Sunday Dispatch.760
 

Sunday Dispatch.760

Selected from an interview with Paul Kent about his book, The Real Force: A Forty Day Devotional ~ from Bible Gateway

Why do you think Star Wars and its themes of good and evil resonate with audiences so well?

Paul Kent: “Good and evil” is the world we live in. We see it every day and everyone—most people, at least—hope to see the “good” win. The first six Star Wars movies are really a story of redemption, starting with Anakin Skywalker’s seduction and fall to become Darth Vader, continuing through his restoration at the end of Return of the Jedi. I think that’s what most people want to see—evil defeated and people made good.

How did you find familiarity between those stories about a “galaxy far far away” and the Bible?

Paul Kent: A lot of people these days are talking about the Bible as a story. There is a big “story arc” in Scripture, starting with the Creation and then the fall of humanity, with God’s plan to redeem people through Jesus, taking us all the way to new heavens and a new earth. I think any good story—like Star Wars—will have parallels to God’s big, overall story of life. When I watch the films, I see characters and events and themes that remind me of characters and events and themes in the Bible. There are heroes who do great things, even though they’re not always perfect; very much like many Bible characters. There are villains who do terrible things, even though—like the Bible says—our battle isn’t against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers like that “dark side” of the Force. The analogies aren’t always exact, but there are plenty of similarities to draw biblical points from.

Why do you think there are so many similarities in Star Wars to popular themes and stories in the Bible?

Paul Kent: As I mention in the book, I want to be careful not to imply that the Star Wars movies are “Christian films.” They aren’t coming from a specifically biblical point of view. But, having said that, I believe all great stories will have parallels to the ultimate “story of life” that we see in the Bible. There’s an ongoing battle between good and evil. We have people in need and a great hero to fight for us. There are victories and defeats along the way, but in the end—with both the Bible and the Star Wars series—good wins. Those are the big themes, and individual scenes and characters fall within them.

With Star Wars such a phenomenon, do you hope to inspire some fans who may not be as familiar with the Bible?

Paul Kent: Definitely. One of my goals in writing is to spur people’s interest in the Bible. And I think when we start with something that people already know and love—like the Star Wars films—and then bring up some interesting biblical parallels, it may cause people to say, “Hey, I’d like to know more about what’s in the Bible.” That’s certainly my hope.


Bio: Paul Kent has coauthored, contributed to, or authored many books, including Know Your Bible, Bible Curiosities: An Illustrated Guide to the Mysterious, Odd & Shocking Stories of Scripture, and The Complete People and Places of the Bible: A Concise Guide to Every Named Person and Location in Scripture. His goal is to spur interest in the Bible for readers of all ages and backgrounds.