R. Lucas Stamps

“Why are there so many angel books around lately?
I think this is a far more serious and significant sign than most people realize.
I think it’s a symptom of fundamental changes that are happening,
or about to happen, to our world.” — Peter Kreeft

If the Bible is to be trusted, then there exists right now in the world an innumerable host of immaterial beings who possess superhuman knowledge and power and whose activities include giving praise to God, carrying out God’s plans, serving as God’s messengers, waging war against God’s enemies, and protecting God’s people. . . . In short, if the Bible is to be trusted—and it is—then we are not alone in the universe.

Why Should We Study Angels?
In many ways, the modern Western mind has been desacralized, demystified, despiritualized, disenchanted—whatever description you choose. Given a certain scientific worldview, we fancy ourselves too sophisticated to believe in the wonder world of the Bible. But so much the worse for our worldview. One of the needs of our contemporary moment is doctrinal clarity. We need to make clear what we believe, why we believe it, and how it differs from the beliefs of the secular culture around us.

Only a doctrinally confident Christianity will long survive the post-Christian turn Western culture has taken. Only then will the faith once again—as it did in the earliest centuries—constitute a compelling alternative to the various forms of paganism that vie for the loyalty of the human mind and heart. And a huge part of this doctrinal recovery will be a fresh rediscovery of its supernatural elements, including the angelic realm. In short, the need of the hour is the remystification of the contemporary church.

It Is a Delight
So, why should we study the doctrine of angels and demons? For starters, it is difficult to improve upon the answer given by the Christian philosopher Peter Kreeft: because it’s fun! Maybe fun is not the best word. Kreeft also writes this: believing in angels “feeds the feeling of wonder, fascination, curiosity.” So one reason we should study this doctrine is the pure delight it can bring. Studying this wondrous, imagination-stoking aspect of God’s creation is not just a means to some other end. In one sense it is an end in itself.

It is Biblical
A second, more fundamental, reason we should study angels is that they exist. And we know they exist because the Bible has quite a lot to say about them. Angels and demons show up in every genre of literature and in every phase of the unfolding biblical storyline. They are present at the Creation, at the Fall, in every era of redemptive history, and at the final judgment and end of the age. Angels are especially prominent in and around the climactic event of the Bible: the Incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, to the degree that we are care about the Bible, we will care about angels.

It Is Theologically Beneficial
Third, we should study the doctrine of angels and demons because it is theologically beneficial. So much of the history of Christian doctrine has been concerned with angelology. The church fathers, especially Augustine and Pseudo-Dionysius, wrote extensively about angels. The medieval theologians were particularly interested in the topic. Thomas Aquinas is often referred to as the “Angelic Doctor,” not only because of his eloquent expression of Christian truth but also because he spent so much space in his writings on angels.

Likewise, the Reformers and their theological heirs have been careful to address angels as an important part of the doctrine of creation. It may not be a stretch to say that Martin Luther was rather obsessed with the supernatural, often speaking directly to the Devil himself (and often in colorful language). Furthermore, studying this doctrine impinges upon every other doctrine in the system of Christian belief. Just as angels show up in every phase of the biblical story, so too they show up in every topic of Christian theology: everything from creation and providence to Christology, ecclesiology, and eschatology. So, to the degree that we care about Christian doctrine, we should care about angels.

It Is Practically Beneficial
A final reason we should care about angels and demons is that this doctrine is practically beneficial to the Christian life. Many Christians never think about the angelic realm, and, quite frankly, they do not know what they are missing. Studying angels and demons enriches our worship, our prayers, our battle against sin, our thanksgiving for the saving work of the triune God, and our hope in the future redemption. It is not just that this doctrine equips us for spiritual warfare, though it certainly does that. This doctrine also equips us to know and love God, which is the ultimate end of all theological reflection. The Western world has become demystified, and one of the most countercultural and spiritually beneficial things we can do is to recover the wonder.

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[A longer version of this article appears in the current issue of Ex Fonte magazine. Purchase the individual issue or subscribe.]

[1] Peter Kreeft, Angels (and Demons): What Do We Really Know about Them? (San Francisco: Ignatius, 1995), 18.
[2] Carson, Angels (and Demons), pp. 22, 38.,

Dr. R. Lucas Stamps serves as professor of Christian Theology and director of the Master’s Programs at the Clamp Divinity School of Anderson University. He has written numerous books, essays, and articles in the field of systematic theology. Dr. Stamps also serves on the board of directors for the David S. Dockery and Timothy F. George Center for Baptist Renewal. His book, Ultimate Guide to Angels and Demons, will be released in April by Holman Bible Publishers, Reference, 2026.