Angels and Demons: A Catholic Introduction

Thomistic Ressourcement Series #6

by Serge-Thomas Bonino, Michael J Miller (Translator)

Angels occupy a significant space in contemporary popular spirituality. Yet, today more than ever, the belief in the existence of intermediary spirits between the human and divine realms needs to be evangelized and Christianized. Angels and Demons offers a detailed synthesis of the givens of the Christian tradition concerning the angels and demons, as systematized in its essential principles by St. Thomas Aquinas. Certainly, the doctrine of angels and demons is not at the heart of Christian faith, but its place is far from negligible. On the one hand, as part of faith seeking understanding, angelology has been and can continue to be a source of enrichment for philosophy. Thus, reflection on the ontological constitution of the angel, on the modes of angelic knowledge, and on the nature of the sin of Satan can engage and shed light on the most fundamental areas of metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. On the other hand, angelology, insofar as it is inseparable from the ensemble of the Christian mystery (from the doctrine of creation to the Christian understanding of the spiritual life), can be envisioned from an original and fruitful perspective.

Father Serge-Thomas Bonino is a renowned European theologian and highly regarded expert in Thomist thought, both philosophical and theological. He is the current Secretary of the International Theological Commission. To date very little of his work has been translated into English. This book is a comprehensive philosophical and theological investigation of angels and demons and is unquestionably the most comprehensive book on this neglected topic written since the Second Vatican Council.

Genres: Theology, Catholic, Religion, Christian

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2016

Reviews

[Madeline Fary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and well written. Heavily influenced by Thomas Aquinas, to a point that it could be titled “A Thomistic Introduction”. Bonino writes academically, yet his content is digestible. There is a lot of information that can be gleaned, but when it comes to angels I resonate with the words of John Calvin in regards to angels in light of what little we know about the heavenly beings… “what I do not know, I dare not speculate”

[Joshua Maier · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a Catholic Introduction, you couldn't ask for better! The author is admittedly Thomistic, but strives to reconcile the wider breadth of the Christian tradition on angels. Though he sometimes veers off into questionable speculation (not intrisically wrong, but unfitting for an introduction), Bonino does not water down the content. This introduction is aimed at enticing the reader to further study, providing a rich bibliography.

The book could use some more biblical analysis, not so soon jumping to theology and philosophy. Many relevant verses are treated well but abstractly in sections pertaining to Angelology in the OT/NT. A closer examination would help.

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a mixed bag. Someone like Heiser is more interesting. Unlike much Thomist literature, I found this overly speculative with a tendency to overexaggerate wildly the importance of certain verses.

[Ivo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Works for my purposes, i.e. an introduction for someone who doesn't know much about the subject. Accessible and pretty easy to read, and it's not hard to skip to topics you're more interested in.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

As close to an introduction as one can get for a Thomistic account of angels and demons, though previous studies are really necessary to understand this work due to the subject itself.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this excellent work, Fr. Serge-Thomas Bonino, OP endeavors to present St. Thomas's teaching on angelology to contemporary people. His book is divided into four parts. In the first part, he discusses the data of tradition: what the Old Testament teaches, what intertestamental Judaism teaches, what the New Testament teaches, and what the Fathers of the Church teach.

In the remaining parts, he gets into the Thomistic synthesis. He first explores the nature of the angels: what are angels? Do they have bodies? Do they have "spiritual matter"? How and what do angels know? How and what do angels love? Following this, he enters into a discussion of the angels as beings with a supernatural vocation. Like us, angels are created by God. Also like us, angels have a natural end but also a supernatural vocation: the beatific vision. Because of this, they were offered a choice. Some chose God and became glorified. Others chose themselves and became demons. Finally, he discusses the place of angels in the divine government: specifically, their relationship to the Incarnate Lord, their interrelationships, their guardianship of men, and the temptations of the demons.

In this fantastic exposition, Father touches not only on Thomistic angelology (which cannot be set off from the rest of the Thomistic synthesis) but providence, creation, man, the distinction between nature and grace, the nature of free will, the nature of the intellect and the will, moral theology, the Incarnation, and the last things. This is a wonderful work and it is not only highly recommended, but essential to anyone who studies the theology of St. Thomas, and even to Catholics in general.