Angels in Christian Theology
The doctrine of angels is not the heart of the gospel. However, it is also not extrinsic cultural symbolism borrowed from the surrounding culture, purely accidental, as a means through which the Christian faith expressed itself in the past, and which it could – or even should – abandon today in a pr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology
2024-02-01
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| Series: | St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/AngelsinChristianTheology |
| _version_ | 1827338457901432832 |
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| author | Serge-Thomas Bonino |
| author_facet | Serge-Thomas Bonino |
| author_sort | Serge-Thomas Bonino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The doctrine of angels is not the heart of the gospel. However, it is also not extrinsic cultural symbolism borrowed from the surrounding culture, purely accidental, as a means through which the Christian faith expressed itself in the past, and which it could – or even should – abandon today in a profoundly different cultural context. Although it occupies only a peripheral and derivative place in the hierarchy of revealed truths, relative to the central mystery of God and his son, Jesus Christ, it is not to be neglected. Indeed, for Christian life and practice, belief in angels imparts specific characteristics (a strong doxological dimension, trust in providence, etc.), and legitimately captures the attention of the theologian seeking a more comprehensive understanding of revelation. Theological reflection on the invisible world of angels not only enriches the knowledge of the Creator and his work but also sheds light, indirectly, on most of the great mysteries of Christian doctrine.
In this article, we will first examine the main themes of traditional teaching on angels from Holy Scripture and the church fathers, placing them in the religious, cultural and intellectual contexts in which they arose (section 1). We will then turn to the angelological synthesis developed by medieval scholastic theology, especially the doctrine of St Thomas Aquinas. Relying on both faith and metaphysical reason, scholastic theology explores the metaphysical nature of angels and the modalities of their spiritual operations, so as to better explain the supernatural mystery of the angels’ divine calling and sanctification, and the way in which they cooperate in the economy of salvation in Jesus Christ (section 2). While the Reformation did not challenge angelology but refocused it on scripture, the intellectual and cultural evolution of the modern and contemporary West led to a crisis of credibility in traditional teachings on angels. Angels have been expelled from the cosmos by the ‘disenchantment of the world’, of which the new vision of the universe induced by modern science is a major factor. Simultaneously, angels have been removed from what is considered revealed truths by the demythologization implemented by historical-critical exegesis. Therefore, contemporary theology seeks to update the traditional teaching while opening up new paths for an angelological doctrine, the theoretical and practical implications of which remain important (section 3).
As a specific article in this encyclopaedia is dedicated to Satan and demons, we will confine ourselves here, as much as possible, to topics relating solely to ‘good angels’, even though the question of angels and demons is generally closely linked in theological reflection. There are only a few theologians, such as Karl Barth, who almost entirely dissociate angelology and demonology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:15:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-02d29305b0364a85acdaea298b759983 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2753-3492 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:15:44Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology |
| spelling | doaj.art-02d29305b0364a85acdaea298b7599832024-02-29T14:38:57ZengSt Andrews Encyclopaedia of TheologySt Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology2753-34922024-02-01Angels in Christian TheologySerge-Thomas BoninoThe doctrine of angels is not the heart of the gospel. However, it is also not extrinsic cultural symbolism borrowed from the surrounding culture, purely accidental, as a means through which the Christian faith expressed itself in the past, and which it could – or even should – abandon today in a profoundly different cultural context. Although it occupies only a peripheral and derivative place in the hierarchy of revealed truths, relative to the central mystery of God and his son, Jesus Christ, it is not to be neglected. Indeed, for Christian life and practice, belief in angels imparts specific characteristics (a strong doxological dimension, trust in providence, etc.), and legitimately captures the attention of the theologian seeking a more comprehensive understanding of revelation. Theological reflection on the invisible world of angels not only enriches the knowledge of the Creator and his work but also sheds light, indirectly, on most of the great mysteries of Christian doctrine. In this article, we will first examine the main themes of traditional teaching on angels from Holy Scripture and the church fathers, placing them in the religious, cultural and intellectual contexts in which they arose (section 1). We will then turn to the angelological synthesis developed by medieval scholastic theology, especially the doctrine of St Thomas Aquinas. Relying on both faith and metaphysical reason, scholastic theology explores the metaphysical nature of angels and the modalities of their spiritual operations, so as to better explain the supernatural mystery of the angels’ divine calling and sanctification, and the way in which they cooperate in the economy of salvation in Jesus Christ (section 2). While the Reformation did not challenge angelology but refocused it on scripture, the intellectual and cultural evolution of the modern and contemporary West led to a crisis of credibility in traditional teachings on angels. Angels have been expelled from the cosmos by the ‘disenchantment of the world’, of which the new vision of the universe induced by modern science is a major factor. Simultaneously, angels have been removed from what is considered revealed truths by the demythologization implemented by historical-critical exegesis. Therefore, contemporary theology seeks to update the traditional teaching while opening up new paths for an angelological doctrine, the theoretical and practical implications of which remain important (section 3). As a specific article in this encyclopaedia is dedicated to Satan and demons, we will confine ourselves here, as much as possible, to topics relating solely to ‘good angels’, even though the question of angels and demons is generally closely linked in theological reflection. There are only a few theologians, such as Karl Barth, who almost entirely dissociate angelology and demonology.https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/AngelsinChristianTheologychristian theologyangelsthomas aquinaschurch fathersneoplatonismscholasticismprovidencethe reformationdemythologizationcosmology |
| spellingShingle | Serge-Thomas Bonino Angels in Christian Theology St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology christian theology angels thomas aquinas church fathers neoplatonism scholasticism providence the reformation demythologization cosmology |
| title | Angels in Christian Theology |
| title_full | Angels in Christian Theology |
| title_fullStr | Angels in Christian Theology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Angels in Christian Theology |
| title_short | Angels in Christian Theology |
| title_sort | angels in christian theology |
| topic | christian theology angels thomas aquinas church fathers neoplatonism scholasticism providence the reformation demythologization cosmology |
| url | https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/AngelsinChristianTheology |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sergethomasbonino angelsinchristiantheology |