Research Catalog

Title

Angels : a history / David Albert Jones.

Author

Jones, David Albert.

Publication

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2010.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xiv, 161 pages : illustrations; 18 cm

Summary

From the Publisher: The Book of Genesis depicts them as doing strange things-mating with the daughters of men to spawn giants, for example, and wrestling with Jacob for no apparent reason. In It's a Wonderful Life, Frank Capra spun a tale of one as a bumbling helper of humans; in Wings of Desire, Wim Wenders told of one who wished to be human. They are angels, of course, and they have fascinated us since recorded history began. In Angels, David Albert Jones provides a crisp, broad-ranging survey of angels in theology, philosophy, and popular culture. Focusing on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, he examines how angels have been imagined and explained, and why they continue to captivate us. Jones explores the classical discussion-what they are made of, when they came to be, how many there are, and whether anyone ever did ask how many could dance on the head of a pin. He names the archangels, surveys the different hierarchies, and examines how they have changed over time. Jones explains, for example, how cherubim became cherubs, and why angels in the Hebrew Bible are typically male, but in later art became androgynous, or even female by the twentieth century. The book explores the idea that Satan was a fallen angel (a belief not shared by Islam), and looks at demons and exorcism. But Jones concentrates on good angels, in their roles as messengers, guardians, or helpers. He looks at why the idea of angels remains so attractive, and so potent in modern culture-even among nonbelievers. From scripture to cinema, Jones offers a sweeping, accessible introduction to this remarkable phenomenon. Whether we believe in angels or not, he argues, the study of their role in cultures past and present can teach us much about humanity.

Subject

• Angels
• Angels in popular culture
• Angels in literature
• Angels in motion pictures
• Angels in art

Genre/Form

Nonfiction.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 147-152) and indexes.

Contents

Picture acknowledgments -- Preface -- 1: Brief history of angels -- 2: Picturing angels -- 3: What is an angel? -- 4: Divine messengers -- 5: Ministering spirits -- 6: Heavenly hosts -- 7: Fallen angels -- 8: Wrestling with angels -- Further reading -- References -- Index of locorum -- Subject index.

Call Number

BL477

ISBN

• 9780199582952
• 0199582955

LCCN

2009941588

OCLC

456181341

Author

Jones, David Albert.

Title

Angels : a history / David Albert Jones.

Imprint

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2010.

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 147-152) and indexes.

Local Note

AUTH: ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY COLLEGE. EXPLORES ANGELS' CULTURAL ROLE THOUGHOUT HISTORY.

Research Call Number

*R-RMRR BL477 .J66 2010