As Fr. Robert J. Spitzer argues in his new book, The Soul’s Upward Yearning: Clues to Our Transcendent Nature from Experience and Reason (Ignatius Press, 2015), Star Wars is technically a myth.
Myths, due to the way they address the transcendent nature of human beings, are a unique form of story-telling.
“Though a myth is fictional, it is not fiction,” writes Spitzer. “The objective of myths is to express ultimate truth and meaning … and reveal the source of truth and meaning—that is, ultimate reality. Not only this, but myths must also reveal how and why ultimate reality connects with this world—and the people within it.”.much of this was what Tolkien argued with CSLewis:
“But, said Lewis, myths are lies, even though lies breathed through silver. No, said Tolkien, they are not. ...just as speech is invention about objects and ideas, so myth is invention about truth.
We have come from God (continued Tolkien), and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God....
― Humphrey Carpenter, J.R.R. Tolkien: A BiographyCatholics usually point to allegory and typology as one of several ways to interpret scripture. while seeing some of the the pagan mythologies as either allegory or as ways to seek the transcendant, and allowing those stories and customs that echoed truth.
which is why wise Catholics reject those literalists whose concrete interpretations of scripture ignore Christianity's ancient roots, and why they only shake their heads in disbelief of the ignorance of those modern bozos who think that Christianity "stole" these ideas from paganism.
they ignore that we have come from God, and although we might miss the mark, our stories, myths, and religious impulses come from the same source: The desire to seek God, which is genetically wired in the human brain, according to some modern scientists.
Or as St Augustine said:
“Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee.
related article: A Catholic essay on Discworld.