26.02.06
0902 – Peace Knights of the Soul —Wisdom in “Star Wars” – book review
Posted in the Branch at 8:00 pm by James 
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April 2005
A book by Jon Snodgrass, PhD.
(Reviewed by James)
“Peace Knights of the Soul is an analysis of the spiritual metaphysics in science fiction film, especially the confluence of Star War and A Course in Miracles (ACIM). It was written for anyone interested in learning about forgiveness and non-violent thinking. Global peace begins in the individual mind according to ACIM. Thus, social change does not require mass movements, political action or military intervention.”
Thus states Jon Snodgrass in the introduction to his book Peace Knights of the Soul. When asked to review this work I must admit I was interested. I, like many others have seen all the Star Wars films and, although the first trilogy now seem a little dated, look forward to seeing the final instalment of the second pre trilogy in May, 2005. But I must also admit I was a little confused as to how I was meant to review the work. To clarify, I asked Jon if he wanted me to review it from a Course perspective and he replied in the affirmative. And it was here that I began to have some difficulty. Don’t get me wrong, I did in fact quite enjoy the book, although at times I found the style a bit uneven as it moved between what seemed to be class notes (meant only for the presenter) and a more relaxed and fluid prose, interspersed with some exceedingly crammed slabs of allusion and trivia. Perhaps the most powerful section of the book was reserved towards the end (chapter 11) where the author includes essays from students clearly demonstrating their attempts to make ” real” aspects of the mythology presented.
There is a lot of data presented here and the passion of the author for his thesis and its efficacy clearly comes through. It reminded me a little of another Course commentator, Marriane Williamson, whose A Return to Love, seemed written at a hundred miles an hour and engaged the reader at the same speed! It shares with that work the potential to encourage the reader to open to the possibility of “seeing differently” and that is not a bad thing. But from a perspective of the metaphysics of the Course it falls a little short as well in that it draws, at too many places, a causative link between true peace of mind and particular behaviours. That this occurs is not to devalue this work, but simply to indicate the difficulty of describing being when all the elements of our language are based on doing.
At times is seems Jon’ s thesis is simple, all power is in the mind and there is only mind. Where the difficulty arises is in understanding what mind he is referring to at times. He quite enthusiastically, although at times labouriously, paints the myth of the “Justly Evolving and Developing Individual” or JEDI, and their ‘opposite number’ the SITH, “Suffering Individual Through Hatred.” As a mythology in itself it is both clever and potent. He makes it clear, and to an extent justifies this extrapolation of the unintentional and latent myth contained within the films is far above what was perhaps intended by the authors of the films. Unfortunately, the detail of the myth that he extracts sometimes gets in the way of this simple message of all power is in the mind.
I included the excerpt from the introduction specifically as it demonstrates, and is but one example of, a potential weakness or blurring of what I think Jon’ s intention is. Specifically; “Global peace begins in the individual mind according to ACIM.” ACIM has NO comment on global peace. It is not, and cannot be its concern for as we are told;
” There is no world! This is the central thought the Course attempts to teach. W-pI.132.6:2-3.
To continue, there is also no individual mind either. The Course is teaching us that there is ONLY Mind and the recognition of this allows everything else, including the idea of global peace, to fall away. The Course is addressed to you but makes it abundantly clear this is not the you, you think you are.
Jon continues, “(Thus,) social change does not require mass movements, political action or military intervention.” While probably true he omits a very important fact that the Course is not concerned with social change at all. It is expressly not its purpose. Indeed, the place the Course is leading us to stands quite far apart from any concept or apparent effect of social change.
To be fair, Jon is talking to those who believe in individuation, just as the Course does. Where the two differ is in the clarity of expressing that there is no actual individuation for there are no individuals. Peace Knights is about living as a good individual while in the awareness that there is only One, whereas the Course is only concerned with the awakening of the awareness, the rest taking care of itself.
Let me repeat, I really did enjoy reading this book. That I enjoy Star Wars and am a Course student no doubt had a lot to do with that. If you have no affinity for the films from which this mythology is drawn you might find the going a little tough and even irrelevant to your mythology. But if you do have a liking for the films then there is much here. Whether you agree with all of the mythology Jon builds won’ t matter, the source material and his take on it will keep you entertained and make you think. As for the correspondence and linking to the teachings of the Course, it is there, but it tends to stay, borrowing from one of the Course’ s supplementary materials, restricted to the lower rungs of the ladder of awareness that is the promise of the Course.
James
Peace Knights of the Soul —Wisdom in ” Star Wars” was published by InnerCircle Publishing in September 2004 and is available now from Amazon and other sources.