A Rumour of Biblical Angels

A RUMOUR OF BIBLICAL ANGELS Metaphorical Key to the Scriptures In this brief volume, titled A Rumour of Biblical Angels: The Metaphorical Key to the Scriptures, Dr. Ignatius Jesudasan dwells on the depiction of angels from the mythological stories of pre-historic human origin, which the Bible has documented from Genesis, its first book, up to the eschatological projections of the new heavens and new earth of the Apocalypse, its last book. He attempts at undertaking an excavation of the probable meaning-effect, which the texts sought to create upon the readers or listeners of the discourses behind the stories, in which angels play significant or transitory roles. Through reader-friendly small units, the author gradually unveils the aesthetically constructed symbolism of angels with the diverse details described by those producing the Biblical texts. Further, he seeks to identify how the angels are deployed to function in myriad ways... The book alerts us to be vigilant to the ideologies of exclusion as well as inclusion, veiled behind the deployment of the metaphors of angels in the biblical stories. It locates the ideology of exclusion in texts and contexts, which oversimplify complex social realities in the way they metaphorically rename them in the fixed categories of either angels or demons. Usually the group which endorses the biblical author is associated wilh angels. This is the ideology of inclusion in metaphorical naming. Conversely, whoever disagrees with the same author is demonized or associated with demons. This is a way the ideology of exclusion works in the same act of naming. While inclusive ideologies are open to new groups and meanings, exclusive ideologies usher in fundamentalism and social fragmentation. Inclusivist perspectives celebrate otherness, to promote community-building integration across a broad spectrum of diversity. While highlighting the different dynamics operative in these processes, the author prefers the path of integration to that of fragmentation in any rereading of the stories of angels. Dr. A. Maria Arul Raja, S.J CONTENTS Foreword Preface Part : I - ANGELS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 1. The Angel Who Spoke To Hagar and Abraham 2. The Angelic Guests of Lot in Sodom 3. The Angel Who Arranged Isaac's Marriage 4. Jacob's Dream Angels on The Ladder At Bethel 5. Reappearance of a Dream Angel of Bethel 6. Exodus: The Angel in The Burning Bush 7. The Angel in the Rest of the Book of Exodus 8. The Angel of God on the Book of Numbers 9. Angel in the Book of Judges 10. Angel in the Books of Samuel 11. The Angel in the Books of Kings 12. Angels in the Book of Job 13. Angels in the Book of Psalms 14. Angel in the Books of The Prophets 15. Angel in the Book of Tobit Part : II - ANGELS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 1. Angelic Apparitions in Matthew 2. Angelic Apparitions in Luke 3. Angels at The Temptation Scene of Jesus 4. Angels Unique to Luke and John 5. Apocalyptic Angels in the Intervening Texts