ANGELOSOPHY

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AN-jel-OS-a-fee

Module Five

Point  Five – The Wisdom

Finding Angelic Wisdom Through Different Religions and Cultures

 

<> STORY POINT

 

Angelosophy is like Angel philosophy.  And Angel philosophy points to the wisdom of the angels.  This is what we will cover in this module, however, before we begin, let me share another story with you that reminds me of the wisdom of our guardian angel.

 

I don’t remember how many years ago this happened, thirty or forty years ago. I remember the details very well.  And I remember how much this true story has meant to me over the years.

 

One morning, as I was slowly awakening in my bed from a deep sleep, I remember dreaming or thinking about my own guardian angel.  And I recall saying a morning prayer to my angel before I got out of bed. 

 

Still groggy and half awake, in a very intimate moment with my angel, I asked, “What should I call you?”  Not expecting a verbal response, I was shocked to hear a voice speaking to me. 

 

Turning my attention to my radio, which had been playing soft music, I heard a voice, a loud voice announce, “Call me Ishmael.”  Amazed, I jumped from my bed and stared into space, wondering if this truly was my guardian angel, and he was telling me what his name was.” 

 

Ishmael, in the book Moby Dick, was a sailor who joined with Captain Ahab to hunt down the infamous whale, Moby Dick.  The book begins, “Call me Ishmael.”  But I wanted to know the story and the meaning of Ishmael from the Bible.  And so, I researched the Biblical reference to Ishmael and this is what I found.

 

Ishmael’s story is found in the Book of Genesis, chapters 16-21.  He was the first son of Hagar, handmade and servant to Abraham and Sarah.  His mother, Hagar, gave birth to him as a surrogate mother for Abraham because Sarah was barren. 

 

His birth and subsequent departure from Abraham and Sarah are detailed in these chapters.  Ishmael’s name means, “God Hears,” or “God listens,” and it reflects the circumstances of his life story, one that illustrates themes of struggle, identity, and divine promise.

 

After reading the story of Ishmael,  knew that this was the name of my Guardian Angel.  This fact was reinforced a few years later when I was unpacking some boxes of angel statues from my angel collection.  I reached in one box and pulled out a beautiful statue of an angel with a book in his hands and an inscription on the bottom.  The inscription read, “God listens.”  I had no idea where the statue came from or how it got into my collection, but I cherish it as a reminder that my Guardian angel told me his name.  I pray to Ishmael every day, that he might help me in all circumstances that I encounter throughout the day, and to keep the evil one away from me.

 

In an earlier module, we learned that the Catholic Church frowns upon giving our angels a name.  I agree with the Church’s teaching, however, I say with all sincerity, I didn’t name my guardian angel, he told me what his name was. 

 

I have listened to the wisdom of Ishmael throughout my life. Now we venture forth in this module to learn about the wisdom of the angels.

 

<> LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 

After completing this module, you will be able to:

 

1.  Define the meaning of Angelosophy as it relates to the study of angels.

 

2.  Effectively discuss the role of angels in the ancient Sumerian society.

 

3.  Adequately  discuss the role of angels in ancient Egyptian society.

 

4.  Effectively discus the role of angels in relation to the Indo-European migration.

 

5.  Adequately discuss the role of angels in the ancient Mithra society.

 

6.  Effectively discuss the role of angels in the ancient Zoroastrian society.

 

8.  Adequately discuss the role of angels in the ancient Judaic society.

 

9.  Effectively discuss the role of angels in the ancient Greek society.

 

10. Adequately discuss the role of angels in the ancient Christian society.

 

11. Effectively discuss the role of angels in the ancient Islamic society.

 

12. Adequately discuss the role of angels in the ancient Shamanistic society.

 

13. Briefly recapitulate the connection between religion in various cultures and angels.

 

14. Briefly discuss the Christian theology of angels.

 

15. Explain some philosophical questions pertaining to Angelosophy.

 

<> THE USE OF NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR

 

When it is necessary to convey information pertaining to the textual material relating to the immediate subject matter, such information will appear as a “Note” preceding the information. 

 

When information is cited as a textual entry, that citation will appear in parentheses following the information.

 

All factual material (points of learning) are numbered consecutively throughout the book.  Each module will consist of the following:  “Main Points of Learning,” “Concluding Points of Learning,” a link to a video*, and a short quiz*

*Some modules do not have a video or quiz due to the nature of the material.  Interspersed between the learning material are little snippets of poetic thoughts of inspiration called “Poetic Points.”

 

<> POETIC POINT

 

Angelosophy – the Wisdom

 

Angelosophy is the wisdom that whispers in the quiet.

A philosophy written in the margins of eternity.

It is the gentle counsel that bends the arc of fate.

The golden thread that weaves meaning through chaos.

Here, the wisdom of angels is not only learned, but lived.

A call to embody grace, humility, and the courage to believe.

An everlasting metanoia that changes our very psyche.

And allow us to know deeply the meaning of all that is.

 

Scripture Verse

 

“For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord?  Who among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord?” (Psalm 89:6)

“May the word of my Lord the King, secure my inheritance, for my Lord and King is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil.” (2Samuel 14:17)

 

Historical Reflection

 

St. Augustine wrote that angels direct us toward true happiness – God.  St. Thomas Aquinas described angels as pure intellects, their wisdom guiding saints and seekers alike.

 

Note:  The following information, unless otherwise noted, was redacted from a 14-page essay called “Angels, A History of Western Thought, by Richard Ebbs. The web address noted in the essay is http://www.feedback.nildram.co.uk/richardebbs/angels.htm

 

Definition of Angelosophy

 

139.  Angelosophy can be defined as the study of angels, particularly, the wisdom of the angels as portrayed in different cultures and religions. The term encompasses the exploration of angelic beings, their roles, and representations across various religious and cultural traditions.

 

140.  Angelosophy investigates the origins and development of angelic motifs (such as winged humans) in ancient civilizations like Sumeria and Egypt, as well as the transformation of these motifs and beliefs as they were adopted and adapted by later cultures and religions, including Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  And finally,  Angelosophy investigates the philosophical and theological questions about the nature, hierarchy, and function of angels.

 

141.  Angelosophy is the scholarly study of angels, focusing on their significance, symbolism, and influence throughout human history and religious thought.

 

Angels in Different Religions and Cultures

 

142.  Images of human beings with wings can be found across the world in every culture.  This essay explores the connection between the winged human motifs and ‘angels’ in the art and religious thinking of exclusively ‘western’ (i.e., Christian/Islamic/Judaic) cultures, with a brief look at a number of ‘strands’ of thought from ancient Sumeria and beyond, to the present day.

 

Sumeria

 

143.  Sumerian society is the oldest society that has left us clear evidence of the use of a winged human motif.  This evidence is in the form of stone carvings, either in the form of three-D statues or relief carvings that provide the illusion of three-dimensionality. 

 

144.  Sumerian culture flourished around 3,000 BC between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in present-day Iraq.  The religion of these people was complex, embracing a wide variety of spirts and gods.  Of particular interest was their belief in ‘messengers of the gods; that is, angelic forces who ran errands between gods and humans.

 

145.  The Sumerians also believed that each person had a ‘ghost’ of some sort (something that we would now probably label as a ‘guardian angel’) with this entity remaining a constant companion for a person throughout their life. 

 

146.  Altars that are dedicated to guardian angels have been found in the excavations of ancient Sumerian homes, along with stone engravings and temple wall paintings of human figures with wings.

 

147.  After the polytheistic Semitic tribes had conquered the Sumerians around 1900 BC, their mythical cosmology borrowed the notion of angels from the vanquished Sumerians. 

 

148.  These Semitic peoples developed the idea of a corpus of angels split into groupings answerable to each of the many Semitic gods, further subdividing these groups into vertical ‘ranked’ hierarchies, a notion which persisted into Zoroastrianism and monotheistic Judaism and beyond. 

 

149.  Sumerian domination of the Middle East ended around 2000 BC, when Sumer was defeated militarily and the overlapping Assyrian and Babylonian cultures took over.  Winged figures can also be found among the icons of ancient Assyria and Babylonia.

 

150.  Certainly, the motif of a winged human figure goes back much further than Sumeria…going back into the never-endless boundaries of time.  Recent evidence suggests that this is the case.

 

Egypt

 

 

151.  The forms of some of the most enduring gods can be traced back to the first few dynasties; that is, around 2500 BC.  In many cases these gods took the shape of some animal, which was regarded as the soul (Ba) of the god.  

 

152.  The Egyptian Book of the Dead lists 500 gods and goddesses, and it is possible to identify at least 1,200 more deities in later ancient Egyptian writings.  Some of these deities were undoubtedly closer to our concept of an angel rather than a god. 

 

153.  As with the Sumerians, Egyptian iconography includes ‘winged humans’ of one sort.  The flowering of Sumerian culture was contemporaneous with the first few dynasties of the great culture of ancient Egypt, around 2500 BC. 

 

154.  Archeologists are not in a position to say clearly whether the winged human motif was imported into Egypt from Sumeria, or vice versa.  Or whether it arose spontaneously and separately in each of the two cultures.

 

The Indo-European Migration

 

155.  Beginning at the end of the fourth Millenium, there was a movement of people whose district ethnicity we have come to call ‘Indo-European’ from Europe to Central Asia, and even as far as North India. 

 

156.  There were a number of migratory ‘waves’ in an easterly direction up to and including the first Millenium BC, reaching a peak around 2000 BC. Among other things, this migration helps explain the similarities between the ancient Greek and ancient Sanskrit languages.

 

157.  There must have been a dissemination of both objects and ideas between Central Asia and Europe.  The Persian empire also helps underline the extent to which artifacts and culture could travel from India, on the one hand, to Greece on the other, and vice versa. 

 

Mithraism

 

158.  Mithras was a light-bringer whose cult flourished between 1500 BC and the time of Christ in lands as far apart as India and Great Britain, with a basis in what was then known as Persia.  Mithraism was the most prevalent religion in Persia when Zoroaster was alive.  Zoroastrianism Mithras was considered to be an angel who mediated between heaven and earth, later becoming judge and preserver of the created world. 

 

159.  Mihr, the ancient Persian form of the word Mithras, meant not only sun but also friend.  That is how Mithras was worshipped, both as a distant sun-god and also as a close personal source of love and support.

 

Zoroastrianism

 

160. Zoroaster was a real-life member of the migrations of European Ino-European people that took place in the fourth, third, and second Millenia before Christ, living in Persia (present day Iran, Turkmenistan, an Uzbekistan.

 

161.  Around 650 BC, as a result of what he claimed were angelic communications, he spread a monotheistic religious message that became the religion of the Persian empire and which also influenced both Muslim and Judaic thought, and then Christianity via Judaism.

 

162.  Zoroastrianism identifies six main archangels:  The Archangel of Good Thought, the Archangel of Right, the Archangel of Dominion, the Archangel of Piety, the Archangel of Prosperity, and the Archangel of Immorality, along with at least 40 lesser angels called Adorable Ones. 

 

163.  Some of these angels/archangels were considered male, some were considered female, and each one was associated with some particular attribute or quality. 

 

164.  On a lower level, the angels in Zoroastrian cosmology were the Guardian Angels, each one assigned as guide, conscience, protector, and helpmate throughout the life of one single human being. 

 

165.  Zoroastrians also believed that corresponding to the Lor of Light, there was also a Lor of Darkness with complementary demons an evil spirits.  It was felt that in the battle between light and darkness, the forces of light would eventually win.

 

166.  Our present-day Western concept of a devil derives from the Zoroastrian concept of a daeva (or demon).  The word devil derives both from the world of daeva and the Greek word diabolos meaning slander or accuser, embodying the Jewish concept of Satan.

 

Judaism

 

167.  The early Semitic peoples of the Middle Easter believed in a wide variety of what we would now call nature spirits.  Included among the legions of spirits were the spirits of wind and fire. 

 

168.  When these polytheistic ancestors of present-day Judaism transformed themselves into something much closer to the monotheistic Judaism of today, a number of aspects of the ancestral religions were inherited.  Beliefs pertaining to angels were but one of many aspects of the precursor religions that remained.

 

169.  The influence of Zoroastrianism continued throughout the Millenium before Christ, with more and more angels that were more and more the messengers of God, finding their way into Jewish writings. 

 

170.  The leader of the Hebrew forces of evil (aka shedim) was variously called Satan (the Antagonist), Belial (the spirit of perversion, darkness, and destruction, Mastema (Enmity or Opposition) and more. 

 

171.  Two archangels are mentioned in the canonical Old Testament:  Michael, the warrior leader of the heavenly hosts and Gabriel, the heavenly messenger.  Two are mentioned in the apocryphal Old Testament:  Raphael, God’s healer or helper from the Book of Tobit, and Uriel, meaning fire of God, the watcher over the world and the lowest part of hell.

 

172.  The development of the idea of Satan in Judaism and Christianity was likely to have been due to the influence of Zoroastrianism.  In the Book of Job, the Judaic Satan was merely a prosecutor of men in the court of God’s justice; whereas in a cosmology developed well after the Books of the New Testament had been written in Christianity, we fin Satan Elevated to chief antagonist of Christ and men. 

 

173.  Zoroastrianism has been responsible for Satan in Judaism in particular, an angels in Judaism in general.  It was not until post-exilic times; that is after the Jews returned from captivity in Babylon around 450 BC., that angels became an integral part of the Judaic monotheistic religion.

 

174.  Other demons besides Satan that are mentioned in the Judaic Old Testament; that is, the Pentateuch, the first five book of the Christian Ol Testament, also known as the Torah, include Azazel (the demon of the wilderness), Leviathan and Rahab (demons of chaos), Lilith (a female demon of the night), and so on. 

 

The Greeks

 

175.  The word daemon in the original Greek sense meant a guardian divinity or inspiring spirit.  A number of their spirits could fly, such as Hermes (The Roman Mercury) who had wings on his feet and was considered the messenger of the gods.

 

176.  Greece owed an immense debt to the cultures of Babylon an Egypt. The image of the halo that Christian artists and Sunday school attendees have come to know and love is an aspect of iconography that was noted at that time.  For example, in Greek art, the sun-god Helios was often depicted with a halo, that is, a radiant circle surrounding the head in an attempt to represent spiritual character through the symbolism of light. 

 

177.  Because of its pagan origin, the use of halos in early Christian art was avoided.  Throughout the Middle Ages, however, angels were frequently depicted with circles of golden light surrounding their heads.

 

Christianity

 

178.  Most Christian cosmology can be traced first to Judaism.  However, in certain respects, Christian thinkers have developed their own ideas about angels.  For instance, in 1259 AD Thomas Aquinas gave a series of lectures on angels at the University of Paris, and the views that were expounded then continued to be referred to in Christian thought for several centuries. 

 

179.  Clement of Alexandria, one of the early church fathers of Christianity, appears to have been influenced by Hellenistic cosmology when he stated that angels functioned as the movers of the stars and controlled the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water.

 

180.  In the New Testament we find angels grouped into seven ranks:  angels archangels, principalities, powers, virtues, dominions, and thrones.  In addition to these were also added the Old Testament cherubim and seraphim, comprising the nine choirs of angels referred to in later Christian mystical theology. 

 

181.  Christian cosmology also took the notion of a personal or guardian angel, an idea that could have been imported from any number of sources.  The concept of a guardian angel is one that has proved remarkably ‘durable.’  It is common to this day for a Catholic to say a prayer to their holy guardian angel. 

 

Islam

 

182.  Muhammed  was alive around 630 AD, and the religion he founded spread rapidly across many parts of the Middle East and Central Asia.  There is no Islamic iconography that includes angels.  Islam has its own implicit cosmology, much of which was borrowed either from the cosmology of the Judaism; that is, borrowed from the beliefs of the Semitic peoples of the Middle East after 450 BC or is borrowed from Zoroastrianism, a belief system that predates Islam and which Islam replace in many places.

 

183.  Angels are also prominent in Islam.  The archangel Gabriel is responsible for communicating to Muhammed the whole basis of what subsequently became the Muslim faith. 

 

184.  One of the five cardinal beliefs of Muslims is the idea of the Day of Judgment, where individuals are questioned about their faith by the two angels Munkar and Nakir. 

 

185.  Other examples of angels are:  Jibril (Gabriel), the angel of revelation; Mikal (Michael), the angel of nature who gives man both food and knowledge; Izrail, angel of death; an Israfil, the angel who sounds the trumpet on the day of the Last Judgment.

 

188.  While the absence of concrete iconography in Islam makes it more difficult to track the importation of imagery from earlier religions, we can nonetheless find echoes throughout Islamic literature.  A good example being the Conference of Birds by Attar-e Neyshaburi, who was a famous 12th C Muslim mystical poet and thinker, which is an extended metaphor for the journey of the soul towards divinity, each bird in the story representing the soul of an individual.  This echoes very ancient Central Asian beliefs that go right back to the shamanism of the neolithic era. 

 

The Shamanic Connection

 

189.  Shamanism is a system of belief common in the Turks of Central Asia.  Both men and women could be shaman priests.  Among the old Turkish groups, they were called “Kam.”  Kams dressed in elaborate garments to display their supernatural powers.  Accompanied by the beating of drums in their rituals, they believed they could fly with the aid of their own guardian animal.  During such flights they reached various levels of Heaven or the Underworld.  Upon returning to this world, they used the information they had learned during their journey for the benefit of their followers.

 

190.  Even today, after all the political and cultural upheavals of the last two centuries, pockets of shamanic belief and practice have survived across Asia, from Tibet in the east, to Lapland in the west, to Siberia in the north. 

 

191.  In Central Asia, shamanism appears to have disappeared in most places for at least a Millenium.  One exception where shamanism survived the process of Islamization, is Kazakhstan, an area on the fringes of the Islamic world, both culturally and geographically. 

 

192.  One small aspect of these ancient cultures that has become known, which is relevant here, however, is an apparent shared interest in birds as an important aspect of the belief systems of these peoples.

 

193.  In the last few decades, archaeological research has become known which, when added to other evidence, begins to lend strong weight to the idea of a “shamanic connection’. 

 

194.  Kurdish scholar Mehrdad Izady agrees that the predatory bird remains of the Shanidar cave can be seen as evidence of a shamanistic culture whose memory influence the development of the very notion of an angel. 

 

Note:  The author of this essay, Richard Ebbs, states this in his final paragraph:  “One last word:  ‘do I think angels exist?  I’m agnostic!  But what does seem certain is that culture is the main factor determining the way in which people ‘see’ angels.  Objectivity lies in one direction, subjectivity in another, with ‘experience’ somewhere in the middle.

 

<> POETIC POINT

 

Angelosophy is the wisdom of the winged realm,

The philosophy of guidance, grace, and gentle correction.

It is the understanding that every soul is taught

not only by experience,

but by the quiet counsel of those who love us

from beyond the limits of form.

It is the deepest-rooted thought of the holy and divine

upon which philosophers, thinkers, theorists, and lovers of life

coincide and produce the never-changing story of God.

And in the process of philosophizing, delve into the sacred wisdom

of all that was and is and ever shall be. (McCormick/Copilot)

 

<> CONCLUDING POINTS OF LEARNING

 

Note:  The following information is taken from Wikipedia, unless otherwise noted.

 

Angels in Religion

 

195.  The concept of angels is historically best to be understood from different ideas of the concept of God throughout history.  In polytheistic and animistic worldview, supernatural powers (i.e., deities, spirits, daemons, etc.) were assigned to different natural phenomena.  Within a monotheistic framework, these powers were reconsidered to be servants of the supreme deity, turning autonomous supernatural beings into ‘angels.”

 

196.  By that, supernatural powers controlling or influencing humanity’s perception of the world, including natural phenomena and humans, are under control of a supreme God.  Prominent angels, such as Michael and Gabriel, reflect a connection to the Chief Semitic deity, El.  Even “bad” angels such as Satan, Samael, Iblis, etc., can be understood as an operating force within the nature of humans, as responsible for selfish tendencies.

 

197.  The notion of angels as embodiment of good emerges only under influence of Zoroastrianism, in which the Devil is conceive as the principle of evil, with a host of demons, in battle with the holy entities created by the principle of good.

 

198.  In Zoroastrianism, there are different angel-like figures.  They patronize human beings an other creatures, and also manifest God’s energy.

 

199.  The Amesha Spentas, although emanations of Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord, God) than distinct messengers, have often been compared to angels.  Similar to angels in Abrahamic tradition, Vohu Manah reveals to Zoroaster the true nature of God.

 

200.  In Judaism, angels are understood through interpretation of the Tanakh and in a long tradition as supernatural beings who stand by God in heaven but are strictly to be distinguished from God (YHWH) and are subordinate to him.  Occasionally, they can show selected people God’s will and instructions.  In the Jewish tradition they are also inferior to humans since they have no will of their own and are able to carry out only one divine command.

 

201.  The Torah uses the Hebrew terms messenger of God, messenger of the Lord, sons of God, the holy ones, to refer to beings traditionally interpreted as angels.   

 

202.  Rabbinic Judaism has been an orthodox form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Babylonian Talmud.  In post-Biblical Judaism, certain angels took on particular significance and developed unique personalities and roles.  According to Rabbinic Judaism, the angels have no bodies but are eternally living creatures created out of fire.  The Babylonian Talmud reads as the Torah was not given to ministering angels.

 

203.  In Rabbinic Judaism, angels are heavenly beings, strictly following the laws of God, become jealous of God’s affection for man.

 

204.  Although archangels were believed to rank among the heavenly host, no systematic hierarchy ever developed.  Metatron is considered one of the highest angels in Merkabah and Kabbalah mysticism and often serves as a scribe.

 

205.  Michael, who serves as a warrior and advocate for Israel, is looked upon particularly fondly.  Gabriel is mentioned in the Book of Daniel as well as other places.

 

206.  According to Kabbalah, there are four worlds and our world is the last world; the world of action.  Angels exist in the worlds above as a task of Go.  They are an extension of God to produce effects in this world.  After an angel has completed its task, it ceases to exist.

 

207.  The Medieval Christian concept of angels derives from Hebrew and Greek scriptures.  In the Bible, angels are anthropomorphized intermediaries between God and humanity.  Some angels are impersonal forces of the Divine will, while others have individual names and personalities.

 

208.  In the formative stage, the Christian concept of an angel characterized the angel as a messenger of God.  Later came identification of individual angelic messengers:  Gabrielk, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel.  Then, in the space of slightly or two centuries (from the 3rd to the 5th) the image of angels took on definite characteristics, both in theology and art.’’

 

209.  In Christianity, angels are represented throughout the Bible as spirited beings which are intermediate between God and humanity.  Christians believe that angels were the first beings created by God before the creation of the Earth.

 

210.  In the Old Testament, both benevolent and fierce angels are mentioned.  In the New Testament, the existence of angels, just like that of demons is taken for granted.  They can intervene and intercede on behalf of humans.  Angels protect the righteous.  Theu dwell in1 the heavens and worship God.  Paul the Apostle acknowledges good and evil angels in his writings. 

 

211.  Pope John Paul II emphasized the role of angels in Catholic teaching in his 1986 address titled “Angels Participate In History of Salvation,” in which he suggested that modern mentality should come to see the importance of angels. 

 

A Christian Theology of Angels

 

212.  By the late 4th century, the Church Fathers agreed that there were different categories of angels, with appropriate missions and activities assigned to them.   There was, however, some disagreement regarding the nature of angels.  Some argued that angels had physical bodies, while some maintained that they were entirely spiritual.  Some theologians had proposed that angels were not divine but on the level of immaterial beings subordinate to the Trinity.  The resolution of this Trinitarian dispute included the development of doctrine about angels.

 

213.  According to Augustine of Hippo, the term angel refers to the name of their office, not their nature, as they are pure spirits who function as messengers – if you seek the name of their nature, it is spirit.  If you seek the name of their office, it is angel.  From what they are, spirit, from what they do, angel.  Gregory of Nazianzus thought that angels were made of spirit and flames of fire, following Hebrews 1.  And that they can be identified with the thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities of Colossians.

 

214.  “Forty Gospel Homilies” by Pope Gregory I (c 540 – 12 March 604) noted angels and archangels.  The Fourth Lateran Council’s (1215) “Firmiter credinus (issued against the Albigenses) declare that the angels were created beings and that men were create after them.  The First Vatican Council (1869) repeated this declaration in Dei Filius, the “Dogmatic constitution on the Catholic faith”.

 

215.  In the Middle Ages, theologians had to address Augustine’s idea of “Angelic knowledge,” as set out in De Genesi ad Litteram, which he divided into “morning” knowledge, knowledge of Creation before it is created derived from direct access to the Word of God, and evening knowledge, knowledge of Creation derived from perceiving it after it has been created.  Thomas Aquinas (13th century) related angels to Aristotle’s metaphysics in his Summa contra Gentiles, Summa Theologica, the 8th question of Quaestiones Disputatae de Veritate, and in de substantiis separatis, the treatise on angelology. 

 

 216.  Aquinas varied significantly from the Augustinian view in two major respects:  angels were not created in an initial state of bliss, and only beatified angels have morning knowledge.  In other words, angels have an angelic nature, but in their natural states have no access to Divine morning knowledge of creation, which they only gain with supernatural assistance.  This was Aquinas’ most original contribution to Christian angelology.  Although angels have greater knowledge than men, they are not omniscient, as Matthew 24:36 points out.

 

217.  According to the Summa Theologica, angels were created instantaneously by God in a state of grace in the Empyrean Heaven at the same time when he created all the contents of the corporeal world.  They are pure spirits whose life consists in knowledge and love.  Being bodiless, their knowledge is intellectual and not through senses.  Different from humans, their knowledge is not acquired from the exterior world (having acquired all knowledge they would ever receive in the moment of their creation); moreover, they attain to the truth of a thing at a single glance without need of reasoning.  They know all that passes in the external world and the totality of creatures, but they don’t know human secret thoughts that depends on human free will and thereby are not necessarily linked up with external events. They don’t know the future unless God reveals it to them.

 

218.   According to Aquinas, angels are the closest creatures to God.  Therefore, like God, they are constitute by pure form without matter.  While they do not have a physical composition of matter and form (called hylomorphism), they possess the metaphysical composition of act (the act of being) and potency (their finite essence, yet without being).  Each angel is a species which is a unique individual belongs to; angels differ one from another by way of their unique and irreputable form.  In other words, form, not matter, is their principle of individuation. 

 

Islam

 

219.  Belief in angels is fundamental to Islam.  The Quranic word for angel derives either from Malaka, meaning “he controlled,” due to their power to govern different affairs assigned to them.  Or from the root either from ‘-l-k, l-‘ ‘-k with the broad meaning of a “messenger,” just like its counterparts I Hebrew (malakh) and Greek (Angelos).  Unlike their Hebrew counterpart, the term is exclusively used for heavenly spirits of the Divine world, but not for human messengers.  The Quran refers to both angelic and human messengers as “rasul” instead. 

 

220.  Angels are not limited to benevolent tasks but can also carry out grim orders.  Not demons, but angels are tasked to guard and punish sinners in hell.  Angels play a significant role in Mi ’raj literature, where Muhammad encounters several angels during his journey through the heavens.  Further, angels have often been featured in Islamic eschatology, Islamic theology, and Islamic philosophy.  Individual angels are further evoked in exorcism rites, with their names engraved in talismans or amulets to call upon their power. 

 

221.  Islamic theology usually distinguishes between three types of invisible creatures:  angels (mala’ikah), djinn, and devils (sayann).  Islamic theologian al-Ghazaili (c. 1085-1111) divides human nature into four domains, each representing another type of creature:  animals, beasts, devils, and angels.  Although belief in angels remains one of Six articles of Faith in Islam, one cannot find a dogmatic angelology in Islamic tradition.  However, theologians distinguish between the angels in heaven (karubiyin), fully absorbed in the ma’rifa (knowledge) of God, and the messengers (rasul) who carry out divine decrees between heaven and earth.

 

222.  In Islam, just like in Judaism and Christianity, angels are often represented in anthropomorphic forms combined with supernatural images, such as wings, being of great size, or wearing heavenly articles.  While some angels are referred to as “Guardians of the Kingdom of God,” others are associated with hell. 

 

Note:  The following material was taken from a conversation between this author, Robert W. McCormick and Microsoft Copilot on December 10, 2025.

 

Philosophical Questions in Angelosophy

Angelosophy, as presented in our lecture,, explores several deep philosophical questions about the nature, existence, and role of angels across cultures and religions. Here are the main areas of inquiry:

1. Nature and Essence of Angels

• Are angels purely spiritual beings, or do they possess some form of physical existence? Philosophers and theologians have debated whether angels are immaterial spirits or have bodies made of a different substance.

• What distinguishes angels from other supernatural entities, such as gods, spirits, or demons? The boundaries between these categories are often blurred in ancient and modern thought.

2. Hierarchy and Individuality

• Is there a systematic hierarchy among angels, and how are individual angels differentiated? Some traditions propose ranked orders (archangels, cherubim, seraphim), while others see angels as unique individuals, each with a distinct form and purpose.

• Do angels have personalities, names, and specific roles, or are they impersonal forces of divine will? This question is especially prominent in Christian and Jewish mystical traditions.

3. Knowledge and Power

• What kind of knowledge do angels possess? Are they omniscient, or is their understanding limited? For example, Thomas Aquinas argued that angels have intellectual knowledge but are not all-knowing, and their knowledge is distinct from human reasoning.

• How do angels interact with the world and humanity? Are they merely messengers, or do they actively shape events and destinies?

4. Relationship to Divinity and Humanity

• Are angels autonomous beings, or are they strictly subordinate to a supreme deity? In monotheistic traditions, angels are often seen as servants or extensions of God’s will, lacking free will of their own.

• What is the role of guardian angels, and how do they relate to individual human lives? The concept of personal angels raises questions about divine providence and human agency

5. Existence and Experience

• Do angels exist objectively, or are they subjective constructs shaped by cultural and religious experience? The document’s author notes that culture is a major factor in how people perceive angels, suggesting a tension between objectivity and subjectivity in angelic experiences.

Significance:
These philosophical questions are central to Angelosophy because they probe the boundaries between faith, reason, and cultural interpretation. They invite reflection on how humans understand the supernatural, the limits of knowledge, and the interplay between myth, theology, and personal experience.

<> POETIC POINT

 

Angelosophy opens and touches the very essence of Angelic Wisdom,

and it teaches us that all that is to be known cannot be fathomed.

And that the unanswered questions of life

must be believed because of faith.

There is an unencumbered belief in the understanding of God’s creation.

And somehow, in the cosmos of life,

every cataract that blurs our vision of God’s divine order

will be removed and we shall see plainly

and understand wholly,

The Wisdom of this life and beyond (McCormick/Copilot).

 

Watch the video

 

Title of video here

Then take the quiz

 

<> A PRAYER

 

May wisdom settle softly in the crevices of your mind.

And give your spirit new knowledge of angels everywhere.

may you be guided by what is right and just and holy and divine.

May you temper your choices with the wisdom of the angels.

May your soul be sculpted by the gentle counsel of your guardian.

And may you  be blessed with understanding,

and the knowledge of the ages,

so that sense overpowers your thoughts

and tells you what is right.

And all is well with your soul, your mind, your heart (McCormick/Copilot).

​

<> FINAL STEPS

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Congratulations!  You're almost done with this module.  Just a couple of things to complete the unit of study. The first is to watch a video that pertains to the study of angels.  The second is to complete a short quiz.  After completing these two items, you can adance on to the next module.  If everything is in order and you passed the quiz, you can apply for a certificate of completion for each module.  At the end of the course, you will be able to receive nine certificates for the nine module and one final certificate of completion for the entire course.  The final certificate will be sent only after you have completed all the modules and passed all the quizzes.  

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Select the link below to proceed to the final ending page link to view the video and complete the quiz.

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