Angels

Stanford, Peter

£10.99

In the secular, sceptical, scientific post-Christian world of the West, statistics reveal that many of us still believe in angels. A survey even reports that one in six atheists may rule out God but accept angels. But what are angels, and what is their basis, their history and their continuing role in the great faiths, and beyond their walls? Are they a symbol of God’s concern, nothing more than a metaphor, part of the poetry of religion, created to illuminate a deeper truth about human existence and the universe? Or are they something more challenging – real, if not quite flesh and blood? Here, author, broadcaster and biographer Peter Stanford explores these questions in an often very personal journey into the history and current cult of these familiar heavenly creatures.

Publish Date: 03/12/2020

Description

‘An intriguing exploration of the many roles that angels have played in spiritual life.’ – The Sunday Times: Nick Rennison

‘In a 2016 poll, one in 10 Britons claimed to have experienced the presence of an angel, while one in three remain convinced that they have a guardian angel. These are huge numbers and mean that, on some counts, angels are doing better than God.’

In the secular, sceptical, post-Christian world of the West, continuing faith in angels is both anomaly and comfort. But what exactly are angels, and why have so many in different times and contexts around the globe believed in them? What is their history and role in the great faiths and beyond their walls? Are angels something real, a manifestation of divine concern? Or part of the poetry of religion? And can they continue to illuminate a deeper truth about human existence and the cosmos?

These are not new questions. They have been asked over millennia, right up to the present day, as writer, journalist and broadcaster Peter Stanford explores in Angels, his latest investigation into the history, theology and cultural significance of religious ideas.

‘There is no better navigator through the space in which art, culture and spirituality meet than Peter Stanford’ Cole Moreton, Independent on Sunday

Additional information

Weight 240 g
Dimensions 196 × 128 × 24 mm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Paperback

Pages

viii, 344

Language

English

Edition

Illustrated

Dewey

202.1509 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K