HARRY BOOSALIS
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Angels and Demons: A Patristic Perspective
© 2016 by Harry M. Boosalis. All rights reserved.
Cover design by Fr. Joel Wilson.
Published by:
St. Tikhon’s Monastery Press
175 St. Tikhon’s Road
Waymart, Pennsylvania 18472
USA
For my parents
Michael C. and Stella Boosalis
Dr. Harry Boosalis, Th. D., graduated from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Master of Divinity degree, Class of 1985) and received his doctoral degree in Orthodox Theology from the University of Thessaloniki under the direction of Professor Georgios Mantzaridis. He has been teaching Dogmatic Theology at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary since the Fall of 1992. His other books include Orthodox Spiritual Life, The Joy of the Holy, Knowledge of God, Taught by God and Holy Tradition, all published by St. Tikhon’s Monastery Press.
This study is comprised of three lectures in Orthodox theology, focusing on the topics of Angels, Demons and the Enigma of Evil. Although intended for first year students in the Master of Divinity program at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary, its introductory level of approach makes it appealing to non-specialists as well.
Written in a reader-friendly style with a deliberate attempt at presenting the spiritual themes of Orthodox theology in a clear and coherent way, this book will benefit anyone, regardless of background, who is interested in Eastern Christian theology and spirituality.
Thoroughly founded on Holy Scripture and patristic teaching, this book is original in that it is written for seminarians preparing for ordained ministry as parish priests. It preserves its teaching purpose by retaining a practical approach and appropriate level of language.
Angels and Demons: A Patristic Perspective is ideal for any layman who seeks to introduce himself to, or increase his knowledge of, the Eastern approach to spiritual life and the study of Orthodox theology.
It is interesting to observe that within the spiritual outlook of many today, there is a tendency of two extremes—both with negative results. On the one hand there is increased interest in spirituality. This includes an anxious search for spiritual experiences, acceptance of a vast world inhabited by spiritual beings and the attempt to communicate with these ‘beings’. For example, Far Eastern religions, psychic phenomena, pseudo-Christian cults, neo-pagan rituals, occult practices, and witchcraft1 are all rising in popularity, to name a few. These movements attest to the increasing spiritual thirst of modern man.
On the other hand, with man’s increased dependency on science and technology, there is also a growing disregard and outright disdain for belief in the spiritual world. The initial inclination of many is not only to deny but also to discredit the existence of anything not explained through empirical evidence and scientific logic. Such skepticism also pertains to holy angels, who are often considered as mythical creatures of folklore from an outdated age.
The existence of angelic beings is a matter of belief. Indeed, it is a basic element of the Orthodox Faith. Every time the Nicene Creed is recited, the Orthodox proclaim their belief in the invisible angelic world: “I believe in One God, Father All-mighty, Maker of all things, visible and invisible…”
The word ‘angel’ comes from the Greek ὁ ἄννελος which means messenger.2 Scriptural texts referring to angels are numerous. They are mentioned frequently in both Old and New Testaments. Angels are often portrayed as intermediaries between God and mankind, sent by God for specific missions, to protect someone or deliver a particular message.
Christ Himself refers repeatedly to angelic beings. They were present with Him at the most significant moments throughout His earthly life—including His birth, temptation in the desert and agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. And they will also accompany Him at His Second Coming. Angels thus played very important roles within the life of our Lord, from His conception within the Virgin’s womb to His Resurrection from the empty tomb. Indeed, it was an angel who first proclaimed the wondrous words, “He is risen.”3
The Apostle Paul distinguishes different types or orders of angelic beings: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”4
Interestingly, the Apostle also warns against the danger of worshiping angels, as occurred in some ancient heretical groups: “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels.”5
Before proceeding, it would be helpful to identify basic theological distinctions made by Church Fathers that are fundamental to their teachings on angels. The first distinction is between uncreated nature and created nature.6 Uncreated nature pertains only to God. This includes the divine Persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as well as the divine essence and divine energies of God.7 Anything existing outside of uncreated divine nature is created—created by God out of nothing.
Within created nature, the Church Fathers further distinguish between that which is visible and that which is invisible. Invisible created nature pertains to the angelic world. This includes not only holy angels but also the fallen angels, or demons. God did not create demons per se. He originally created them good and holy, but they freely chose to separate themselves from God. They became demons by their free will.
Visible created nature pertains to material creation—the entire physical universe, including mankind. In fact, man is the centerpiece of God’s creation. Only man straddles both the visible and invisible aspects of creation, the material and immaterial, the physical and spiritual. Man is visible on account of his material body. Yet there is also an invisible element of human nature—the human soul.
Therefore, according to Orthodox theology, angelic nature, while created, is invisible. Human nature however, while also created, is uniquely visible as well as invisible. Man, by nature, participates in both the invisible and the visible worlds. This exalts our human nature to a very precious position within all of God’s created cosmos.
Interestingly, the Orthodox Church “has never had a universally accepted system or description of the angelic world, with the exception of the Celestial Hierarchy of pseudo-Dionysios, in which each of the nine orders of angels is considered as an intermediary between the highest power above it and the form of existence below.”8 Although the Dionysian description of angelic beings was widely accepted and highly influential, still it did not supersede the more traditional accounts found within Scripture and the liturgical life of the Church.9
For example, the Dionysian model gives a rather limited status to Archangels, who are assigned the second lowest level within his overall hierarchy. However, in Holy Scripture, Archangels Michael and Gabriel are the most significant and greatest leaders of the entire heavenly host.10
Also, in most Orthodox churches, it is the icons of the two chief Archangels that adorn each end of the iconostasis, not those of a Seraphim or Cherubim. Therefore, it is the Liturgy “which should be considered as the main and most reliable source”11 of Orthodox angelology. Included in this is the Church’s hymnographical teachings as well. Still, it is sometimes frustrating that we know so little about these angelic beings, especially in regard to their origin and unique nature.
St. Dionysios combines the angelic orders referred to in the letters of St. Paul12 together with the Seraphim mentioned in Isaiah13and the Cherubim described in Ezekiel.14 He also adds the order of Archangels, mentioned throughout Scripture, as well as a last order referred to simply as ‘Angels’.
According to Dionysios, the nine orders of angelic beings are distinguished into three different hierarchies, each consisting of three specific orders. The first are the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. The second are the Dominions, Powers and Authorities. And the third are the Principalities, Archangels and Angels.
The term ‘angels’, then, depending on context, can refer to all the angelic beings as a whole, that is to say, all the bodiless powers—the entire heavenly host in general. Or, on the other hand, ‘angels’ may also refer more specifically to the last order of angelic beings within the Dionysian hierarchy, the particular order of Angels.
St. Dionysios describes the corresponding proximity of each order to God. In relation to the first hierarchy, “This first of the hierarchies … possesses the highest order as God’s immediate neighbor, being grounded directly around God … [they] have their place beside the Godhead to whom they owe their being. They are, as it were, in the anteroom of divinity.”15
He also provides etymological descriptions of the meaning of each order’s name, conveying the different ways each imitates and conforms to God. In regard to the names of the first two orders he writes: “Those with a knowledge of Hebrew are aware of the fact that the holy name ‘seraphim’ means ‘fire-makers’, that is to say, ‘carriers of warmth’. The name ‘cherubim’ means ‘fullness of knowledge’ or ‘outpouring of wisdom’ … These names indicate their similarity to what God is.”16
St. Dionysios emphasizes that each order of angels passes their particular experiences of God to the order below it.17 The last order of angelic beings, angels per se, is closest to man: “For being closer to us, they, more appropriately than the previous ones, are named ‘angels’ insofar as their hierarchy is more concerned with revelation and is closer to the world.”18
St. Maximos the Confessor likewise teaches that the higher orders transmit their experiences of God to the lower ones. He describes further how the last order of angels transmit their virtues and knowledge to man:
In communicating illumination to each other, the angelic powers also communicate either their virtue or their knowledge to human nature. As regards their virtue, they communicate a goodness which imitates the goodness of God, and through this goodness they confer blessings on themselves, on one another and on their inferiors … making them like God.”19
The Dionysian numbering of three hierarchies with three orders each conveys the belief that there is an innumerable number of angelic beings, whose actual number is beyond the abilities of human understanding: “I think we also ought to reflect on the tradition in scripture that the angels number a thousand times a thousand and ten thousand times ten thousand. These numbers, enormous to us, square and multiply themselves and thereby indicate clearly that the ranks of the heavenly beings are innumerable. So numerous indeed are the blessed armies of transcendent intelligent beings that they surpass the frail and limited realm of our physical numbers.”20
Angelic beings infinitely outnumber human beings. In the eyes of God, the final number of human beings is actually dwarfed in comparison. St. Cyril of Jerusalem, commenting on the Parable of the Lost Sheep, refers to the one sheep as representing the finite number of mankind, whereas the ninety-nine symbolize the infinite number of angels.21
He also adds, “The whole earth is but as a point in the midst of the one heaven and yet contains so great a multitude; what a multitude must the heaven which encircles it contain? And must not the heaven of heavens contain unimaginable numbers?”22
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