A COURSE ON ANGELS

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There are Angels Everywhere

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There are angels in the air, there are angels everywhere

There are angels on the ground, there are angels all around

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There is an angel for every being, angels to be seen

There are angels for every part, an angel in every heart

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There are angels, we are told, angels to behold

There are angels in the air, there are angels everywhere

                                                                                --Angela Day

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There is an excellent philosophical book about angels entitled The Angels and Us, written by Mortimer J. Adler.  Dr. Adler begins his book with a story about sharing the details of his writing with friends and family.  And he stated that whenever he told someone he was writing a book about angels, invariably he was asked two questions.

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The first question was, “Do you believe in angels?”  And the second question was, “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?”  He answered the first question by referencing the various religions that have a firm belief in the existence of angels.  And Dr. Adler, being a philosopher, stated that the philosopher is interested in the possibility of the angels’ existence.

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In answering the second question about angels dancing on a pin, it’s important to take a look at where this question originated.  The question is both theoretical and rhetorical.  The question first appeared in philosophical texts written in the 11th Century.  And according to language resources, the question originated from the Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas. 

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In answering the question about the number of angels on the head of a pin,  Dr. Adler states that there can only be one angel at a time on the head of a pin for the same reason that there can be only one automobile in a parking space at a time.  That was Dr. Adler’s philosophical response to the question.

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Do you believe in angels?  What do you think about Dr. Adler’s response to the number of angels on a pin?  What other questions do you have about angels?  In this course you will be learning about the nature of angels, their characteristics, why we have angels, what they do, where they come from, their names and responsibilities, what the various religions teach about angels, Biblical angels, angelic visitations, and facts and details about angels that will help you to appreciate these magnificent an inspiring spiritual beings.  

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This little book, A Course in Angels, is divided into two parts:  Angelism and Angeletics.  Let us begin by defining these two words.

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PART I – ANGELISM                                          

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Angelism is the study of angels in relation to who they are, where they appear in the history of mankind and in various cultures, what angels have meant to mankind in terms of religious and non-religious apparitions, why angels exist, what angels do, and how angels have been portrayed in various forms of the arts throughout history. 

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Angelism can be defined as the theoretical or academic view of angels and has to do with their characteristics and features.  It is the who, what, when, and where of angels as detailed by viewing them in a pedagogic way, that is from five different perspective, what I refer to as the five areas of understanding.  These five views give us the overall picture of angels.  They make up the first five modules for this course.  Listed below are these five modules that make up Part I.

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• Module One - Angelology – the study of angels as we understand them.  Angelology answers the question, WHO are the angels?

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• Module Two - Angelnomics – the study of what angels do; their ministry and their reason for being.  Angelnomics answers the question, WHAT do angels do?

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• Module Three - Angelophanies – the study of when and where angels have appeared throughout history.  Angelophanies answer the question, WHEN have angels appeared. 

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• Module Four - Angelography – the study of where angels have appeared in art, film, literature, and so on.  Angelography answers the question, WHERE do angels appear.

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• Module Five - Angelosophy – the study of why angels exist, what is there purpose in the grand scheme of things?  Angelosophy answers the question, WHY do angels exist?

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PART II – ANGELETICS                                              

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Angeletics is the study of the apparitions of angels in the world, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  Angeletics answer questions about HOW we use the power of the angels in our own lives.  Where Angelism deals with the theoretical application of angels, Angeletics deal with the practical application, that is, putting into practice all the things we learned in the theoretical application of angels. 

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Angeletics can be defined as the practical use of angelism in today’s world and will be discussed in the last two modules of this course.

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Module Six - Analytic Angeletics

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• Are angels relevant today?

• How are angels perceived in today’s modern society?

• Do we need angels in the world today?

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Module Seven - Applied Angeletics

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• Are angels present in the world today?

• Do angels have special powers that they use?

• Do we have an angel to help us with the difficulties of life?

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The beauty of the five areas of understanding discussed in Part I and the two areas discussed in Angeletics, lies in the fact that they are all interconnected with one another.  Angelography intertwines with Angelnomics and together they both are linked to Angelophanies, and so on.  And everything discussed in the Angeletics modules intertwine with everything presented in the Angelism portion of this course.  All seven modules are dependent upon one another to help develop an inspiring and complete picture of the angels.

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MODULE FORMAT                                  

 

Each module in this course is structured in a similar way.  The module begins with an outline of the key points that you will learn by completing the module.  This is followed by the “lecture” portion where angel facts pertaining to the title of the module are presented.  The lecture portion is followed by a summarization of what is taught in the module.  And each module concludes with a short quiz on the subject matter for the module.  At the completion of each module, you will have an opportunity to print a Certificate of Completion for each topic covered in the modules.

 

This course is not meant to be the final source of information on angels, but rather a first course, a primer that examines the who, what, when, where, why, and how of angels in our world.

 

To begin the course, click on the “start here” button below.  The “module selection” page will appear next.  Here you will select the module that you wish to work on.  Follow them consecutively, in order. 

 

You can move backwards or forward by selecting the buttons located at the bottom of each page in the module.  Or you can select a module from the main menu located at the top of each page by selecting “Module Selection” or “More.”

 

I hope you enjoy learning about the angels as you proceed through A Course in Angels. May your view of the angels inspire you to appreciate the presence of the angels in your life.   

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