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The Angelic Way: Angels through the Ages and Their Meaning for Us

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Angels have captured the imagination of humanity since the beginning of time. Rabbi Rami Shapiro seeks to examine and explore the mystery of angels in his new book, "The Angelic Way: Angels Through the Ages and Their Meaning for Us." He uncovers the shared myths about angels that exist in all the major religions of the world and contrasts and compares them. He emphasizes that myth does not mean "made up." Rather, a myth may very well be rooted in reality. The purpose of a myth is to "bring about a transformation in the person wrestling with that myth." Angels are meant to transform us, to bring us into closer contact with God, our Creator. Angels help lead us away from the notion that we are separate from God, an individual unto ourselves. They show us our interconnectedness with all the other beings on Earth and indeed, with God Himself.

Shapiro's study is fascinating. While he does spend a great deal of time explaining the Jewish understanding of angels (understandably so), he does a very good job of researching how angels are portrayed in all the major religions of the world. The commonalities are striking. He also shows how the understanding of angels has changed over time. His chapter on "Satan, the Fallen Angel" is particularly interesting. He shows how the concept of Satan has developed through the ages. The idea of Satan predates Jesus by over a thousand years and has its roots in Zoroastrian mythology where he acts in opposition to God. In contrast, the Hebrew Scriptures present Satan as one who acts at God's command or as "agent provocateur" (witness the book of Job). Satan can only suggest things. People choose to act. It is only in Christianity that Satan becomes capable of possessing people and forcing them to act.

Shapiro also devotes considerable time to exploring how angels have appeared as humans, the archangels, and the angel of death. He also delves into "the ascended ones" - humans in the various faith traditions who have been granted access to the next realm and then return to help those still in this realm. Elijah in Judaism, Mary in Christianity, and Muhammad in Islam all fall into this category. Shapiro's last chapter is devoted to "Lectio Divina and the Angelic Way" to invite readers to meditate on the angelic myths and learn from them.

"The Angelic Way" is very interesting. While some of Shapiro's ideas are dangerously close to Pantheism, there is still much to be learned from these pages. Perhaps the most important lesson is that angels are for all of us, regardless of our religious tradition.

Rabbi Rami Shapiro looks deeply at angels in religion and mythology. The major religions share in common several similar traits though has some differences. One thing the Rabbi emphasizes that is common amidst the world religions is the role of angels is to help guide people closer to God and with one another as everyone is linked with everyone else. He also provides an intriguing chapter on Satan The Fallen Angel who "existed" a full millennia before Jesus anchored as a key part of the Zoroastrian religion with his being God's opposite ( assort of Yin and Yang - pardon the mixing of beliefs). As fascinating is the chapter on humans going the opposite way by ascending to heaven rather than angels descending to earth; people like Enoch, Elijah, Isaiah, Rabbi Ishmael, Mary and Muhammad are some of those included. In the Old Testament, angels play major roles as God's agents including Satan whereas Christianity takes the position that Satan is evil trickster able to fool people to act in his image. With other chapters including angelic sightings by key figures of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, this is a rounded fascinating look at what angels have meant over centuries though the prime emphasis is on the Hebrew; as the author is a rabbi.

Harriet Klausner

Didn't like this as much as some of Shapiro's other books -- this one is too academic, didn't catch me emotionally.

Rami Shapiro provides a concise cross-cultural analysis of angels and related phenomenon. This book provides a scholarly overview of angels in the literature of several religious traditions, and incorporates some of Shapiro's theological/spiritual views on the non-duality of God.

God is everything, and everything is God, therefore angels are simply an aspect of the God phenomenon. In truth, angels are different aspects of human consciousness, variously attuned to certain elements of God consciousness.

As in all of Rabbi Shapiro's books, he takes a rather simple formula and consistently repeats it; he does this, however, without resorting to simplistic formulations. Reality in all is messy complexity is presented for us to shift through.

The angel has captured humanity's imagination for as long as it has existed. "The Angelic Way: Angels Through the Ages and Their Meaning For Us" is a discussion of the history of angels and what they mean to civilization throughout the centuries. The Abrahamic religions, Zoroastrian and a few other faiths follow them, and Rami Shapiro, a rabbi and well known writer, offers much of a faithful tour of their origins. "The Angelic Way" is a must for any who believe or simply have wonder in the ways of the angel.