Angels: A Very Short Introduction

Angels: A Very Short Introduction outlines prominent stories and speculations about angels in Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and post-Christian spiritualties. What are angels? Where were they first encountered? Can we distinguish angels from gods, fairies, ghosts, and aliens? And why do they remain so popular? Angels have been portrayed in art as young men in the Hebrew Scriptures, androgynous winged creatures of the pre-Raphaelites, and as the masculine statue of the Angel of the North. Examples are provided of angels in films such as Wings of Desire, and It's a Wonderful Life, as well as angels in literature.