New Book Connects Jedi to Real World Monks on Skellig Michael

Posted by Bret on 07/30/17 at 10:43 PM Category: Star Wars Misc

The Last Monks of Skellig Michael is a short paperback published in April of 2017, and is available on Amazon.

Author Philip Kosloski, is a staff writer for the online publication Aleteia.org, which, according to its webpage, "offers a Christian vision of the world by providing general and religious content that is free from ideological influences." [Editor's Note: This statement is seemingly contradictory, but maybe that's just me.] In the interview, Kosloski says:

"In particular, Star Wars fans will be most interested as I briefly delve into the various connections between the Star Wars universe and Catholicism. However, if someone isn’t familiar with Star Wars they will still be captivated by the lives of the monks that I describe."

There is also a page dedicated to the book, LastMonks.com, which states the book as explores these questions:

What was it like 1,000 years ago? Why did the monks choose Skellig Michael? What was their spirituality like? Why did they leave and never return? What is their legacy today?

And ties it into the Saga thusly:

What’s even more surprising is how closely these monks resemble the Jedi who have brought the island to life again in the latest Star Wars films!

Interestingly, Kosloski is also developing a comic book inspired by the history of the island, in which a young 9th century boy leaves his home to join the monks on Skellig Michael:

What happens next is most unexpected and through a series of mysterious events the young boy is caught up into an adventure he never thought possible.

One never thought monastic life was so exciting!

Below, is a behind the scenes look at how J.J. Abrams was notified about Skellig Michael from his location scouts. He mentions that it was beautiful, and that he couldn't believe he was given permission to film. The minister for Irish Arts and Heritage says that the scenery, heritage, and wildlife of the island are amazing. It is not clear if J.J. and team specifically considered the history of the medieval monks on the island as having the connection to the Jedi that is posited in Kosloski's book, but it certainly seems to have had a serendipitous synergy.