What do you think?
Rate this book
The Last Monks of Skellig Michael: The Fascinating Real-Life History Behind Luke Skywalker's Island
A long time ago on an Irish island not so far away. Return to Luke Skywalker’s island from “Star The Last Jedi” and discover the fascinating real-life history behind Skellig Michael, an enchanting isle off the coast of Ireland where an ancient Christian monastery continues to inspire those who come there. Learn about the Jedi-like training that occurred on this island according to the traditions of devout Catholic monks. Immerse yourself in an age when warrior monks were on the front line of a spiritual battle against the dark forces of this world. Monks meet Jedi in an engaging read that invites the reader to discover the surprising parallels between fact and fiction and what these heroic men can still teach us over a thousand years later.
78 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2017
18 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 8, 2017
This is the seventh book by Philip Kosloski that I have read in just over a year. I have greatly enjoyed and benefited from each of the books that I have read that he has written. This one combines a number of elements to make it of interest to a much wider audience. For it is part history, part spiritual direction and part Star Wars tie-in. For Skellig Michael is the site for the set of the Last Jedi Temple. But it is believed to have been the home to monks for over a 600 years.
The chapters in the booklet are:
Introduction
Why Skellig Michael?
The Hive of Spiritual Nourishment
A Day in the Life of a Spiritual Warrior
The Last Monks of Skellig Michael and their Legacy
Bibliography
Endnotes
The book begins with a cloaked figure near beehive huts with a large cross on a pedestal. This could be a monk from of old, or it could be Luke Skywalker at the end of The Force Awakens. And then the first words in the book are a quote from George Bernard Shaw: "The most fantastic and impossible rock in the world: Skellig Michael… the Skelligs are pinnacled, crocketed, spired, arched, caverned, minaretted; and these gothic extravagances are not curiosities of the islands: they are the islands: there is nothing else. The rest of the cathedral may be under the sea for all I know… An incredible, impossible, mad place… I tell you the thing does not belong to any world that you and I have lived and worked in: it is part of our dream world." And searching photos of this place and the footage we see in the film confirm those statements. This is a place that seems to bot belong to our world. And yet Monks choose to live there. There is an incredible history of prayer, sacrifice and work on this island. Though few remaining history documents reference Skellig Michael recent archaeology has added to what is known of these monks, and early Christian Monasticism in Ireland.
This book also draws from the history of the Star Wars Universe and states:
"In early drafts of the Star Wars script, Lucas wrote about a 16-year-old boy who seeks entrance into the "Intersystems Academy to train as a potential Jedi-Templer." [v] Lucas deliberately used the word "Jedi-Templer," in a nod to the warrior religious monks historically known as the "Knights Templar." After these initial drafts, the word Templer was discarded, but Lucas did not drop the idea entirely, referring to the spiritual sages throughout his films as "Jedi Knights.""
He also makes a linkage to the Catholic Church:
"Besides having a connection to the Christian monks of the Middle Ages, the Jedi also use a phrase that is intimately tied to the Christian religion. The popular phrase "May the force be with you," is in fact "a variation on the Christian phrase May the Lord be with you and with your spirit- in Latin, Dominus vobiscum et cum Spiritu tuo, which was often written by Saint Paul at the end of his letters."[ vii] Producer Gary Kurtz confirmed the phrase was intentionally evocative of the blessing often used in Catholic liturgical ceremonies."
And this book goes on from the Star Wars theme to examine the religious history of such a place, the seeking of a desert experience, the concept of a green Martyrdom and of being soldiers in Christ's army. It is believed that Saint Fionán founded this monastery with a band of 12 brothers, these men focused on living holy lives and extreme way of life.
This book was a fascinating read, and not just for this history or pop culture reference. In fact the greatest thing about this book is the reminder to us, the readers, to be aware of the need for discipline, to be prepared to engage in spiritual warfare. In quoting Saint Pope John Paul II from his visit to the island:
"This battle against the devil which characterizes the Archangel Michael is still going on, because the devil is still alive and at work in world. In fact, the evil that is in it, the disorder we see in society, the infidelity of man, the interior fragmentation of which he is a victim, are not merely the consequences of original sin, but also the effect of the dark and infesting activity of Satan, of this saboteur of man's moral equilibrium."
A wonderful little read that I can highly recommend!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Philip A. Kosloski.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!
The chapters in the booklet are:
Introduction
Why Skellig Michael?
The Hive of Spiritual Nourishment
A Day in the Life of a Spiritual Warrior
The Last Monks of Skellig Michael and their Legacy
Bibliography
Endnotes
The book begins with a cloaked figure near beehive huts with a large cross on a pedestal. This could be a monk from of old, or it could be Luke Skywalker at the end of The Force Awakens. And then the first words in the book are a quote from George Bernard Shaw: "The most fantastic and impossible rock in the world: Skellig Michael… the Skelligs are pinnacled, crocketed, spired, arched, caverned, minaretted; and these gothic extravagances are not curiosities of the islands: they are the islands: there is nothing else. The rest of the cathedral may be under the sea for all I know… An incredible, impossible, mad place… I tell you the thing does not belong to any world that you and I have lived and worked in: it is part of our dream world." And searching photos of this place and the footage we see in the film confirm those statements. This is a place that seems to bot belong to our world. And yet Monks choose to live there. There is an incredible history of prayer, sacrifice and work on this island. Though few remaining history documents reference Skellig Michael recent archaeology has added to what is known of these monks, and early Christian Monasticism in Ireland.
This book also draws from the history of the Star Wars Universe and states:
"In early drafts of the Star Wars script, Lucas wrote about a 16-year-old boy who seeks entrance into the "Intersystems Academy to train as a potential Jedi-Templer." [v] Lucas deliberately used the word "Jedi-Templer," in a nod to the warrior religious monks historically known as the "Knights Templar." After these initial drafts, the word Templer was discarded, but Lucas did not drop the idea entirely, referring to the spiritual sages throughout his films as "Jedi Knights.""
He also makes a linkage to the Catholic Church:
"Besides having a connection to the Christian monks of the Middle Ages, the Jedi also use a phrase that is intimately tied to the Christian religion. The popular phrase "May the force be with you," is in fact "a variation on the Christian phrase May the Lord be with you and with your spirit- in Latin, Dominus vobiscum et cum Spiritu tuo, which was often written by Saint Paul at the end of his letters."[ vii] Producer Gary Kurtz confirmed the phrase was intentionally evocative of the blessing often used in Catholic liturgical ceremonies."
And this book goes on from the Star Wars theme to examine the religious history of such a place, the seeking of a desert experience, the concept of a green Martyrdom and of being soldiers in Christ's army. It is believed that Saint Fionán founded this monastery with a band of 12 brothers, these men focused on living holy lives and extreme way of life.
This book was a fascinating read, and not just for this history or pop culture reference. In fact the greatest thing about this book is the reminder to us, the readers, to be aware of the need for discipline, to be prepared to engage in spiritual warfare. In quoting Saint Pope John Paul II from his visit to the island:
"This battle against the devil which characterizes the Archangel Michael is still going on, because the devil is still alive and at work in world. In fact, the evil that is in it, the disorder we see in society, the infidelity of man, the interior fragmentation of which he is a victim, are not merely the consequences of original sin, but also the effect of the dark and infesting activity of Satan, of this saboteur of man's moral equilibrium."
A wonderful little read that I can highly recommend!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Philip A. Kosloski.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!
December 2, 2017
This is so very brief and generalized that it is of little use to anyone with more than the most passing interest in Skellig Michael. It's something like a Wikipedia-summary-level overview, with some additional, and also general, Catholic exhortations at the conclusion.
I read it because I had seen that it directly addresses the connection between Skellig Michael and the new Star Wars trilogy, but these references are very brief and, for the most part, unrewarding.
If your interest is in the island itself, including its history, archeology, and restoration, I recommend The Forgotten Hermitage of Skellig Michael by Walter Horn, Grellan D. Rourke, Jenny W. Marshall, Paddy O'Leary, and Lee Snodgrass. If your interest is in the daily lives, spiritual journeys, and evolving challenges of those who once lived at Skellig Michael, I recommend Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World by Geoffrey Moorhouse.
I read it because I had seen that it directly addresses the connection between Skellig Michael and the new Star Wars trilogy, but these references are very brief and, for the most part, unrewarding.
If your interest is in the island itself, including its history, archeology, and restoration, I recommend The Forgotten Hermitage of Skellig Michael by Walter Horn, Grellan D. Rourke, Jenny W. Marshall, Paddy O'Leary, and Lee Snodgrass. If your interest is in the daily lives, spiritual journeys, and evolving challenges of those who once lived at Skellig Michael, I recommend Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World by Geoffrey Moorhouse.
May 8, 2017
Do you believe that all of us are called to be with God? Regardless of what calling you are called into, we make the choice. One of these choices is how we live our lives. The monks in Skellig Michael have chosen to be in seclusion to fulfill their life's purpose. They have renounced everything they had and led a life of contemplation. They have adopted the concept of ''green martyrdom". "Green martyrdom consists in this, that by means of fasting and labor he frees himself from his evil desires or suffers toil in penance and repentance. This is how a monk of Skellig Michael lives. This book gives us a peek on their lives, beliefs and practices. In what way will you live your life? Read along, you might get in depth ideas on how you live yours...
Choose well...
Choose well...
May 24, 2017
Are you a Christian? Are you also a FAN of Star Wars? The author sure is!
But if you are not into Star Wars you should still read this book. The Monks across history have had an incalculable impact on history and the way that the author ties the different genres and periods of history make this a very interesting read.
I enjoyed each part of this quick read and I believe you will as well. This really helped me put myself not only in the shoes of a Monk, but of a Monk who lives on a tiny rocky island in the Northern Atlantic. Whoa!
But if you are not into Star Wars you should still read this book. The Monks across history have had an incalculable impact on history and the way that the author ties the different genres and periods of history make this a very interesting read.
I enjoyed each part of this quick read and I believe you will as well. This really helped me put myself not only in the shoes of a Monk, but of a Monk who lives on a tiny rocky island in the Northern Atlantic. Whoa!
September 12, 2017
Very short overview of an interesting ancient history used as part of our "Pop Culture"
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews