"Is Jediism a religion?" (video essay)

[Deleted]

I'm sure we'll play nice and examine this phenomenon in a constructive and respectful way. I enjoyed this video on the subject. Some people take the Jedi philosophy very seriously. Joseph Campbell himself admired how the films expressed basic mythological tropes for a new generation, so there's something to the Force as the heart and soul of the fandom. 

[Malcadon]

All I can say, man, is...



The Dude abides.

[Deleted]

Feb 12, 2021 13:07:28 GMT -6 Malcadon said:

All I can say, man, is...



The Dude abides.

I dunno about y'all, but I'm glad he's out there takin' it easy for all us sinners.

[tkdco2]

Have you forgotten?



On a more serious note, the video has some good points, but is Jediism a religion or a philosophy? Since there's a debate about the existence of Force powers*, it sounds like there's a critical component in the belief system, which makes it more in line with a philosophy.

*Not actually as far-fetched as it seems. I see Force powers as analogous to psychic abilities, and many people do believe in their existence.

[Deleted]

Feb 14, 2021 16:21:42 GMT -6 tkdco2 said:

Have you forgotten?



On a more serious note, the video has some good points, but is Jediism a religion or a philosophy? Since there's a debate about the existence of Force powers*, it sounds like there's a critical component in the belief system, which makes it more in line with a philosophy.

*Not actually as far-fetched as it seems. I see Force powers as analogous to psychic abilities, and many people do believe in their existence.

There's also the Force itself, an energy field created by and sustained by life and the Universe itself which is fairly consistent with many mainstream Eastern religious belief systems. It's my understanding that a lot of self-professed Jedi who answer the census believe in the energy field but not necessarily in their ability to manipulate it like the Jedi in the movies. So, basically, in something akin to the practitioners of Neo-Paganism, they've adopted a symbol or idea from another source and re-contextualized it into a personal belief system that differs from the source material but is very much based upon it. This belief in a universal Force could be said to be a matter of faith or belief instead of a philosophy. When you add the Jedi Code you have both, and it seems more like a religion at that point. 

[thomden]

Yes.