From Hebrew scriptures to contemporary television, from Medieval manuscripts to Victorian greeting cards, angels loom large in the collective imagination of Western culture, and not only for Christians. But the word angel seems to cover a multitude of possible beings. To judge from their many and varied representations, a vision of an angel might involve a giant three-headed winged monster, a chubby winged baby, or maybe an elegant androgynous figure.
Given the diverse ways angels have been represented across different eras and traditions, it is difficult to get a sense of what Christians actually believe about angels. Where did the idea of angels originate? Are there really different ranks of angels? What about guardian angels? Or fallen angels? And why are they so frequently depicted with wings?
On this episode of the Glad You Asked podcast, hosts Emily Sanna and Rebecca Bratten Weiss speak with guest Matthew Arnold about angels in the Bible and why our ideas about them are so varied.
Arnold has written extensively on the paranormal in the Bible and spent over 10 years investigating the paranormal from a Christian perspective, drawing on his background in both theology and science. He is author of The Invisible Dimension: Spirit-Beings, Ghosts, and the Afterlife (Anamchara Books), and the editor of The Christian Parapsychologist, a publication of The Churches’ Fellowship for Psychical and Spiritual Studies.
Learn more about angels and read some of Arnold’s writings in the links below.
- “Messengers of comfort and courage: The truth about angels,” by Lisa Raatikainen.
- “Fallen Angels and Satan,” by Matt Arnold.
- “Did Angels Marry Human Women?” by Matt Arnold.
- “Guardian angels are life’s traveling companions, pope says,” by Junno Arocho Esteves.
- “The Angels,” from The Catechism of the Catholic Church.
- The Invisible Dimension: Spirit-Beings, the Afterlife, and Ghosts, by Matt Arnold.
Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries
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