a light saber, truly believing they are a Jedi of the Star Wars universe.
While the premise of the book is noble, saving all those unsuspecting Jedi-wannabe’s from the fiery pits of hell for following Yoda and Obi-Wan, I think the numbers of Jedi in our midst are more an inflated reaction of thumbing their nose at the government’s inclusion of religion in the census than true followers of the Force.
January 11, 2016
I REALLY wanted to like this book. I have been a fan (albeit not a FAN) of Star Wars since "A New Hope" first came out. I had this book on my wish list - and I got it for Christmas. But it was not what I had hoped. It proof texted Star Wars, was way to conservative for my more progressive theology and wound up simply an apologetic for a conservative, evangelical outlook. I do NOT think that the Jedi "religion" is a full religion worth following, but I do think Star Wars was rather unfairly portrayed in this very one-sided portrayal. I[m not sure that Christianity really came out all that well either (sadly).
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews