Angels: Christianity vs. Judaism (conclusion)

While the study of angels in Classical Rabbinic Literature is interesting in itself, rife with entertaining stories and varying opinions, it is perhaps most interesting to consider what Chazal said about the Jews, and about Christians, through their comments on angels. “The angels, it seems were fertile ground for any number of polemic and apologetic purposes. It is probably that their imaginary and mythological character helped fuel the creative uses to which they were put.” (Fass, 287) As we have seen, angels in Rabbinic literature often compare poorly to humans. They were used to emphasize God’s love for and commitment toward mankind, especially Israel. Perhaps this expression of favoritism helped in the preservation of the Jewish identity in spite of the odds. (Fass, 281) In other stories, the actions assigned to angels make a point to contradict the Christian interpretation of the same events. Though springing from the same source, the differences between Christian and Jewish theology begin to become surprisingly apparent as each religions’ view of angels is examined. Christianity tends to see angels as morally and powerfully superior to men, though it recognizes a difference in purpose, which at times enables men to surpass them in certain ways. Judaism, on the other hand, often sees angels as below humans. There are still points of similarity between both views: both consider angels to be messengers of God (as fits with the meaning of the Hebrew word מלאך). Both also share a belief in demons, though they might differ on the exact nature of those demons. Nevertheless, these points of similarity are pretty superficial compared to the huge differences which lurk under the surface. For having started at roughly the same point, Judaism and Christianity have drawn a long ways apart over the years, as the study of the angelology of each reveals.