The supernatural world is prominent in many of today's movies, television shows, novels, and the popular imagination. But some of what is presented as grounded in a Christian worldview is in fact far from that. In Angels and Demons, Michael Patella, OSB, offers an accessible and fascinating look at supernatural realities as they really are presented in the Bible and Christian tradition. Among the topics Patella explores with a valuable combination of pastoral wisdom and academic rigor are:
• The role of angels in the ministry of Jesus. • The apocalyptic battle in Revelation. • The occult, possession, and the work of Satan. • What angels are and what they're not. • The Last Judgment: How? When?
Readers will appreciate Patella's level-headed appraisal of the views of the supernatural world in the various sections of the Bible. They will be engaged by his lucid account of "Who's Who in Hell." They will be both comforted and inspired by his foundational conviction that Christ has claimed creation for the forces of good, evil is on the run, and there is no chance of the tide ever turning the other way, evil actions and human suffering notwithstanding.
"Angels and Demons is a concise and thoughtful review of the spirit world and its involvement in the material world as seen through the Catholic lens. It provides a good framework to educate oneself in the reality of Satan, his biblical and extra-biblical manifestations, and a correct reading of the demonic presence in the world."
Fr. Gary Thomas, Vatican-certified, practicing exorcist
"This is a timely book with a lot of good theological sense."
Donald Senior, CP, The Bible Today
"This is an uncommonly helpful book, a breath of fresh air for anyone weary of sentimentalized angels and sensationalized demons. Holding fast to scripture and Christian tradition, Fr. Patella offers useful definitions of purgatory and the communion of saints, and more importantly, invites us to a better understanding of the spiritual world in light of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ."
Kathleen Norris, Author of Acedia and Me and The Cloister Walk
