The Encyclopedia of Angels, Second Edition [Paperback]

Rosemary Ellen Guiley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004

Richly illustrated with medieval, Renaissance, and contemporary paintings, prints, drawings, and photographs, ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ANGELS contains the history and development of angelologies and the importance of angels to the major religions of the world. The book traces the path of angels across such diverse subjects as mysticism, mythology, folklore, magic, visions of the Virgin Mary, out-of-body experiences, extraterrestrials, psychology, and philosophy.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"What we know about angels," writes Rosemary Ellen Guiley, writer and lecturer on spirituality and human potential, "comes through our otherworldly contact with them." To bolster her claim, Guiley includes stories of some well-known recipients of angel charms--Dorothy McLean, founder of Findhorn; psychoanalyst Carl Jung; poet and visionary William Blake; and American pilot Charles Lindbergh--in this compendious volume.

Some might think of angels as our human pathway to the monotheistic God of our Western culture--a God who remains abstract and remote. All major cultures and religions, however, have intricately developed angel systems. Guiley covers all--comparing angels to analogous beings in non-western cultures in order to trace their evolution. The book is arranged alphabetically by topic, so readers can look up subjects such as angel hierarchy, individual angels, Judaic angelology, the supernatural manifestations of the Virgin Mary, and even--God forbid--sex with demons.

The Encyclopedia of Angels is thoroughly researched and pleasantly illustrated with photographs of sculpture and reproductions of some of the great medieval, Renaissance, and contemporary works of "angel" art. Believers and skeptics alike will treasure this encyclopedia of information on a luminous and mysterious subject! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Guiley (The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits, Facts on File, 1992) continues her reporting of the mysterious and unknown by delving into the celestial realm. In this latest entry in the growing number of books on angels (e.g., Angel, A to Z, LJ 11/15/95, and Know Your Angels, Mamre Pr., 1993), Guiley has compiled interdisciplinary angel information in readable citations, taking the reader on a journey into the evolution of the angel in Western thought and exploring the origins of angels, their manifestation in other cultures, and present angel philosophy. Entries rely on the definition of an angel as "a supernatural being who mediates between God and mortals." Significant angels are given full entries or grouped with similar angels with ample cross references, and biographical profiles of mystics and philosophers such as Geoffrey Hodson are also provided. This is a useful addition to the reference collection of any academic or larger public library.
L. Kriz, West Des Moines P.L., Ia.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Checkmark Books; 2 edition (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816050244
• ISBN-13: 978-0816050246
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #64 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Mythology & Folklore

More About the Author

I work fulltime investigating and writing about all things paranormal, which means I lead a most unusual and highly adventurous life. I have written more than 45 books, including single-volume encyclopedias, on a variety of topics, A-Z, angels to zombies and everything in between. I'm interested in the entire spectrum of the paranormal, for everything fits together. I go off in the field to investigate reports of ghosts, UFOs, aliens, ultraterrestrials, Shadow People, Bigfoot, mysterious creatures, Djinn, demons, angels, fairies and more. I am frequently out on the road, and I've had plenty of first-hand experiences of many of the things I document in my books. My work is part of my spiritual journey; probing into the Unknown, the Other Side, and other dimensions is my search for Truth.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Angels - But Were Afraid to Ask, February 23, 2006

By 

hinducats "hinducats" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Angels, Second Edition (Paperback)

When I ordered this item, I didn't quite know what to expect - but I was absolutely blown away by this book. Of all the books on angels I've ever read, it's the most comprehensive, the most objective, and the most beautiful. The author covers just about anything and everything that has come from any tradition that embraces them, and the book is copiously illustrated with appropriate paintings, manuscript illuminations, statues, and any other form of visual depiction of these intriguing but elusive beings. I strongly recommend this book not only for angel enthusiasts, but for serious scholars as well.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly researched and valuable resource, February 13, 2007

By 

Craig Hines "author of Gateway of the Gods" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Angels, Second Edition (Paperback)

I must start off by saying that normally I find books of this nature to be quite disappointing. Normally, they offer only a brief description of a limited number of topics and I soon find myself looking elsewhere for research material. This was not the case with Rosemary Ellen Guiley's book and I was pleasantly surprised. Guiley has provided a very thorough (not to mention useful) tome that covers a multitude of entries regarding angels and similar spirits. Additionally, she covers many other resources, such as films and books, that deal with the subject matter of angels (as well as spirits and angel-like beings). I consider this particular aspect useful because it provides "jumping points" for readers to locate other sources of material or ideas. Most importantly, the revised second edition of this book provides a wealth of information related to apocryphal texts such as 1 Enoch and the story of the Watchers and the Nephilim -- topics that I have found extremely interesting and thought-provoking. While conducting the research for my own book, I often found myself referring back to Guiley's work for more information or to look up references to other texts. It was truly indispensable and probably the best book that I can recommend not only as a general reference for readers interested in angels, but for anyone conducting more scholarly research as well.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very nice, organized compendium of angelic lore, January 10, 2009

By 

M. A Jenkins "southerndudeman" (Manhattan, KS) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Angels, Second Edition (Paperback)

In general, I was pleased with "The Encyclopedia of Angels." I became interested in angelic lore through playing a video game (the game in question was "Persona 4"), and immediately became interested in having a more thorough description of many of the angelic beings found in that game. In that sense, this book does not disappoint.

However, the book is not nearly as thorough on individual angels as, say, an internet search would be. While each entry is nice and complete, a quick google check gives me 10x the info found in this book. I know this is an unfair criticism, but it is worth noting nonetheless - if your interest is deeper, you should do more thorough research. Moreover, I was disappointed in some of her references - I don't really care about angelic references in film. But this is merely personal preference, and while I dock the review a star for this, I understand if others take me to task for it.

Nonetheless, having the information ready at hand, in a nice form, with illustrations and artwork, cannot be overlooked. All in all, I would recommend this to anyone who would like to begin to understand the vast panoply of angelic beings and lore out there. However, for a deeper study, one should go elsewhere.