Angels: Messengers of the Gods (Art and Imagination) [Abridged] [Paperback]

Peter Lamborn Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Art and Imagination | Publication Date: June 1994

Throughout the ages the presence, seen or unseen, of winged beings hovering between the human and divine worlds has been recognized. Peter Lamborn Wilson reveals their role in all the great religions, as the mediators, the protectors or if necessary the punishers. He considers their function as messengers: carrying a Greek hero to the realms of sleep; raising Mohammed to heaven; wrestling with Jacob; or announcing the birth of Christ. He analyses the image of the angel; angelic choirs; the archangels' war against Satan. And he delves into arcana such as angels and shamanism, and angelic eroticism. The illustrations gather angels from every culture and artistic medium, every time and place.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; Abridged edition (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500810443
• ISBN-13: 978-0500810446
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,855,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Angels in the Western Religious Traditions, August 10, 2000

By 

Michael P. McGarry (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Angels: Messengers of the Gods (Art and Imagination) (Paperback)

In this book, Peter L. Wilson explores the meaning of angels in ancient Egyptian and Greek thought and in traditional Jewish, Christian, and Muslim spirituality. Interspersed with photos and color plates throughout, this book is a visually engaging introduction to the topic. Juxtaposing parallels from different traditions, he shows the several "jobs" angels can have (dispenser of grace, warrior against evil, guardian of souls, etc.). Wilson writes with the perspective of three millennia, and so the discussion has an intelligence, a depth, and a complexity often conspicuously absent in current writings on angels. This is a fascinating and stimulating introduction to the history and philosophical speculation behind the idea of angels.