Quick Hits: Star Wars, Mary in the Wisdom literature, and more

By Thomas V. Mirus ( bio - articles - email ) | Jan 26, 2018 | In Quick Hits

Bishop Barron annoyed many with his claim that Star Wars: The Last Jedi pushes feminism hard: “Every male character in The Last Jedi is either bumbling, incompetent, arrogant, or morally compromised; and every female character is wise, good, prudent, and courageous.” I basically agree with his take, and that this agenda renders much of the plot incoherent. And you know what? I’ll go ahead and say it: Vice Admiral Holdo is worse than Jar-Jar. But the more I think about it the more I realize (to my disappointment as a former fan of writer-director Rian Johnson) that this is far from the only thing wrong with the new Star Wars.

---

David Warren writes movingly about Church Father Origen’s “Discussion with Heraclides”, rare among ancient dialogues in that it is an actual, play-by-play transcription of what these people actually said to each other.

---

Hoping to better understand how Mary is prefigured in Wisdom literature, I recently came across an old commentary by Dr. Taylor Marshall on Ecclesiasticus 24:6-10. I was not only educated but moved: Dr. Marshall imbues his theological writing with a piety and filial affection that ought to shame his arid academic contemporaries.

---

Finally, Ryan Holiday tells us why we should all stop following the news this year.