The Church of Jedi-Yup It’s a real thing. Really.

I know what you’re all probably thinking looking at that title. A Church? Of Jedi? Well go ahead and sign me up! Does it come with light sabers? Well, before you rush off to buy the robe and start learning the ways of the force, take a step back, and read this article first. 

So we all know that George Lucas’ famous film franchise, Star Wars, has given rise to several other organizations and enterprises. It has also continued to live on through both the renown of the films and the extended universe novels. However, perhaps very few people expected one of the more controversial groups to come out of the Star Wars franchise: the Jedi Church. Though I suppose it should be mentioned that the Jedi Church itself claims to have existed, without a name, before the Star Wars movies were even an.  Today the Jedi Church sits moderately well. They are legally recognized as a religion in several countries. In fact, the Jedi are the second largest religion in  in New Zealand right now. 


This week, I’m going to give a pretty brief summary about the Jedi Church, for any and all who are interested. I’m also going to give my two cents about one of the more prominent arguments against the Jedi Church, the one where people don’t think it should be a religion because it “comes from a fictional movie franchise.” (I think that’s a silly argument, and if you read on, you’ll get to find out why.)

But let’s talk first about the Jedi in a little more detail. The Jedi Church is an international organization. It currently has members in New Zealand (as a matter of fact, the Jedi Church is the second largest religion in New Zealand), the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. They  believe in an “all powerful force that binds the universe together.” The force exists in all people and all things, unifying everyone and everything. They recognize two sides of the force, the light side and the dark side. There is no central deity in the Jedi Church, as a matter of fact, the website for the main organization (which you can reach here, if you felt so inclined.) acknowledges that the idea of a singular deity that can act on its own is something that must be considered by individual Jedi. Some Jedi might consider the force itself to be a deity, as it is pervasive and essentially the energy of life itself.

While there are clearly several similarities between the Jedi Church ideology and that of the Jedi Council in the Star Wars movies, the Church denies the fact that they came from the movies. On the contrary, they claim to have existed long before the Star Wars movies were even written, and the movies just brought attention to and provided a name for the organization that already existed. As a matter of fact, most religions argue that they are older than their so-called founder. For example, Joseph Smith stated that the Book of Mormon had existed long before he got it out of the mountain and translated it. The Jedi Church acknowledges that the Star Wars movies, from which their Church gets its name, are fictitious. However, the ideology they follow, and the force itself, have existed long before the movies, and will continue to exist long after.

Disregarding the Jedi as a real religion, simply because they may have taken their ideas from a popular movie series, is, in my opinion, rather silly. The source of a religion is ultimately irrelevant. The sincerity of the believers is much more important. While there are some people who claim to be Jedi simply to spite any other major religious group, they do not represent the majority of the followers of the Jedi faith. For the most part, Jedi truly believe in the force, and the balance between the light side and the dark side.  A science fiction movie as a source of religion is no less valid than a religion started by a single person spreading their views and beliefs. Most of the founders of some of the more prominent religions have been considered to be crazy, or misguided, or even outright liars. That doesn’t make the religions they ‘started’ any less valid. Jedi, then, should be held to the same standards. The members are sincere in their belief. Therefore, their beliefs should be respected.

So, if the Jedi Church sounds interesting to you, you should definitely head over to their website and check them out. Just remember, choosing your religion is a very thoughtful and difficult process. As much as you may want to be a Jedi, please, analyze your reasons for doing so. Normally I don’t get preachy on this blog, but, I feel the need to make this little blanket warning. A religion is not something you pick to be ‘lolzy’ or to make some sort of statement against something you dislike. If you’re going to become a member of a religion, you should do so because you truly believe in their ideology. So please, don’t actually become a Jedi until you have thought deeply about it, and decided that it’s really what you want. It is a real religion. It should be treated as such. 


Well, that’s enough preachiness out of me to last for awhile. Sorry about that. I’d love to hear some feedback from you about what you think about the Jedi faith. Particularly all you Star Wars fans out there! 


Until next time, then.


Angel out!