Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know about Them? [Paperback]

Peter J. Kreeft (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1995

In response to actual questions many people have asked him about angels and demons, well-known author and philosophy professor Peter Kreeft separates fact from fantasy and myth from reality as he answers 100 common questions about these spiritual beings. Based on a very popular college course he teaches on this subject, this book responds to the incredible amount of interest in angelic beings and attempts to clear up some of the misinformation abounding in the numerous books today on what we know about these mysterious spirits.

Drawing on the Bible, traditional Church teaching and St. Thomas Aquinas, Kreeft gives straight, clear answers to the perennial and philosophical questions asked about angels and demons throughout time. In his typical lucid, profound and sometimes humorous style, Kreeft answers such questions as ''What are angels made of'', ''How do angels communicate with God'', ''How do angels communicate with us'', ''Do demons, or devils, or evil spirits really exist?'' and many more. Includes angel art.

Product Details

• Paperback: 157 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (December 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898705509
• ISBN-13: 978-0898705508
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.5 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #318,294 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

--------- AUDIO LECTURES --------- $1 each (MP3)

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RECORDED LECTURES:
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---"Beauty" -- The branch of philosophy dealing with aesthetics.
---"C. S. Lewis and Mere Christianity" -- C.S. Lewis' masterpiece
---"Christianity in Lord of the Rings" -- The cleverly disguised role of God
---"Culture War" -- A call to arms, mapping key enemies and battlefields
---"Existence of God" -- A magnificent overview of the arguments
---"Good, True, Beautiful" -- C.S. Lewis on three great transcendentals
---"Happiness" -- How do you get it? Christ's version vs. the world's
---"Heaven" -- The heart's deepest longing
---"Hollywood Screenwriting" -- Encouragement to film's creative storytellers
---"If Einstein Had Been a Surfer" -- Rediscovering intuitive thinking
---"Lord, Liar, or Lunatic" -- The famous argument for Christ's identity
---"Problem of Pain" -- C.S. Lewis's brilliant exposition on suffering and evil
---"Sex in Heaven" -- Imaging the fire of God's love
---"Sexual Reconnection" -- Healing the link between sex & love
---"Shocking Beauty" -- The live character of Christ
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Lecture scheduling and more info:
http://www.peterkreeft.com



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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Peter Kreeft's best reads November 17, 2006

By Quilmiense

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Reading Peter Kreeft is always a pleasure: his enthusiasm is contagious, his love for God, his good nature and humility in spite of being a philosopher are qualities that should be expected from any writer of books (whose purpose is to get in our minds his version of things).

His book on angels is short, succint, fun, clever as usual, informative, scholarly but not pedantic, and very entertaining. It's one of those books you read in 3 nights (around 150 pages).

You have to keep in mind that this author is Catholic and so you are going to find the Catholic perspective on certain aspects of the Christian faith. Catholic or Protestant you should agree, as is clearly demonstrated in this book, that angels are not myths, that they exist and the exist for some reason which is not meant to be any secret.

I encourage you to know more about the army of angels that God has disposed for your protection and for communicating His purpose to you, that is: if you are willing to be one of His sons or daughters.

Because we all are his creation, but we only become His children by accepting Christ, His Son, as our Lord and Savior (Savior from sin -to those PC oriented persons).

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview of angels March 20, 2002

By J. Coomes

Format:Paperback

I picked up this book quite at random a few days ago in the bookstore and didn't put it down until I finished it. Many times, the popular books on angels out there are made up of (uneducated) guesses or what feels good, but Kreeft uses reason, Church tradition and other philosophers (mostly Aquinas), in addition to the Bible, to support his answers about angels. It's tough to wade through all the pop-theology books on angels in stores and I highly recommend this as one of the few quality gems that makes a lot of sense. Truly a refreshing, intelligent, and thought-provoking read.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction November 1, 2000

By John F. Schultz

Format:Paperback

Using his typical blend of theology, philosophy, scripture and good sense, Kreeft crafts an engaging summary of what we know about angels and demons. It's not meant to be a compelling story, but an exploration in truth about our spiritual friends and enemies. Good food for thought!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Kreeft is a must read April 29, 2007

By bookscdsdvdsandcoolstuff VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Peter Kreeft has a gift, and that gift is making the most difficult and exalted philosophy and theology accessible to the modern reader. Much like his excellent redacted Summa with comments: A Shorter Summa: The Essential Philosophical Passages of Saint Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica Kreeft here takes a brief, and highly educational, look at what Scripture, Theology, and Philosophy tell us about Angels and Demons.

The book is written in question and answer format. Kreeft humbly and patiently answers questions that many modern people have about angels. However, it is not some weird and new age treatise. Kreeft gives us scholarly and scriptural answers to our questions about Angels and Demons.

This book is sane and solid and at times fun and entertaining. It is an easy read, and not at all off-putting and therefore I recommend it to everyone, especially skeptics and unbelievers.

As a believer I must point out that all around us there is a battle being waged for our souls. This war, between Angels and Demons, is one we cannot see with our eyes, but one we can discern with scripture and through the eyes of faith.

Read this book and learn why we ask St. Michael the Archangel to, by the power of God, defend us in battle against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What we can learn from Scripture and Tradition September 28, 2009

By Anne Rice

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The market is flooded with books on angels, many whimsical and speculative, others recounting meetings between angels and humans, and some even claiming to tell you how to talk to your angel. We have angel dictionaries and angel encyclopedia, books filled with great paintings, and others with personal angel art. This book is for those who want to ponder what Scripture tells us about angels, and what the great theologian, Thomas Aquinas, had to say about God's messengers as well. For those of us interested in the real root of the fascination, this is a treasure trove. Anyone can dream dreams of angels; anyone can make up stories about them. Anyone can draw his or her ideal winged guardian. But pondering the actual biblical passages that involve angels can be very surprising and inspiring, as this is where the real beginning of our understanding of angels resides. Like all Peter Kreeft's many books, this one is very readable. It's clear, concise, and will lead inevitably to the Bible itself. After all, that is where we first meet our angels, in the pages of the Old and New Testaments; and it may surprise readers to discover how much the Bible actually tells us about these mysterious and powerful creatures. I should add here that I find Thomas Aquinas endlessly fascinating, but difficult. And after reading Peter Kreeft's book, it was much easier for me to approach The Summa Theologica for the many intricate passages on angels bad and good. Peter Kreeft is a great teacher. This book captivates and instructs.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and precise theology of angels that any one can access September 22, 2006

By William C. Sain

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Anyone who has read any of Peter Kreeft's books knows that he does not write to the arrogant academic elite but to the common adult (including "young adults"). In particular, the audience of this book is to Catholics, old or young, who wish to learn more about angels. More broadly, he writes to all Christians (and even Jews and Muslims); there are a couple of places where he explains doctrines that non-Catholics might be confused about.

The book is in question and answer style, 100 questions divided into four sections. The first section is "Questions about Our Fascination with Angels" (4 questions), the second is "Questions about How We Know Anything about Angels" (13 questions), the third section is "Questions about the Nature of Angels" (66 questions), and the fourth section is "Questions about Demons" (17 questions). There are also three appendices: "A Short Course in Angelistic Philosophy," "A Snakebite Letter: Sex and the Media" (Kreeft's "Snakebite Letters" are his updated version of C.S. Lewis' "Screwtape Letters"), "What the New Catechism of the Catholic Church Says about Angels," and "Angels and Demons in the Bible."

My only complaint is that he usually does not cite his sources (eg. Bible, Summa Theologica, etc.) As a student, I would have liked have been able to follow up on what he says.

In short, as with most of Kreeft's works, he inspires a certain excitement for Christ and His Church.