Title: Peace Knights of the Soul: Wisdom in Star Wars
ISBN: 0-9755214-7-0
Publisher: Inner Circle
Copyright: 2006
Reviewed by Reihla.
When I agreed to review Peace Knights of the Soul, I didn’t have any preconceived ideas of what to expect from the book. The concept of Jedi Knighthood has always been near and dear to my heart, so mostly I was looking forward to learning a new perspective on that order, while seeing what about this book might be of interest to the typical Star Wars fan. Of course, the first thing I noticed was that this book wasn’t written specifically for Star Wars fans. Rather, its appeal is for anyone interested in learning how to deal with world influences in a forgiving, peaceful manner.
The foreword from Campbellian scholar Dr. Jonathan Young launches the book nicely with a brief discussion of the Jedi mythos as perceived by popular culture. Of special importance is the reputation the Jedi have as seekers of knowledge who are devoted to great causes and dedicated to service.
From that springboard, the author opens by boldly stating that Peace Knights was written “for anyone interested in learning forgiveness and non-violent thinking.” The prevalent themes used to do this are found in the religions and philosophies of many cultures. Rather than distilling wisdom from these typical channels, however, the author uses examples from Star Wars and popular culture to help the reader understand spiritual concepts that bring peace.
There are several points upon which the author bases his thesis which, in my opinion, are pure speculation or matters of his own interpretation, such as the idea that Qui-Gon could have been Anakin’s biological father and the idea that the Jedi are celibate as a rule. These are things that Star Wars books and films do not specify. Even so, Star Wars fans are often given to similar fantastical speculations, especially when their ideas don’t conflict with anything on-screen. Even if the Qui-Gon-fathered-Anakin theory isn’t the reader’s cup of tea, I believe even die-hard fans will be willing to overlook that to get to the important message of the book.
Although there were points I couldn’t buy into, I found many others that I agreed with wholeheartedly. What was most refreshing was the humor with which many of these ideas were presented. Most prevalent in my mind is the author’s statement that the closest Padmé ever came to infidelity was oiling Artoo Detoo in The Phantom Menace. Other ideas that rang true were the suggestion that Yoda’s hypocritical fear of Anakin was what ultimately brought about the fall of the Jedi Order and that Anakin’s own guilt led to his attacking others, most especially the incident with the Tuskens.
Though there are many aspects of the saga used to highlight specific points, the bulk of the job is assigned to Luke Skywalker and his individual journey to Jedi Knighthood. In fact, the heart and soul of this work can be found in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s admonition to Luke that “Many of the truths we cling to depend on our own point of view.” One of the main themes, stated over and over throughout the text, is that reality is created within the mind of the individual. One by one, the author explains how Luke’s preconceived notions are shot down, right up to the point where he realizes that his worst enemy, Darth Vader, is in reality the father he had long idealized and believed dead. From the internal conflict this revelation generated comes Luke’s discovery that peace -- refusing to fight -- is the key to victory. By redeeming his enemy rather than killing him, Luke’s elevation to the status of “Peace Knight” is achieved.
If you are a fan of Star Wars and you like to think beyond the surface ideas of the saga, this book will provide you an opportunity to do that. The author’s sense of humor and his affection for the Star Wars saga are evident and make Peace Knights of the Soul an enjoyable read. Yes, even for fans whose interests don’t lie in the realm of metaphysics.
