[Very Short Introductions 287] • Angels

In this lively and concise Very Short Introduction , David Albert Jones provides a crisp, broad-ranging survey of angels in theology, philosophy, and popular culture. Focusing on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, he examines how angels have been imagined and explained as well as why they continue to captivate us. Jones explores the classical discussion--what they are made of, when they came to be, and how many there are. He names the archangels, surveys the different hierarchies, and examines how they have changed over time. He looks at why the idea of angels remains so potent in modern culture, even among non-believers.