On Thursday, Oct. 23, the Center for Spiritual Life held their third session of a six-week event delving into the spirituality of one of the most beloved movie franchises of all time, “Star Wars.” The program is led by the University's Christian Chaplain, Karl LaClair. Alongside his work as a religious leader, LaClair is an avid “Star Wars” fan and has been for over 30 years. He carries a deep passion for the franchise and is the host of a weekly podcast called “The Wampa’s Lair,” which has run for 14 years.

LaClair explained that the event would be structured similarly to that of a Christian devotional in which one reads sacred texts and uses them to further their spiritual understanding. However, LaClair said that they would be treating clips from the movie as their “texts” for this devotional in order to both better understand the unfolding plot and the greater lessons the movie had to offer.

As a Christian chaplain, LaClair has more insight into one faith than others. However, he felt that in order to analyze movies like “Star Wars,” denomination had little part to play, especially because some of the spiritual messaging, including emphasis on themes such as justice, compassion and care for others, is so universally understood. He emphasized this quality as being critical when understanding the spirituality of “Star Wars,” especially to assure attendees that this program was not only for those of a certain faith background. 

The event had four attendees, and while sparsely attended, the group shared there had been higher attendance in previous weeks. LaClair began with an icebreaker question that allowed for the establishment of a comfortable environment. The event was held in the intimate, relaxed setting of the Center for Spiritual Life’s lounge area, making the program feel conversational and easy to engage with. Especially because most students and attendees had vast knowledge of the franchise, it was easy to engage in the discussion.

The group examines a different movie each week, beginning on Oct. 9 with “Episode IV - A New Hope.” For the evening of Oct. 23, the group analyzed the sixth installment, “Return of the Jedi.” In the following weeks, they will examine the three prequel movies before the program concludes. The discussion veered in several directions as it moved through the unfolding plot of the movie, much of which focuses on protagonist Luke Skywalker’s efforts to help his father, formerly known as Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader, to find the light again. Much of the discussion centered around Luke’s presentation of confidence as a clear representation of his increased sense of spirituality. LaClair went so far as to describe spirituality as a “maturation of a sense of confidence,” and emphasized the importance of how knowing oneself often develops into holding greater confidence in one’s beliefs. He also discussed how Luke is posited as a prophetic figure who is responsible for telling others when they “fall short.” This idea is most evident in his passionate plea to his father to “let go of your hate.”

The discussion also veered into focus on political issues including polarization and an ability to recognize issues from various points of view. LaClair discussed how the unfolding plot in “Return of the Jedi” parallels some of the problems the world is witnessing in the current political climate, especially how conflict often arises as a result of people being unwilling to acknowledge different points of view. He also pointed to the parallels the movie holds to that of political activism, referencing Luke’s plea to his father to abandon the dark side and comparing it to the political idea that “we can be better than this.” Much of the discussion focused on the importance of being inclusive and willing to acknowledge differences and “be open to what they [others] can teach you.” 

LaClair also felt it was important to clarify the differences between spirituality and theology. To him, spirituality is more about turning belief into action in a way that helps one live a more authentic lifestyle. This is part of why he finds the saga to be so compelling: it touches on spirituality in general in a way that encourages people to live a better, more authentic life. 

When asked about why he feels it is important to hold events like these, LaClair said he felt that it was a way of engaging with contemporary myths that people were interested in while allowing them the space for discussion and exploration of spirituality in a broader sense. Eventually, LaClair would like to turn the content of this program into a course but acknowledged that he would need to do more work to prepare for something of that caliber and that it is ultimately a long-term goal. 

LaClair also offered some insight into his own perspective within the “Star Wars” fanbase. While he shared that it is exciting to be part of a group of people that shared a similar passion for the saga, it could sometimes be disappointing because of those who try to make it an exclusionary community by controlling who is and isn’t allowed into the fandom. LaClair said he feels the mission of the movies is to be inclusive and teach lessons about compassion for others and for the fanbase to counter those messages with exclusionary sentiment is hypocritical.

This program is hosting three more sessions, which will take place on  Nov. 6, 13, and 20 in the Center for Spiritual Life lounge.