Let's Talk About THE LAST JEDI and The Bible (yeah, really)

[@houston-coley]

Thanks for watching! No, seriously, this is one of my most niche videos and I'm grateful you decided click on it. What are some other examples of subversive storytelling - either in the ancient world, or in the stories of today? OTHER THOUGHTS?! I'd love to hear whatever comes to mind in the comments below. Glad you're here, everyone. If you'd like to support me on Patreon and get early uploads, audio movie reviews, updates on my docuseries, and other stuff, you can check that out here: www.patreon.com/user?u=1017531

[@ChloeAriT]

> niche > a video about Star Wars and the Bible > how did we get here?

[@animemanuchiha9138]

I think that the ending of Attack on Titan manga was somewhat subversive. I might be inncorrect because I read about it and someone was explaining how it actually plays the theme it had set from the begining. But a lot of fans didn't expect it ending the way it did. Some fans loved the ending, most of them disliked it. It had a mixed response but worth checking out.

[@thetylertake]

The fact that Jesus subverted our expectations is not that surprising in hindsight. We are sinners and have a limited and corrupted understanding of the universe. Yet, God loved us so much that He wrote a book so we can better understand the world and more important, Himself. Jesus didn’t come to be a conqueror, he came to be the Savior of Mankind. Not through violence but by and act of selfless love, He made a way for us to be with Him forever. I’m glad you’re talking about topics like this. Don’t be afraid to present the Bible on your channel. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us. FYI, I’m a big Star Wars fan and I always appreciate when people draw comparisons between Star Wars and the Bible. The Bible speaks so many truths that have trickled into our culture. It’s kinda funny that people haven’t really picked up on it.

[@FreelancerLA]

"This might be my most niche video..." *settles in excitedly after reading the title* In a similar vein, I've held since first viewing it the TLJ is one of the most mythic SW stories since the OT. If the first 3 films were King Arthur claiming his sword, his duty, and his kingdom, The Last Jedi is Arthur broken by the fall of Camelot, threatened by Mordred, and ultimately sacrificing himself.

[@Nomadic_Budgie]

When I think of an amazing film that not only subverts expectations, but shares an important (rarely seen) message, it's Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia for me. In a Biblical sense, the film is on the top of my essential recommendation list.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

“For better or worse, Jesus is The Last Jedi” is one of my favourite phrases ever uttered in a KZbin video. I wish I had something more thoughtful to add lmao. You say you get worried that this isn’t what people want from the channel, but I personally can’t think of a more “Houston” video than a thoughtful comparison between the Bible and the Last Jedi. Keep up the great work, because I’m really enjoying it.

[@houston-coley]

AHAHA THANKS MAN. This is definitely…a video that nobody else would make, I think!

[@lookingforwookiecopilot]

The true lesson of the sequels (for kids today) is the same as the lesson of the prequels (for my generation). Don't go into a Star Wars movie with expectaions. Just sit back, eat your popcorn, and let them tell they story they want to tell. ,...and the future isn't always what you want it to be. Life doesn't move in a straight line.

[@pythonjava6228]

A completely non controversial statement: I liked the movie

[@shatendraseethiah2217]

Well, I love it. Come at me

[@IsaacV24]

It’s my 2nd favorite Star Wars movie ever made.

[@Torlik11]

Me too. I'm aware of its problems but I love it anyway.

[@JimCullen]

I was *astonished* when I went online after seeing it when I found out people didn't like it. Some of the best things about it were the core parts of people's criticisms! I thought I'd wandered into crazy town. It wasn't just that I liked it, it was that I didn't even realise there were things about it _not_ to like.

[@ShirDeutch]

I thought the controversial statement was "I like the bible" ;-)

[@StarStrider99]

Great video, Houston! As someone who also enjoys the Bible and The Last Jedi, the fact that this video is so niche makes it all the more enjoyable.

[@BenFromCanada]

OH SHIT OH DAMN

[@aaronlaplace5902]

Is that Ben from Canada and also Mr Sunday Movies?

[@luancosta1908]

A HOUSTON THEOLOGY VIDEO LFGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

[@jaysutter9934]

Probably my hottest theology take is that 90% or so of theological education should just be learning more about the original historical and cultural context of the Bible. The Bible is not supposed to be some cryptic book for scholars. (Although some parts are obviously supposed to be cryptic like Revelation for example.) The essentials of the Bible's message should be understandable on your first read through, especially if you understand the original context. Same could sort of be said of Star Wars, the fandom has it built it up in their minds as something it was never meant to be, which can cause them to miss the original intent of the series. I hate to compare the people who hated TLJ to the pharasees, but I guess that's sort of what I'm getting at.

[@houston-coley]

I’m 100% in agreement with your hot take, Jay. The majority of the problems with biblical interpretation today come from people trying to directly apply things to the modern era in a way that the writer would’ve never intended. The irony is, The Bible actually becomes *more subversive* and *more compelling* when you fully understand the nuances of the cultural context.

[@tannerriley7485]

Yeahhh. Like, Jesus *opposed* the religious academics who spent their lives concocting complex doctrines and convoluted interpretations, gatekeeping the scriptures. The gospel is good news for the poor.

[@exhelentreads]

Just a side tangent, but the book of Revelation isn't supposed to be be cryptic (that's a myth!), it's actually supposed to be (and was to the original listeners) "revealing" as it is the actual name of the book aka. letter. Haha I guess this was just like a trivia kind of comment :)

[@michaelt.5672]

@@exhelentreads The question is WHAT it is supposed to reveal. When you are looking at it as a prediction of future events, then it is pretty cryptic. When the objective is to prepare the readers on how they should view, interpret and react to future events, it is pretty straightforward.

[@davidbeer5015]

As someone who went from one Christian denomination to another, where one did things like taught Jesus’s words of warning to the apostles as things we need to watch for today..and then the denomination i went to said “ok, here’s the historical context, symbolic meaning of some of that, and what happened not too long later,” my mind was blown. The context of the times makes a massive difference in understanding the teachings, prophecies, and everything. And while much can apply today, it needs done understanding what’s underneath those things and if they can’t translate literally, how do we interpret this then.

[@JazzyWaffles]

9:39 "He pulled a Ryan Johnson!" Actually wouldn't it be more accurate to say that Ryan Johnson pulled a God? ;)

[@justaloe]

It's funny. No one from my generation calls it "A new Hope" we call it Star Wars.

[@harrihaffi2713]

What generation?

[@JainaSoloB312]

This may seem a hyperbolic claim but it's absolutely true, this is one of my favourite videos on KZbin. As an active member of the Legends and Canon communities (it's sadly no longer 1 whole fandom), an ex-religious ex-athiest Progressive Christian, and a student of both theology and its intersection with The Force, this video is absurdly geared towards my interests. Making a video on arguably the 2 most controversial things to ever exist: The Bible and The Last Jedi, is not only bold but potentially downright hazardous, and managing to pull it off is impressive. Most impressive. I didn't comment just to compliment you however, I have my own thoughts to offer. In fact, you can consider this a cover letter of sorts in hopes of collaborating with you one day. TFA is absolutely SW comfort food, but it goes deeper than that because the original Star Wars was precisely that for all of western pop culture. Sci-Fi, wizards, cowboys, Knights, WW2 dogfights, Excalibur, robots, monks, nazis, classical music, samurai, wise old men, operatic drama, a princess, the British Empire at war with a ragtag group of plucky revolutionaries, Flash Gordon, Akira Kurosawa's films, a mysterious, dualistic, and transcendent power over the universe. And all that is just in the original 1977 Star Wars. George combined all these things people knew and loved and crafted a pop culture comfort food. So successful was he, that SW became such a monolith of pop culture that Abrams was then able to do that exact same thing using *only Star Wars* iconography, tropes, themes, etc. that George had used The *Entirety* Of Pop Culture to accomplish. In almost exactly the same way Jesus subverted the expectations of a messiah, Luke Skywalker subverted the expectations for an action hero. He begins the film as an ordinary boy, a whiny naive teen who doesn't look like he's ever gotten into a scrap let alone a battle. Even after becoming a certified badass, he rejects the wisdom of his elders and in the final hour casts aside his sword. He breaks the cycle of violence that both Palpatine and the Jedi had been perpetuating and, rather than kill the big bad, he sacrifices himself, having faith that doing so will save his father's soul. His final act in TLJ is the most Jesus-like (and consequently the most Luke-like) thing he possibly could have done, and anyone who takes issue with it needs to rewatch the preceding 7 films which chronicle the efficacy of the Jedi acting as badass soldiers. They win lots of battles sure, but they also fail to protect the life they are charged by the Light Side with protecting. But that is a tangent for another time. There is such rich analysis available in viewing The Force as a religion which holds absolute proof of its existence, but almost zero instruction of its Will. It's almost like a reality in which God gave some people unconcealed divine powers, but left no Bible for us. I, and I'll venture to guess you, find that concept fascinating. If you'd be interested in exploring that concept further, or learning the 7 Forms (choreography and philosophies both), or just chatting about most anything related to SW or Theology, it would be my pleasure. If you have read to this point, anyone, I sincerely thank you for your time. One more thing: Is that a Lego Bonsai Tree in the background? Very nice. Does this mean we're getting an essay on Lego soon? :P

[@AmidstTheLight85]

Actually I'm working on an essay on the Will of the Force which tries to go beyond the standard interpretations we see. I've been working through Metaphysics and it hasn't been an easy endeavor. The Force is a reflection of every religion we have, but combining all philosophical metaphysics is tricky to explain. In many ways art says something about who we are through our interpretations. Two camps we see over and over are the moral relativists and the moral realists. It's possible that one is more "Legends" and the other more “Canon”, respectively. Jungian Psychology is what begets Campbell's Monomyth, and both of these thinkers are Cultural and Moral Relativists. This is fascinating to me because the Hero's Journey is about teaching/indoctrination morality tales, which arguably is objective realism. Plenty of SW fans are moral realists, believing that there is objective good and evil existing outside the individual. Going down the Dark Side is an existential dilemma which positions evil as an external dimension. This goes against some Eastern religious interpretations that say evil is purely an illusion. Everyone can see that the Jedi religion has strong Eastern connections despite this. Combining these interpretations with Neoplatonism and Existentialism has been fun and overwhelming. I wish I had some more people to talk about this stuff with as I struggle with some of these concepts. I have been in a Legends focused Amino for a few years, yet I'm a fan of The Last Jedi. If I were to make it known I'd be excommunicated lol.

[@ShawHortonMusic]

I love the Return of the Jedi moment when, as you describe, Luke rejects the guidance of his elders and throws his sword away, breaking the cycle of violence. I also love Luke’s final stand on Crait in The Last Jedi. It’s a very heroic moment and, on its own, serves as great way for his character to go out. However, how do you reconcile everything that happens between those two moments? Luke sneaks into his nephew Ben’s hut and holds a weapon over him while he’s sleeping defenselessly, then after that mistake wrecks everything he simply gives up, leaves his family behind, and goes into hiding. He concludes that Ben is too far gone without having a discussion with him (as far as we are shown), then he instinctually decided violence is the best route. I’m okay with Luke making mistakes and dealing with grief, but I thought that element was handled very poorly onscreen.

[@StephenLeGresley]

When you talked about how Jesus didn't annihilate the Romans the way people expected him to. It really made me think on how fans have an issue with Luke's depiction in The Last Jedi and The Mandalorian. In The Last Jedi, yes Luke is a hermit and has given up on the Force. But his overall representation in that film is closer to actual Jedi philosophy. Not to fight, to look for ways to win without conflict or attacking and thats shown in how he faces Kylo Ren. Even though he's a force hologram in that fight, he's defensive the entire time. He never even takes to fake an attack. Now in The Mandalorian, fans loved that depiction of Luke so much more, even going so far as to compare it to Vader's rampage at the end of Rogue One and that's very telling. Mandalorian Luke is not what Luke should be as a Jedi. The fact that his actions mirror Vader's demonstrate this. This is Luke going down the wrong path which leads to his eventual failure. The Mandalorian gave fans the Luke they wanted, the end of The Last Jedi tried to give fans the Luke they should want. Of course I also think part of the this is people don't like to see their heros fail. This is why the book Dune is so popular but Children and Messiah of Dune are less so. One is the rise of Paul Atreides and the other is his failure and fall. People want to think their heros will stay "badass" forever. On a side note, you should definitely do one of these Bible to Film comparisons on Dune. Maybe when the new film comes out ;)

[@jasethomas1]

This was easily my favorite video of yours you've made. There's very few KZbinrs who are as thoughtful, articulate, and well-read as you. Keep up the good work. I'm loving this content!

[@houston-coley]

Thanks so much for the kind words, Jase!! This stuff will never be my most-viewed but it’s certainly my most enjoyable for me to make.

[@firelight8565]

I agree! It is also refreshing to hear some educated looks into The Bible, and how it connects to storytelling, etc.

[@lennito5]

I'm not religous but I love to see you passion for the Bible. You've honeslty made me think about might checking it out. (Wich is a rather strange conclusion when you are an Atheist)

[@redrabbitjohnson]

Loved the video. But here's one small correction: the Torah refers only to the first five books of the Hebrew bible, also called the Pentateuch or the books of Moses. Tanakh is the word used for the entire Hebrew bible, which includes the Torah, prophets, and everything else. Anyway, great effort man. I'm also kind of obsessed with the intersection of pop culture with theology. You articulated some things that I spend a lot of my waking time thinking about, haha.

[@EmileFeik]

Even though I'm a staunch atheist, I've really enjoyed your Christian focused videos. I think what appeals to me is how you talk about the bible as a work of literature as much as a work of fact

[@houston-coley]

Thank you Johnny!! That means the world to me. Glad you’re here.

[@gospideygo6061]

Jonah was a prophet. Ooo-ooo! But he really never got it. Sad but true! Very interesting video, totally agree Jesus 100% is the most subversive person of all time. His subversion gave eternal life while last Jedi subversion killed a sequel trilogy, I guess that’s where they differ 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@JainaSoloB312]

I would argue that Rise Of Skywalker (and even moreso Carrie's death) killed the sequel trilogy, TLJ could have been built upon for a very very different ending to the saga

[@Ben10man2]

He did not get the point.

[@jxomxo]

Being a Christian for as long as I can remember, with my faith being of course challenged and affirmed, as well as being a Star Wars nerd all my life, I personally felt everything you pointed out in this video. It’s really refreshing to hear a thoughtful and respectful reading of the Word of God without being patronizing. I’m not sure how much more I can say about this-just thanks so much. Definitely one of my favorite videos from you yet. Of course, God bless.

[@elikirk2800]

I would classify both the sequel trilogy and the bible as lacking in cohesion. The theme of TLJ being contradicted by the big revelation (no pun intended) in TRoS mirrors the many thematic contradictions in the bible, particularly between the new testament jesus who believes in showing mercy to sinners, feeding the hungry, and raising the dead and the old testament god who wipes out the vast majority of earth's population in a flood, turns a woman into a pile of salt for sympathetically looking behind her while in the midst of a genocide, and condones slavery as a just hierarchy. At least Star Wars doesn't claim to be the same yesterday, today and forever😆 Anyway cool video, I enjoyed your perspective even though I have my own thoughts on the matter.

[@exhelentreads]

Actually if you read the Bible more carefully and in cultural and literary context you can see that the character of God is extremely consistent throughout the New and Old Testament. It's only been commercialized to seem the way you've portrayed it. It's always like a facepalm moment when non-Christians take the Bible out of context based on a movie adaptation or video that they saw.

[@elikirk2800]

@@exhelentreads I was a christian for 18 years but ok

[@michaelt.5672]

@@elikirk2800 If you indeed were a christian for 18 years, that is a sad testimony for those who educated you in theology. For one, the bible itself adresses the differences between the old and new covenant (see Pauls letter to the Galatians). Secondly, the point of Jesus' presence on earth was the exact same as all those things you cite before; Our actions as humanity have consequences, and someone has to pay the price for that. There is more than enough consistency there if you understand what the core of it all is.

[@danijobi]

I am a fervent atheist and an ardent apologist of The Last Jedi. The fact that I watchd the whole video through without checking out in disgust is a testament (get it?) to the fact that you're probably okay. The connection is actually interesting, and I never thought about it. You could go even deeper on this, with an interpretation of Luke Skywalker as a classic "reluctant Jesus" variant (see also "The Last Temptation of Chris", where Jesus doubts his denies the plan that God has fr him; or Hal Hartley's "Book of LIfe", where Jesus comes agai and decides not to fulfil his divine work of ending the world.), a Jesus figure who doubts, burns down the temple/Jedi relicts, but in the end gives in to his destined role as sacrificial lamb in order to save others, all the while remaining totally violence-free. I love it when all these sviour myths that are so common in popular hero cinema is actually reflected (hgh hopes for "Dune" in that regard, since the book is more clear than any other about the dark implications of accepting or rejecting your role as a Messiah.) (Although I do object vehemently to statements about the "coherence" of the Bible... like, seriously, just no. You seem like one of the few persons on BOTH sides of the divide who mayba has actually read some portion of the thing, so... there's lots of things to say about it, good and bad, but "coherent" is pretty much the last thing that would come to my mind. But otherwise: interesting and inspiring video.)

[@houston-coley]

SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE, MY FRIEND! The comparison between Luke and Last Temptation’s interpretation of Christ is one that I hadn’t considered but it makes total sense; I wouldn’t even be surprised if it influenced Rian Johnson in some way. I’m in the same camp as you on DUNE. Can’t wait. I hope it lives up to the book.

[@tannerriley7485]

@danijobi, the bible's coherence or lack of coherence is an interesting question, and I think it goes both ways. There are coherent patterns, images, and motifs that stretch throughout the bible, between cultures, authors, and centuries. That coherence is beautiful and has so much nuance and depth to explore. At the same time, the different authorial and editorial voices of the bible can be dissonant and contradictory. Different books will espouse very different philosophical or theological outlooks (ie Ecclesiastes vs Proverbs vs Job), with a variety of literary, political, religious, and cultural motivations and influences. From this perspective, I completely agree that the bible is incoherent. The books don't all fit together nice and tidy into a clear-cut set of doctrines. Some Christians claim that the bible can be clearly boiled down into simple truths, but I think they're fooling themselves. The collection of books is messy and varied, and that's part of why I love it so much. In my opinion, the bible strikes an incredible balance between thematic coherence and continuity and philosophical incoherence and multifaceted views, and that's what makes it so captivating for me. It doesn't contain or provide simple answers. It isn't clear. It isn't a guidebook. It's something that, through theme and image, is greater than the sum of its flawed, discrete parts.

[@danijobi]

@@tannerriley7485 Thank you. This is actually way deeper than I ever thought about it, and this is very interesting and enlightening to me. And I think I do agree with your "thematic coherence", now that I think about it, it's a fascinating way to see this. Coming from a philosophical/literature studies background I was hung up on the very diverse origins (from secular erotic poetry in the Song of Solomon to appropriated Egyptian and Babylonian myths to straight-up war propaganda - and that's just the Old Testament) and very contradictory philosophical intentions that are expressed (as you state yourself), but I think you could call it thematically coherent in its focus on certain tropes and traditions. I also agree that these contradictions do make it more interesting as an ancient compendium of literature, but it's also one of the reasons why I never understood how or why people would find it usable as a moral or spiritual guide in any way. But then again, I never found ANY book that would satisfy my requirements in this regard (except maybe some Borges short stories :-), so maybe it's just me.

[@tannerriley7485]

@@danijobi Thanks for your reply! Yeah, I too struggle with people treating the bible as a clear-cut moral guide. Especially in children's church programs, stories from the old testament are told as if figures like Abraham, David, and Joshua are role models with morals to their stories. I find that a woefully inadequate way to read the bible that is present in many adult Christians' interpretations as well. For me, the most important thing is reading the bible through the context of Jesus' ministry and death. With Jesus as the lens, it clarifies the thematic coherence, allowing me to embrace the incoherent messiness of the diverse origins and philosophies in the bible. There's an author named Christian Smith who wrote a book called "The Bible Made Impossible" that looks at the sociological issue of what he calls "biblicism" in modern American Christianity. It's worth a read, imo, in addition to Cross Vision by Greg Boyd.

[@jmgonzalez4]

Fascinating study. Will be conversation fodder in the future with friends.

[@Nht197]

Hell yeah. Process-relational God plus Last Jedi. You found the niche! I love Last Jedi and Mandalorian for understanding that Star Wars is, at this point, not single story to tell but a set of widely shared iconography which can be used to tell meaningful stories.

[@IsaacV24]

The Last Jedi is The Dark Knight of the Star Wars series IMO. The way it evolved the series in a mature way, how it changed our perceptions of certain characters, concepts, & ideas, and how it was able to tie the sequels, originals, & even prequels.

[@Music34897]

The only difference is that Dark Knight Rises didn't immediately swing a massive U-turn and reject all complication and nuance. Like it wasn't a great sequel but at least it wasn't openly antagonistic to the previous film lol

[@NDenizen]

Honestly the Bioware games do all of those things far better and without needing to trample over AND evoke (for easy pandering) the original movies that the universe is built on. No amount of contrarianism will convince me that TLJ, with its horrendous writing and awful characters, can ever transcend above its glaring flaws with some meta value. It's a very bad movie and a worse Star Wars movie.

[@JainaSoloB312]

And of course The Dark Knight was heralded as "the Empire Strikes Back to Batman Begins" Funny how it goes in cycles like that

[@sullymanning6713]

Wow! This video is so freaking good. What a combo . . . Glad to see the comments are pretty civil. I feel like this is something I just have to say for the context of where I'm coming from: I love The Last Jedi. Anyway, this video went in a completely (and way better) direction than I thought it would. When I read the title my mind went to this: the average fan of The Last Jedi is basically like the average Christian. They view those who disagree with them as though they'll eventually be proven wrong, and that they're just late to the game. 'One day people will like The Last Jedi' and 'One day people will believe in God.' It's interesting, but it sorta ends there. So I'm glad your video took another angle. But your video also got me thinking that fandoms are a lot like religions at the end of the day. You get all the good and bad with both. They both define people, they both give people hope and comfort, but they can also fail their followers and fans. In the same way that people lose belief in their religion because of an event that shakes them, so do fans lose their love for the fandom when a new piece of media doesn't live up to expectations. I don't know what I'm trying to say other than "Hey, these two things are similar" but, hey, these two things are similar. Your videos are not only so good in the discussion, but also on the technical side. The editing, the set, it's all very intentional and I appreciate it. I like your little chroma key picture frame and the items in the intro. The clips you choose, and the clips you don't choose. It's hard to make videos this good.

[@kingly4900]

Glad someone put this into words, I’ve always thought one of the bigger clues towards Jesus telling the truth is that if he was lying it’d be an actively horrible liar lol. it’s interesting lots of people tend to say the Bible is just stealing from other stuff from before and that’s a reason I hear a lot of people say it’s fake but it’s actually really different than lots of other beliefs, and I love that quote about the parallels being there being even more proof. This analogy also implies Rian Johnson is god which I think we can all agree 💪. The last Jedi is also similar in the ideas it tackles, Rey coming from nobodies and revealing anybody can have power, just like Jesus making “availability” of the kingdom of heaven less limited. It’s themes of hope and love and sacrifice and helping others naturally, and more importantly this destruction of the “good master vs bad master”, God tears down his idol status and lives all the suffering of earth for us, going through all the temptation and resisting, much like Star Wars tearing down this more black and white good vs evil in favor for a hero who is on the tip of temptation and a villain on the tip of redemption. Both are really epic, thought provoking, compelling, inspirational texts, and I adore that someone had the balls to make a whole video on it. Amazing. Genuinely so happy you did this, it’s really different and really interesting

[@chandlerl2189]

The subversive nature is also why Ecclesiastes and Ezra-Nehemiah are my favorite books of the Bible. Ecclesiastes goes off of Proverbs, saying “that’s not how it works!” It’s gritty, realistic, and beautiful. Life without Christ is meaningless. Ezra-Nehemiah sets up its story by making it look like the second exodus, but it turns out that it isn’t with its triple-anticlimax with a climax that then has an anticlimax itself. It’s so brilliantly written, and it all points to Christ with its subversions. These videos are exactly why I watch this channel! I love having conversations with people about these topics and especially the Bible’s literary beauty. I could listen to people like you talk about this for hours.

[@tannerriley7485]

I haven't studied Ezra-Nehemiah super closely, but I'm curious about how you interpret the command for all the men to send away their foreign wives. Do you believe that command was just/godly? Do you believe they were acting in accord with the Kingdom of God as revealed through jesus? In the past, I've felt that Ezra's thinking reflected a proto-pharisaic exclusionist line of thinking, and that sending away the foreign women and children was not God's will. What are your thoughts?

[@chandlerl2189]

@@tannerriley7485 I agree, but honestly we don’t know. I think the Editor - whoever compiled E-N - specifically did not state that it was from God because they thought that it wasn’t. Also keeping in line with the anticlimactical narrative style, this choice makes sense. I’m currently reading the Word Biblical Commentary on the books. When I reach that section, I’ll return and give you a more educated response. For now I agree, especially because of what Malachi said in chapter 3? Or was it 2? Either way, I believe that it was not God’s command.

[@tannerriley7485]

@@chandlerl2189 Thanks for your answer! Since God "broke down the wall of hostility" between Gentiles and Jews (Eph 2:14) and Jesus got mad because the temple was meant to be a "house of prayer for *all* nations" (Isa 56:7, Mark 11:17), it is my understanding that God meant for Israel to be a "nation of priests" as a "blessing to all nations" (Ex 19:6, Gen 12:3) from the beginning. They weren't meant to be exclusionary and xenophobic. They were meant to bring others into the fold, without adopting the evil worship practices of the surrounding cultures. So Ezra's command was against this, leading to the same type of culture that erected financial barriers against foreigners who wanted to worship at the temple (after all, a local citizen doesn't need the services of a money changer... Jesus wasn't mad that they had commercialized the house of God, he was mad that they were profiting off of exclusionary practices, as with most of the Pharisaic practices).

[@chandlerl2189]

@@tannerriley7485 exactly. In Deuteronomy, if I’m remembering correctly, it says that no one should marry an Ammonite or Moabite (alternatively, it might say enter the House of the Lord - I’m unsure) but while it could be applied in a literal sense it also applies to “marriage” to their ideals. I think it’s Deuteronomy 22 Edit: it’s 23:3, and that they shouldn’t enter the assembly of the Lord And additionally, the suggestion for divorce wasn’t explicitly prompted by God, but just from a guy whose intentions may not have been Godly. I think this vagueness surrounding the decree is exactly what the author and God intended for us to take from it, that it may have been, may not have been, from God, but we’ll never know until we can ask Him. Thanks for bringing this up! I love good Biblical discussion

[@Jared_Grillo]

I’m a few months late cuz my watch later is sorter by views… but this niche is right up my alley. This needs more recognition, sending to my friends

[@peytonteixeira2455]

Fantastic video. You always manage to talk about topics that I would never have considered, and do not see other people talking about. You’re by far the most underrated KZbinr I’m subscribed to. Keep it up!

[@houston-coley]

Thank you so much, Peyton!!

[@LaLaLEGO]

As niche as this video is, it feels tailor made for me hahaha. Great video as always!

[@houston-coley]

I MADE THIS FOR YOU, NATHAN

[@LaLaLEGO]

@@houston-coley Highlight of my day, thank you Houston!

[@wiseangel2]

This is an amazing analysis! I wasn't certain where you were going at first, but as you broke it all down I really caught it and enjoyed. The Last Jedi is my favorite of the Sequels and it makes sense with the parallels you outlined. Thanks for this.

[@IsaacV24]

#jesusisthelastjedi

[@andrewrrhemperly]

Lessssgooooooo Houston. The Bible is genius.

[@torbort9182]

i dont understand half of this but good video

[@debbielynn4474]

Wow, your video makes me want to watch all the Star Wars movie again as I am not sure I've seen them all. My question, should I watch the Star Wars movies in the order they came out, or what order do you suggest? Thank you!\

[@carriageofnoreturn.1881]

Delightfully thought provoking and some excellent connections that I will ponder for some time. The only thing I take issue with is that you didn’t use a tea pot during your intro: tea bag + water + milk ATTHE SAME TIME = abomination! Shocking! But still, the video makes up for it.

[@Akuyoko9001]

Super interesting video. People sometimes talk as if the original trilogy is good because it checks off some boxes in Joseph Campbell's monomyth. But I think the point of symbols and tropes is to twist them around and examine them in interesting ways. The real questions is, is the Book of Mormon the equivalent of Rise of Skywalker? I really enjoy Phillip K Dick's weird takes on gnostic Christianity in his novels VALIS and The Divine Invasion. He has this notion that the material world was created by a false god, and that the coming of the true savior (or a satellite imparting knowledge through pink beams of light) will be indistinguishable from madness

[@exhelentreads]

My dude, I don't know if you're a Christian believer or not and you just enjoy the literary elements of the Bible, but you've got it spot on. I really enjoyed how you've put so eloquently into only a few minutes a lot of the key ideas and themes in the Bible. And as a Star Wars fan who fell off the train after The Force Awakens, I kind of want to go and watch The Last Jedi and The Mandalorian. Keep up the great videos! Glad I found this channel so randomly.

[@borkbork4124]

I loved the comparison, funny how saying you like The Last Jedi irks some people on the internet :/ ……. I am here for the niche, I like listening to stuff I have never heard about. Most of my family is Christian, but I never get to hear them talk about The Bible. Having you compare it to Star Wars made it easy and interesting to understand.

[@nicolasdelcour7015]

This video is the video I didn't Know I needed in my life. I am a huge theology nerd who also loves Star Wars. God bless you. PS. Next time I preach on Genesis 22 I'm going to use the line 'He pulled a Ryan Johnson!' 😂

[@reenchanted]

An unconventional take on parallels between the most controversial parts of Star Wars with some of the controversy from Jesus’ life? Yes please! Nice job, Houston!

[@firelight8565]

My only problem with this video... is how short it is! I could see you spending hours over this! Either way, I love this kind of content. It's not too often you hear people talking about The Bible or Christianity or faith, especially not on the internet. It is a welcome surprise to hear this level of openess.

[@DeannaGilbert616]

So....Rian Johnson is God? 😏

[@barry-allan]

this is such a cool concept. I have thought of done the same thing with a video essay on the httyd series (the 2nd one especially). thabks for the video and the comparison.

[@xxi__]

Thanks for the good video! Commenting so that the algorithm picks it up

[@tannerriley7485]

My DUDE. I have no clue how this video will do in terms of viewership & algorithm stuff, but I'm really glad you made it. I am not much of a Star Wars guy. I didn't grow up with the movies, which is probably part of why they don't majorly click with me. But I'm definitely a bible guy. The images and motifs seen throughout the bible are incredible. I also like looking at the trends in word usage. (For example, looking at the ideas for "working" and "keeping". God originally puts humans in the garden to "work and to keep it," and then right after the Fall, the children of Human and Life (adam and chavvah/eve), Cain and Abel, are a worker of the earth and a keeper of sheep--to WORK and to KEEP. And then after Cain has killed Abel, Cain asks God, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Which serves to highlight that NO, he was not his brother's keeper. Humans were given authority to work and keep creation, but not other humans. The authority over humans was God's, but when the Fall happened, that authority was thrown out of balance, seized wrongfully by humans. Cain acted as a BAD SHEPHERD of his brother, choosing to end his life. (See also Jeremiah 23: "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! ...") And this history of disordered "keeping" leads all the way up to Jesus, who is the "good shepherd who GIVES UP HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP." I feel like I'm crazy raving right now, but this stuff gets me hyped. If you haven't seen or read it, I would STRONGLY recommend checking out Cross Vision by Gregory Boyd, which depicts a really thought-provoking way of looking at scripture through a Christ-centric lens. It's impactful and maybe a bit uncomfortable, but it changed how I read the bible, for the better. I know you're into the Bible Project, @Houston Coley, and it felt to me like Cross Vision fit perfectly into what I was learning from the Bible Project podcasts.

[@theultimateusukfan]

i just found your channel through narnia topics! im not religious (i consider myself agnostic) but i really enjoyed this video essay. you're well spoken and so intelligent!

[@groovymovies390]

This video is another good reminder that I should probably sit down and actually read the whole Bible through properly.

[@gabrielporras5909]

As a Christian and a Last Jedi fan I feel like this video is made for me, so thanks! :)

[@iantan6056]

Admire your bravery to speak on these topics that are true to you. Keep it up, Houston!

[@ghostboiva5586]

Beautifully explained, one of my favorite video’s from your channel. Also a bit of a weird one, but one extremely unique, something that’ll probably be staying with me for awhile

[@mitchcapps6021]

Very nice. I too like the last Jedi and the Bible

[@samtemple1880]

Excellent video. Great ideas and well sourced. I really enjoyed this.

[@orvilpym]

To preface this: I am an atheist, though one who has been fascinated with religion and studied the history of religions. And while I think that Rian Johnson ultimately failed to make The Last Jedi work, and it is one of the weaker Star Wards films, it still is by far the best of the Sequel-Trilogy. I am also not trying to be a dick to your beliefs, or the video, which I quite enjoyed. I am however going to challenge your interpretation of Jesus, especially in the way you use him to defend Rian Johnson: I agree that Jesus, like TLJ, is a subversion of the "Messiah tropes" as his contemporaries would have understood them: His early life checks, as you say, all of the expected boxes, and yet they do it in very unexpected ways. However, I don't think that this makes the gospels more believable. Consider what the main difference between the "expected" Messiah and Jesus is - the Messiah was supposed to bring concrete political change and create a literal, physical kingdom for the jewish people to live in free and peacefully. But Jesus instead gives them a kingdom that is either metaphorical or - and this is clearly how most people viewed it - metaphysical, which will be enjoyed not in this life, but in the next. (Let's leave aside for now the whole issue of souls going to heaven or hell individually, each after their death, or everybody waiting in their graves until the trumpet sounds for the Last Juedgement, and then they all get up in unison.) If you presuppose that Jesus' message is straight, then you might see this as a Rian Johnson - arriving with the intention of subverting expectations, but using old myths to engage the "audience" and "pull" them into the new vision. But if you start with the suspicion that maybe there is no "kingdom come", everything changes: What you now have is a manifestly broken promise. God promised political freedom, and he isn't delivering. Rome is there to stay, and it doesn't look like anything will change anytime soon. Then here comes this guy who claims to speak for God - indeed, that he is not only the prophesized Messiah but God's actual son - and he explains, that you will get the promised kingdom... after you die... but only if you believe and follow him in this life! Seen this way, isn't it much more likely, that this is a scam? A bait and switch? Possibly still perpetrated by God himself - Jesus can actual remain divine without changing anything about this. Alternatively he was just a guy who saw the patience and faith of his people waning and tried to keep them going. But even if he was sent by God, it would still have been a God who wasn't able or willing to keep his promise and instead rewrote the covenant with Abraham, at once expanding it (you could join it simply by believing in it, instead just by being born into it) and drastically limiting it, by postponing all "rewards" for "sometime when nobody can actually see if it's ever fulfilled, but trust me, it totally will be". Of course, the Bible has an advantage over J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson here. If only Abrams and Johnson could have stopped after the TLJ with nothing but the freefloating promise that there would be a wonderful conclusion to all of this, in a third film we would only get to see in some vague, never quite here yet "beyond". But unlike God, Disney and Abrams eventually had to give us a conclusion to all the great, subversive promises Johnson gave us. And that conclusion was "The Rise of Skywalker". Which is, of course, when everything fell apart. But this could also be seen as a condemnation of the New Testament, for just like Johnson and Abrams, we do not have an actual conclusion. It is just a promise. We are still waiting for the Second Coming, and as for a looming Apocalypse, it looks very man-made and there is little concret evidence for any repture or deliverance at the end of. Unless we stop it ourselves, we'll all just burn together. Using your analogy, one actually could see the climate catastrophe - or perhaps some nuclear holocaust that might happen as water and food run out due to the collapsing climate and resource wars heat up - as the biblical equivalent to The Rise of Skywalker: All of the apocalyptic tropes of fire, brimstone, floods, plagues and bitter waters, but with none of the heart and soul and actual redemption that we were promised. Okay. That went dark. But maybe fittingly, since the core conflict around Jesus, just like around Star Wars, was that to some the issue always was political, while others want it as escpaism instead. Anyway, even without all of this, like TLJ you can read the New Testament as a subversion that does not replace an old vision with a new, but switches one broken promise for one that hasn't been fulfilled.

[@tannerriley7485]

You make some really good points. I'm not going to write out some big response, but there was one thought I wanted to mention. Yahweh is often depicted in the OT as a territorial warrior god. If Jesus claims to be the representative of Yahweh, or the harbinger of his Kingdom on earth, then Jesus is claiming that Yahweh is a god who would rather suffer violence than inflict violence on those who oppose him. That is the good news that the New Testament authors focus on. I would say that that recontextualizes everything. For a people who are expecting the victory of a warrior god, then yes, the promises were unfulfilled. But if that warrior god is one who would willingly be crucified to heal those who have pulled away from him... imo, it totally recontextualizes those promises. It reframes things from a nationalistic deity to one who welcomes people from all cultures (there is now no Jew or Gentile; Jesus has brought down the dividing wall of hostility). While that isn't really a counter-argument, it strikes me as vital.

[@musingsofahomeschooler5332]

What we *need* is often very different from what we want, as both fans and Christ-followers. For instance, Houston clearly *wants* to swear…

[@houston-coley]

HAHAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@Longma1]

Speaking of subversions and surprises. . . 🤣

[@jaysutter9934]

This video is exactly my niche

[@deboragracecoley2844]

More movieology Houston, please!

[@dimes27]

this video is a masterpiece

[@mitchelleva]

Great video, Houston. Thank you for this!

[@davidsrq]

Also, Houston. I gotta say, I could hear you talk about theology for many many hours!

[@DavidLawler1]

This is fantastic omg! ❤️

[@YoursTrulyChris]

The first shall be last Jedi

[@rawar777joshanderson]

17:08 I love this comparison. Makes you take a hard look at the claims that the Bible is divinely inspired!

[@Tintenstreuner]

I'm loving this! 😂 As an atheist TLJ-lover I may not neccessarily have been the intended audience, but I still enjoyed your reasoning. Also, as someone who... struggles with the bible as an overall story, the one thing I always really, really loved was Jesus. I think he's one of the best male heroes in all of storytelling history, and if Hollywood would take more inspiration from him, maybe the average male protagonist wouldn't be problematic. (My favourite thing is that he's the greatest Hufflepuff to ever hufflepuff, just to throw another fandom into the mix.) As for TLJ, I was never overtly into Star Wars (I somewhat liked Episode 3, which is also unpopular), but TLJ made me want to become a Star Wars fan. I was sooo ready for it, but, well, then the fandom happened and, let's say, I went back to enjoying it quietly. This video has been sitting in my watch later list for a really long time as I didn't know what to expect from it but really love your channel. I'm glad I eventually got round to watching it!

[@jasons6491]

I found you through your Kung Fu Panda trilogy video and this is the second of your videos I've watched. I enjoy seeing the Bible examined as a work of literature, and that Jesus "subverted expectations" has always been one of my favorite things about those stories. So many people wanted him to show up, affirm they were as righteous as they claimed they were, and lay the smack down on their enemies. Instead he showed up teaching humility and forgiveness. I'm a sucker for this kind of thing. Another story I've always liked is the Warcraft one where Tirion Fordring, a paladin, has his titles and such stripped away and is exiled for defending an orc - "the enemy" - but it doesn't cause him to lose his ability to wield the paladin powers of the light. A very fantasy example, but I love these stories that show nuance and depth to situations, and challenge the broader yet shallower narratives that are being pushed.

[@Grizabeebles]

"The bible was written by 40 authors over thousands of years and still feels more coherent than the sequel trilogy" That's because the bible (much like Star Wars) was saved in post-production by some very talented editors who most people never think about. The "King James Cut", for example, wasn't released until 1611.

[@Consensusmedia]

I’ll be honest...I despise the sequel trilogy (Last Jedi is my favorite I guess if I had to pick one) but I’m also a Christian who loves film and making connections between my faith and films. So I was curious about this video and this was amazing. Still don’t like the movie (for other reasons than it subverted expectations) but I love your points and the fact that you made this in the first place. Thank you for sharing your love for the Bible and explaining what it really is all about. Also thanks for being a civil Star Wars fan haha You’ve got yourself a new subscriber!

[@ShawHortonMusic]

I love the interpretation you shared of God telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac… you should do more Bible/theology-related videos! It’s always fun to examine comparisons between the Biblical narratives and films or shows.

[@ed1rko17]

I don't even think The Last Jedi was that subversive. I think audiences just went in thinking too much about subversion or playing it safe because of their response to The Force Awakens, and then projected their own obsession with subversion onto the movie. So then every time this movie did something that wasn't as safe as TFA, their immediate reaction was "subversion". No matter what happened in the film, people were going to come out comparing it to The Force Awakens, and their opinions would be based on if it was safe, or if it was bold/risky/subversive/whatever you want to call it. The bottom line is that if The Last Jedi did the opposite of what people call "subverting expectations," then the film would just be tagging bases. That's not story telling. That's chore work. That's just filling in the blanks. So if JJ Abrams' direction was just straight down the middle, Johnson had no other choice but to swerve left and right a bit or else the trilogy would just be a drag to watch like every MCU film. I've watched every Marvel movie, and since the first Iron Man back in 2008, with that film and every film after that, within the first 30 minutes of the movie you're like "okay, I get it, I see what they're doing here" and the other hour and a half is just a boring slog of giant CGI clusterfucks that I couldn't care less about. You have to swerve in story telling. It's not "subverting expectations." Having a level of surprise and intrigue to a story is compulsory to every good story. You're not supposed to know where it's going or what's going to happen, or else why are you even watching it? You already know everything that's going to happen before it even happens. That's one of my biggest problems with Rise of Skywalker. I don't think I was surprised once by anything that happened in that movie. Especially the Rey Palpatine thing because that's literally the most iconic trope of the whole franchise: you're related to the bad guy. Why Vader being Luke's father worked is because it wasn't set up as a mystery that had to be solved. It just comes out of nowhere. So it's a surprise. If they had set it up as a mystery, it wouldn't have been the iconic moment that it is. That's the problem with setting up Rey's parents as a mystery. Now everyones expecting her to be related to someone important, and even more so because that's the previous trope of the franchise. So the most boring and meaningless thing for Rian to do is just do exactly that and repeat the same story telling. He made the only smart decision which was to explore another avenue that's very Star Wars in it's nature, that we haven't explored before, which is: you can also be special because of who you choose to be, not because of the life you inherited. You don't have to be "the chosen one," you can simply be "anyone."

[@davidbeer5015]

So, I’m late to this video. Found you recently when someone had linked your Last Jedi and the prequels video on the Star Wars Cantina forums as they were sharing a cool video. And then I saw this one and..as a Christian myself, who took a class years ago that involved looking for biblical/godly truths in other media, and a fan of The Last Jedi, this one made me curious. And man, what a great video that was. details and comparisons I never thought of, well put together, a great C.S. Lewis quote in there. Fantastic. The Abraham bit..i do think there was a bit of a test of faith in there, and a foreshadow of a providing of a substitutionary sacrifice, but that detail of it also being a sort of..subversion and Him saying “I do not actually want this like others do for their gods” was one i don’t remember if I had heard before…and if I had, it was a great reminder. I, honestly don’t have much else to add, but this video got a sub from me though. It did make me curious as to what your general views are, as at one point you might be talking about the book as if it’s Truth, and then might call it a piece of literature, though that may have just been…Creative wording? But regardless, great video!

[@chrisolivo6591]

I don’t hate or love The Last Jedi, as I fall in the middle of those 2 parts of the fanbase. What I will never understand is how fans can say it brought something new to the Saga? Yes it subverted expectations, but in the end it still ended up being the ‘typical’ Star Wars middle movie where things look bleak for the good guys throughout. Now if Rey joined Kylo Ren after killing Snoke, that would have changed the trajectory of the franchise. The movie ends where Rey is still the good guy, Kylo is still the bad guy, the Galaxy is at War, and we have one movie left to iron it out. Let me say this isn’t all the fault of The Last Jedi as The Force Awakens put the Saga in a box to begin with by copying A New Hope. All The Last Jedi did was fake you out during the movie, but go back to the usual Star Wars troupe by the end. Still a good video as I respect fans who look deeply into the movies.

[@EmmaMobes42]

I love your thoughts here on subversion and the Bible! I think the more I learn about the culture of the Bible, the more subversive it becomes. I don’t like The Last Jedi very much, but I appreciate the subversive beauty that you see in it. Many of the moments I like in that movie are ones that are unexpected and do things differently. There are a lot of things about the scenes with Luke, Rey, and Kylo Ren that really work. It doesn’t fix the big problems I have with the Poe, Finn, and Rose parts of the story, but I enjoyed hearing your perspective on it!

[@rockyblacksmith]

Regarding the jewish expectations for their messiah: They also had another important influence beside the tanakh, namely the Maccabean revolt. The jews had already seen a military uprising, based on religious enthusiasm, cast out an occupier from their land, namely the greeks. And this was still relatively fresh in their mind, the last of the Hasmonean kings (the dynasty the Maccabeans set up) was deposed some 30 years before the birth of Christ. It is pretty safe to assume many of them were expecting the messiah to do the same thing again, just with the romans this time.

[@alexilupin]

I think people want or expect their hero figures to be all Good with no nuance, (or if there is nuance, it's in the past and the hero is Good now) so they simply ignore anything the hero does or thinks that contradicts what the person themself believes. In that way I think to a large extent many people create their gods in their own image, without ever realising. People who think it's unrealistic that Luke, who is Good, would fail, withdraw from society, refuse to save anyone, I think they think it's because Luke's personality means he wouldn't do that, but I think it's actually that they don't want to let go of their idea of Luke as someone who always does the right thing. It's psychologically so much easier to follow someone else's judgement that you believe is better, rather than to have to make difficult moral choices yourself, constantly. But then if you do that the idea of the leader's judgement being imperfect is threatening. Unpredictable. So you reject it as impossible or near enough. Uh this got a bit rambly TL;DR It's easier to mould your image of a hero to conform to your beliefs than to honestly examine your own beliefs at the point where you diverge from the hero and consider changing your views. "Luke would never do that" vs "What circumstances would drive Luke to do that? And might I do the same in that position?"

[@AynenMakino]

Nice juxtaposition, definitely not the angle I was expecting. I'd expect people to compare Luke to Jesus maybe, but not the structure of the movie itself to how Jesus lealt with the 'iconography' he needed to find a way to adhere to. Nicely done.

[@mrZanZibar777]

Excellent, thought provoking analysis. I am personally agnostic, raised Catholic, and I think your argument that the subversiveness of Jesus' story is evidence of its truth is really compelling. I think what people can learn from both the stories of Jesus and The Last Jedi is: what we need is often different than what we want. The moment you think you have life all figured out is the moment you need a reality check. For both the Jews of Jesus' time and Rey, what they expected from their hero was not what they got, but it was definitely what they needed.

[@kasaibouF29]

Jesus: Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Luke Skywalker: Go away!

[@clebcalb6871]

Dang man Houston, I love that you make videos about this kind of thing. I believe you when you say it can be nerve-wracking to put something like this out, because even in person sometimes I worry about coming off as preachy when talking to friends about the Bible. But you did well with this - it was both a fun and thoughtful video that also had some genuinely great insights about the Bible and Jesus' character.

[@AndaraBledin]

On the coherence (such as it is) of the Bible, it's worth noting that the Catholic Church has had a huge hand in editing the finished product. For better or, probably, worse in some cases. I'm not Christian, though I do follow a religion that shares a root (hell, it's nothing but root), and I appreciate that while you fanboy over your faith, you're not pushy or superior about it. It's very refreshing.

[@JasonUNLV]

I hate the last Jedi, I truly hate it. It is my least favorite piece of art I’ve ever consumed. I will always hate it, and I truly believe it ruined Star Wars for me. Star Wars for me is kinda dead, and it all started with the last Jedi. Seems like a movie made for people who really like to feel like their are smarter than everyone else, they like to use big words, allude to important things, but never really say anything. Literally the last jedi can go screw itself. Love your vids man, that Harry Potter vid you made is one of my favorite KZbin videos.

[@elijahtaylor4698]

I desire more. Excellent job. This has given me much to think about. Thank you.

[@josephivenegas]

If I get another ad for Patriot™ brand apocalypse bunker foodstuffs... idk, but imma be real annoyed.

[@artloveranimation]

With the story of Abraham having to be told to sacrifice his son, then stopped, I always grew up interpreting that it was not only a test of faith and obedience, but also to have Abraham understand what it is will be like for God to send his only Begotten Son to save all of us, just without Abraham actually killing his son.

[@matthewchristensen2933]

hey man, loved the Video. i just stumbled across you channel, and thus have been binging all you backlog of videos. i love your video essay style, and i also love how youre not afraid to bring up the bible where it works as a comparsion. i think that in itself helps people realise it is just something you can go and read for yourself. i also agree with what you, and a lot of other people in this coment section have said regarding the bible being easily understood once you understand the historical context. i know your probably not the most qualified person, but id just love to hear you take about the bible and the context of the imagery/iconography. Also, dont worry about Niche topics, someones gotta do it

[@GustavoCaucayo]

Really enjoyed your comparison here and the analysis of the bible as a story. Never really thought of it in terms of the last jedi lol, But makes complete sense.. Keep the great content coming man, I feel like we as an audience would rather you make whatever video you want instead of avoiding topics that are touchy for people, I certainly feel that way

[@brennanpeterhunt]

I appreciate this video on a few different levels. You make great points. Also, Jesus never broke the law, he fulfilled it.

[@yuki5619]

I could say that this video was not what I was expecting. I really enjoyed it! Thank you~

[@brennanpeterhunt]

I appreciate this video on a few different levels. Great points. Also Jesus never broke the law, he fulfilled the law.

[@IndyFilmProductions]

This isn't the type of video I was expecting when I first subbed here but it's definitely my kind of video. As a semi-religious guy currently trying to dive deeper and a big fan of the last Jedi this content is made for me lol

[@ryanmikolowski7008]

Thanks for being bold enough to post this!!! I really enjoyed it

[@QuietKnightt]

Great video man. I freaking loved it. Super interesting stuff!

[@therealbombadbounty4462]

Would like to know your stance on The Rise Of Skywalker.

[@AdmiralThumbs]

Really interesting video. I appreciate connecting films/shows to deep thoughts like this.

[@harrihaffi2713]

The bible part pulled me in. Usually I try to stay clear of video related to disney properties

[@SnapperChannel]

Late to the party, but wow another great video Houston. This channel continues to deliver great stuff. This is the way

[@davidsrq]

Are you a fan of Tim Mackie? I’ve heard him talk about Star Wars and our relationship with the bible before in some podcast! I love this connection!!!

[@houston-coley]

I adore Tim Mackie and The Bible Project! I’ve never heard him talk about Star Wars. Let me know if you remember what that podcast was.

[@davidsrq]

@@houston-coley It’s from a podcast called Almost Heretical. The name of the episode is “46: Tim Mackie - Riddles in the Bible (Part 1)” And he mentions Star Wars near the middle of the episode. Hope you can find it!

[@tannerriley7485]

@@davidsrq Almost Heretical is SUCH a good and thought provoking podcast

[@davidsrq]

@@tannerriley7485 I really enjoy listening to them!!

[@katherinealvarez9216]

5:51 and good lord, did that joke became tiresome.

[@BejaeIngate]

Really appreciating your recent parallels between various media and the Gospel!! It's really great to see perspectives and opinions on books and movies while incorporating christian faith and theology, big fan! Keep up the work man : )

[@aaronlaplace5902]

This is a certified hood classic

[@smoresmew]

I love all the morality tales within star wars! I feel like it complements the Bible really well

[@wesleyadams5689]

i totally agree with you! i still hate the last jedi though😂