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We often think of angels as winged creatures with supernatural powers that assist us when we are in danger. Where did that image of wings come from? Popular novelist, Vinita Hampton Wright, answers this and other questions in this illuminating and richly informative guide to angels in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. nbsp; In this intriguing book, you will explore the origin and nature of angels, where they dwell, what they do, and how they relate to humanity. You will discover what the three Abrahamic faiths have to say about fallen angels (or, demons), and also see how doctrine and theology sometimes merge with legend and superstition. A short encyclopedia of terms and names is included at book's end which will enlighten the study of angelic beings in the religions of the world for years to come. nbsp; "This is the best book available on angels - a wildly popular topic that has long deserved the attention of a thoughtful and talented writer like Vinita Hampton Wright. She brings a poet's skill, a scholar's care, and a believer's heart to the heavenly companions whose presence we might sense, but may know little about." -nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; James Martin, SJ, author of My Life with the Saints nbsp; "Vinita Hampton Wright has done a wonderful job with a very complex issue: trying to bring Jews, Christians, and Muslims together." -nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Laleh Bakhitar, Ph.D. nbsp;… (más)
I was hoping that this book would inform me as to whether or not one needs to believe in (or claim to believe in) the existence of angels in order to be considered a true believer of one of the three dominant monotheistic religions. This is a considerable challenge today, I might add. Many doctrinal assertions were only revealed through angels or visions. And yet Martin Luther, the father of Protestantism, stated that all of the angels in heaven could not dissuade him of his beliefs. He wrote, "I would shut my eyes and stop my ears, for they would not deserve to be either seen or heard." Those are curious words, considering that angels are supposedly one of the main conduits to God. I was also wondering why angels were only given the opportunity to exercise free will at one moment of time, in which a full third of them rebelled and fell. How could this have possibly happened when they are in constant presence of absolute, ineffable perfection? What chance do ordinary mortals have, who are never allowed a glimpse of God? This book unfortunately does not address my long-held questions about the nature of angels along those lines.
It does however have a lot to say about the references to angels in all three of the monotheistic religions. Although the canonical scriptures mention only two angels by name, Michael and Gabriel, many more are discussed in the apocryphal writings and other oral traditions that did not make it into the canon. There is good discussion of the hierarchy of angels, and the nature and responsibilities of the angels in those various hierarchies. Why and how are angels imagined as having wings? Why is that an almost universal concept, and yet it is almost comical to envision the physiology and mechanics of a human-like body flapping its wings? Almost half of the book is an encyclopedic-style reference to angels in the scriptures.
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
There is an angel who watches over people, even in the dark. This is Yode'a, the Angel of Losses. He watches lives unfold, recording every detail before it fades. This angel has servants, and his servants have servants. Each of the angels carries a shovel, and they spend all their time digging, searching for losses. For a great deal is lost in our lives. --Rabbi Nachman
It is certain that spirits have no bodily shape, and yet scripture, in accommodation to us, describes them under the form of winged Cherubim and Seraphim; not without cause, to assures us that when occasion requires, they will hasten to our aid with incredible swiftness, winging their way to us with the speed of lightning. --John Calvin
Angels include the assembly of the Intelligences and Souls in the heavens; yet their action is not confined to the celestial world. They fulfill many functions in the daily religious life of man as well as preserving the order of the cosmos. It is ultimately the angels who guide man to his final beatitude and who thereby bring to fruition the purpose of creation. --Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Dedicatoria
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
To the beloved heavenly hosts, who probably gain nothing from having books dedicated to them. Still I'd like to acknowledge their enduring presence, holiness, and help.
Primeras palabras
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
According to Webster's Dictionary, Tenth edition, an angel is "a spiritual being superior to man in power and intelligence; also an attendant spirit or guardian."
Citas
Últimas palabras
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
Let us only follow them, let us remain close to them, and in the protection of the God of heaven let us abide.
We often think of angels as winged creatures with supernatural powers that assist us when we are in danger. Where did that image of wings come from? Popular novelist, Vinita Hampton Wright, answers this and other questions in this illuminating and richly informative guide to angels in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. nbsp; In this intriguing book, you will explore the origin and nature of angels, where they dwell, what they do, and how they relate to humanity. You will discover what the three Abrahamic faiths have to say about fallen angels (or, demons), and also see how doctrine and theology sometimes merge with legend and superstition. A short encyclopedia of terms and names is included at book's end which will enlighten the study of angelic beings in the religions of the world for years to come. nbsp; "This is the best book available on angels - a wildly popular topic that has long deserved the attention of a thoughtful and talented writer like Vinita Hampton Wright. She brings a poet's skill, a scholar's care, and a believer's heart to the heavenly companions whose presence we might sense, but may know little about." -nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; James Martin, SJ, author of My Life with the Saints nbsp; "Vinita Hampton Wright has done a wonderful job with a very complex issue: trying to bring Jews, Christians, and Muslims together." -nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Laleh Bakhitar, Ph.D. nbsp;
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It does however have a lot to say about the references to angels in all three of the monotheistic religions. Although the canonical scriptures mention only two angels by name, Michael and Gabriel, many more are discussed in the apocryphal writings and other oral traditions that did not make it into the canon. There is good discussion of the hierarchy of angels, and the nature and responsibilities of the angels in those various hierarchies. Why and how are angels imagined as having wings? Why is that an almost universal concept, and yet it is almost comical to envision the physiology and mechanics of a human-like body flapping its wings? Almost half of the book is an encyclopedic-style reference to angels in the scriptures.