Angels

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the heavenly host of Angels. George Bernard Shaw made the observation that “in heaven an angel is nobody in particular”, but there is nothing commonplace about this description of angels from the Bible’s book of Ezekiel:”They had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass…. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.” With angels like that, it is easy to see why they have caused so much controversy over the centuries.What part have angels played in western religion? How did they get their halos and their wings? And what are they really: Gods or men?

→ Play on BBC Sounds website

Guests

• Martin Palmer 22 episodes
  Theologian and Director of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education and Culture
• Valery Rees 4 episodes
  Renaissance Scholar at the School of Economic Science
• John Haldane 8 episodes
  Professor of Philosophy, University of St Andrews

Related episodes

• Heaven
  
  22 Dec, 2005 230 Christianity
• The Trinity
  
  13 Mar, 2014 230 Christianity
• Fairies
  
  11 May, 2006 390 Customs, etiquette and folklore
• Hell
  
  21 Dec, 2006 230 Christianity
• Miracles
  
  25 Sep, 2008 200 Religion
• The Devil
  
  11 Dec, 2003 200 Religion
• The Venerable Bede
  
  25 Nov, 2004 270 History of Christianity
• Deism
  
  8 Oct, 2020 210 Philosophy and theory of religion
• The Life of Stars
  
  27 Mar, 2003 520 Astronomy
• The Rapture
  
  26 Sep, 2019 230 Christianity
• The Apocalypse
  
  17 Jul, 2003 230 Christianity
• The Holy Grail
  
  15 May, 2003 800 Literature, rhetoric and criticism
• Athelstan
  
  1 Jul, 2010 940 History of Europe
• The Individual
  
  21 Oct, 1999 100 Philosophy
• The Artist
  
  28 Mar, 2002 700 Arts
• The Music of the Spheres
  
  19 Jun, 2008 780 Music
• The Soul
  
  6 Jun, 2002 120 Epistemology
• The Planets
  
  27 May, 2004 520 Astronomy
• Hindu Ideas of Creation
  
  5 Dec, 2013 290 Other religions
• The Sistine Chapel
  
  31 Mar, 2022 700 Arts

---

Programme ID: p003k9gf

Episode page: bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003k9gf

Auto-category: 200 (Religion)