An Extraordinary Gathering of Angels

by Margaret Barker

"An Extraordinary Gathering of Angels is an exquisite visual and thoughtful study of the complex and fascinating world of angels in the Judaic-Christian tradition. Using more than 250 artworks, leading Biblical scholar and practicing theologian, Margaret Barker takes the reader on an extraordinary journey among the realm of angels. Barker makes this wonderful world accessible to all readers--mini essays make sense of the complex angel cosmology and detailed picture captions explain the meaning and significance of each angel type. Margaret also has included interviews she has taken with key theologians, artists and writers who have particular and sometimes differing viewpoints on the significance of angels.

Genres: Angels, Nonfiction, Spirituality, History, Religion

432 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Margaret Barker is a British Methodist preacher and biblical scholar recognized for her pioneering contributions to the study of early Christianity. Educated in theology at the University of Cambridge, she devoted her career to exploring the roots of Christian thought through what she terms Temple Theology, an approach tracing many aspects of early Christian liturgy and doctrine back to the worship of Solomon’s Temple.
In 1998 she served as president of the Society for Old Testament Study, and in 2008 she was awarded the Lambeth Doctor of Divinity by the Archbishop of Canterbury in recognition of her scholarly achievements. Her influential works, including The Great High Priest (2003) and Temple Theology (2004), emphasize the enduring legacy of Temple worship, arguing that it shaped Christianity as deeply as Hellenistic and synagogue traditions.
Drawing on sources ranging from the Hebrew Bible and Septuagint to the Dead Sea Scrolls, Gnostic writings, and early Christian texts, Barker’s research highlights the mystical dimensions of ancient worship and their relevance for understanding early Christian belief. Her work has been both praised for originality and critiqued within mainstream scholarship, yet remains highly influential across diverse theological traditions.

Reviews

[Luis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tuesday and I purchased this literary gem in a museum gift shop. Not the best way to generally buy books, but I can honestly say that it was worth every penny.

"An Extraordinary Gathering of Angels," is scholarly yet written plainly for the lay reader to understand and appreciate. Ms. Barker intersperses 170 magnificent historical illustrations (mostly artistic depictions of the types of angels) within thirteen chapters dedicated to revealing expert biblical analysis of angels by professors, rabbis, priests and theologians.

Ms. Barker's work is as extraordinary as the subject matter. This book is a piece of art that I will reference frequently for personal and professional inspiration.

[Sharyn Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this for $1.00 or less at the local library, during one of their clearing-out book sales. I loved the images throughout the book. The font does make the text hard to read. I took my time, and enjoyed this over the period of a couple of months. I plan to hold on to it, for reference, or just to browse back on some of my favorite images. I loved the drawing on pages 162-63 by Georgiana Houghton (British) from 1864: Glory be to God.

[Steve Congdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating study of angelic references mostly in the Old and New Testaments but including other scriptures like the Koran and The Book of Mormon; author Margaret Barker, a world renowned Biblical scholar, included countless images of angels from art collections from around the world.

[Amanda Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed book on this topic, with numerous colour plates/photos/images of artworks.
Discusses angels' place in the Bible, in those people's lives and in different themes like the Hebrew scriptures and in worship.

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found that this was a very good overview of angels. The author explores them from all kinds of different angles and religious views, which is very helpful. The art is also beautiful. It left me wanting to know more, which I felt was good for a book of this kind that was a survey of the different types of angels and covered so much. I feel like I am going to go read more specific books on these subjects now thanks to this book. Overall, very good.

[Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A handy little book that gives you an dea about what angels are, how they look, what their purpose is, their history and where you can find them. Quite informative and cute. Filled with lots of illustrations and relevant quotes which higtens the experience. But if you are looking for a full, thorough explanation of the term angels you'll need a supplement.