Lifted By Angels - A Review

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Joel Miller's Lifted by Angels: The Presence and Power of Our Heavenly Guides and Guardians, A Book Review:

Angels move in and out of the entire Judeo-Christian story.  They are key players in the liturgical drama of the Advent Season. Angels are intimately involved in the announcement of Mary’s pregnancy, the assurance received by Joseph regarding that pregnancy, the birth of our Lord, and the protection of the young child.

Who exactly are they, though? What is their nature? What is their purpose?

Joel Miller provides a gilded look at the answers to these questions in Lifted by Angels.  Miller’s book provides rich coverage of the nature, roles, and historical impact of angels acting under the direction of God,  as understood and expressed by theologians, liturgists, artists, and icon writers of the ancient church. As a result, he gives us a glimpse into earliest Christianity and facilitates a sudden, and perhaps unanticipated, awareness of the movement of angels in and through our Judeo-Christian history and our own personal story.

This is not a summer beach book. It is better suited to those who enjoy a little depth of thought with their morning coffee. If you are so inclined, you will find this book a worthy companion.

Whenever I cover material of this nature, I think of my modern Evangelical Christian readers. This blog has a broad Christian audience with varying approaches to meeting God in Christ. Those of you who see a drum set in the front of your worship space on Sunday mornings may find this book's references to writers and thinkers from the first thousand years of Christianity a little outside of your comfort zone.  (Of course, the Catholics and Orthodox in our community will be quite as home.)   Even so, there is a treasure trove of writings and art bequeathed to us by Christians long prior to the nineteenth century, and it is rich and deep and wonderful. Those who lived in and shaped Christianity’s first millennium have much to share with us. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ and part of the same Body. Why not commune with them and explore their thoughts and teachings through the writing and artwork that they have left for us?

Bouguereau, Song of the Angels, 1881-PD-ART

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I found the initial portion on the nature of angels, both faithful and “fallen”, very informative. I particularly enjoyed both the telling of the story of the house of Israel through its encounters with angels and the subsequent telling of the New Testament story via the same approach.  I came away with a deeper understanding of the role of angels as guardians.   I sense that each Sunday's singing of the Sanctus (“Holy, Holy, Holy…”), though already deeply meaningful, will forever be infused with more wonder for me, having reading this book.

Miller allows us to see angels through the eyes of the earliest Christians. We are invited to step into the time of our ancient Christian forebearers and share their worldview, in order to gain a full appreciation of the work of angels throughout history and in our own lives. If you are inclined to the reading of the Church Fathers, and if Chesterton leaves you energized rather than weary, I highly commend to you this book.

Pax Christi Dear Ones,
Praying that your Advent preparations will be blessed,
~Michelle

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”