Angelomorphic Christology: Antecedents and Early Evidence (Library of Early Christology)

With the gradual emergence of the study of angelology's influence in Christian origins, this book indispensably summarizes the issue in a clear and detailed format.It will be a surprise to many readers that "the divine, preexistent Son" of Paul, John and the early Jewish Christians was not an uncommon conception not only in that age, but even prior to Christianity. For example, the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria believed in a preexistent angelic figure whom he calls "a god" and who was instrumental in God's creation of the world - a description that has specific echoes in Pauline and Johannine christology, as well in the Gospels' insistence that Jesus identified himself with not only "the Son" but also the preexistent heavenly Son of Man who dwelled in the clouds of heaven.The author notes that ancient Jewish theology had a divine "hypostasis" or God-like heavenly figure who functioned as the Angel of Yahweh's Presence, as Yahoel, who bore the divine Name and exercised divine judgment. In addition, ancient Judaism held that Yahweh appeared in human form on earth in the form of angels, and that certain human beings ascended to heaven and became angels, after which they descended back to earth entrusted with a holy mission. This is established in the Dead Sea Scrolls, where community members specialized in acquiring the names of the angels, and who claimed not only that congregants could ascend to heaven and enter "the company of the angels" but that angels came down to earth to commune with the Scroll community. In early Christian writings, Jesus himself was often conceived to be the greatest archangel, as in Justin Martyr - certainly "higher than [the rest of the angels"] but still an angel.The idea of Jesus being an angel has been held by certain Christian sects, but this book places that notion into its original ancient context, and corrects misconceptions about the Great Angel along the way.I highly recommend this book for anyone who takes a lively interest in early Christian christology and its roots in mystical Judaism. For me, it was a real eye-opener and I enjoyed every page (and the copious footnotes).

If you order this book, you will not receive the original Brill hardcover pictured. You will receive a shoddy print-on-demand version.

Great read!