Methodology
In conducting my research on Star Wars, I wanted to make sure that I kind of found a variety of sources. I decided to do my field report on Star Wars originally because I was aware that I needed to include an interview component in this report. I immediately thought of my R.A., who just happens to be an incredibly huge Star Wars fan. I knew that I would have to investigate some element of the movies and religion has always been a very controversial topic within the Star Wars "universe". To research the topic I went through the IU Libraries Database and retrieved articles about Lucas and his beliefs about religion and about pop culture spirituality and the movies in general. I also held an interview with my R.A., Veronica Lloyd on the subject. She proved to be a very good source of knowledge on both sides of the issue at hand because she is a religious studies major as well as a Star Wars fanatic.

Description
I found that though the movies are a pop culture phenomena, there are still unanswered questions. Even the biggest of fans are not certain about what the relationship between religion and Star Wars is. In the interview with Veronica, she mentioned that "it's kind of a mixture of things" (Lloyd, 161), maybe it's really something that will never be decided upon, but that hasn't stopped anyone from exploring the issue from all angles. I discovered a very interesting interview done by Bill Moyer with George Lucas, where he asks some of the questions that we all want answers to, but even Lucas doesn't know everything. It's interesting to me that the author and film maker does not know the answers to questions about his own work, but I understand the reasons why he doesn't. Lucas created the Star Wars universe, but when he went public with the books and especially the films, the universe started creating itself. Lucas is not longer in control of the form that it takes on and the ideals that it expresses, whether those ideals were meant to be expressed or not. His ideals expressed consciously or not through his movies have been called everything from "new religion" (Johnson) to "spirituality" (Moyers).

Analysis
"A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." (Lloyd) is the infamous beginning of one of the biggest, if not the biggest pop culture phenomenon of our time. Star Wars is a famous trilogy well known for it's action-packed scenes and technological achievement. The movies center around the all-powerful, all-controlling "Force". With all that we have come to know about Star Wars, we have yet to discover the true meaning of "The force" and if it is really a representation of some thing much bigger and much closer to us than we think.

The "new religion" that Star Wars is said to provide what has been called a "bland, generic spirituality" as one philosophy professor called it (Johnson). Those who argue that pop culture is our "new religion" say that it allows for society to be able to call themselves "spiritual" without saying that they are also "religious" (Johnson). Advocates claim that though Lucas might provide "an impression of spirituality", "You get lost in the noise and images" as one priest states. Some prefer to say that this turn to pop culture for religious fulfillment is because of "a spiritual vacuum created by shortcomings of clergy in organized religion" (Johnson). Although advocates of the "new religion" theory claim that movies like Star Wars are becoming the source that people turn to for guidance, they also argue that "they can never fulfill or replace a church..., because the entertain and cannot teach" (Johnson). One Professor is quick to point out that it is "astonishing... the number of people who know the Star Wars script by heart, as opposed to any form of the scriptures." A well-known writer for his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell claims that Star Wars is just "good, sound teaching", citing that the Force is not some "higher power", but "It is in you" (Johnson). Though Campbell is a believer, others call the Force "a spiritual belief without any ritual of commitment required", in other words, the easy way out (Johnson). The theories go on and on, even striving to compare a scene in The Empire Strikes Back when Luke is hanging below the cloud space ship from an antenna to the crucifixion (Johnson). Where the theories stop and the answers begin is only when Lucas himself is asked to "enlighten" us.

During an interview with Bill Moyers, Lucas claimed that he doesn't see Star Wars as "profoundly religious" (Moyers). With the contention that the Force is an equivalent to some sort of faith, Lucas had tough issues to deal with, but he claims that he included the "Force in[to] the movie in order to awaken a certain kind of spirituality" (Moyers). To Lucas, this "spirituality" is "more of a belief in God than a belief in any one religion" (Moyers). Dedicated fans like might take on a different view, like Veronica Lloyd who stated that "he has an interest in religion so that's what is going to show up in his films in whatever sort of manifestation" (Lloyd). In rebuttal to those who think that Lucas is trying to become the "new religion", Lucas only asserts that "Star Wars is taking all the issues that religions represents and trying to distill them down into a more modern and easily accessible construct- that there is a greater mystery out there" (Moyers). Lucas does not claim to be teaching or guiding or replacing any religion in any way, just giving a "construct" so that people "begin to ask the questions about the mystery" (Moyers). Lucas even directly answers the issue by saying that "I would hate to find ourselves in a completely secular world where entertainment was passing for some kind of religious experience" (Moyers). Lucas wanted to re-create something in a whole new way. As he says, "I had to do something that was relevant, something that has been around for thousands of years,and that most prople on the lanet, one way or another, have had some kind of connection to" (Moyers). It could be said that with this explanation, Lucas simplifies rumor upon rumor and boiled everything down to the simple element that he wanted to reach his audience on a personal level. It's the age-old theme, good vs. evil, romance, sci-fi, "religion" if you will, everything all rolled into one. Whatever the meaning, whoever the audience, Star Wars has the power to touch people on a personal level. Maybe the words that say it all are those of a true Star Wars fan when she said, "it doesn't have to make some big point& even though I think it does" (Lloyd,110).

Reflection
I think that this field report went well in most aspects, but there a few that I would like to improve upon. I think if I were able to go back and change things that I would have done the interview earlier in the research period. I didn't realize how long the transcription process would take and I think that it would've been much more pleasant were it over a longer period of time. I think that I also would've looked over my interview questions a little more before the interview so that I knew where it was all going. I was happy to find the sources that I did and have such a great and knowledgeable person to interview. I think that this is a difficult topic to cover in much detail in this kind of report. I think a more detailed form would serve to cover more angles, but also that there are so many angles to this topic that maybe too many would just be too much. I was interested in the topic and I think that helped to make the research and interview process easier to accomplish. I also think that I have a little more respect for the work of George Lucas and for those that know they are the true fans, they deserve the title.

Works Cited
Baker, Barbara J. "The Star Wars Trilogy". Magill's Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. 1996. (*for general plot summaries)

Johnson, Brian D. 1999. "The Second Coming". Maclean's. 24 May. Vol 112. Issue 21. p 14.

Lloyd, Veronica. 2001. Interview by Jenny Hettenbach, 30 November, Bloomington, Indiana. Tape recording. SW1.

Moyers, Bill. 1999. "Of Myth and Men." Time. 26 Apr. Vol 153. Issue 16. p 90.

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