David Almond’s Skellig: ‘‘A New Vista of Contemplation’’?

The debates that have arisen regarding Darwin’s theories of evolution and Christian views of creation and their place in education in the United States have frequently been extremely heated, resulting in trials, hearings, and laws. This article provides an overview of some of the disagreements and illustrates how David Almond’s British novel, Skellig (1998), can be read as a response to the disputes. The author suggests a close reading of Skellig demonstrates how a decrepit, broken, dispirited creature, who might be characterized as an angel, and the crumbling building in which he lives serve as a series of metaphors for attitudes regarding the role of Christian views of creation and evolution in contemporary culture.