Additional information
by Jean Sj Danielou (Author), David Heimann (Translator)
What role do angels play in God's plan for salvation--and in the life of the Church today?
In this enduring classic, Fr. Jean Daniélou--one of the foremost theologians at the Second Vatican Council--draws on scripture and the wisdom of the Church Fathers to illuminate the mission of the angels throughout salvation history. With remarkable clarity and accessibility, yet theologically rich, Daniélou presents angels not as distant or decorative figures, but as active participants in God's saving work.
First published in 1953 in French and then translated into English four years later, The Angels and Their Mission explores the many ways angels accompany God's people, including as
- messengers of the Law in the Old Testament
- ministers at the Nativity and the Ascension
- companions in the life of the Church and the Sacraments
- guides in the spiritual life of the believer
- guardians at the hour of death
- witnesses to the Second Coming
Rooted in tradition and written with warmth and insight, The Angels and Their Mission invites readers to rediscover the mystery, beauty, and spiritual significance of the angels in the economy of salvation.
Author Biography
Jean Danielou, S.J. (1905-1974), was a Jesuit theologian, patristic scholar, spiritual writer, bishop, and cardinal. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1929 and was ordained in 1938. During World War II he served with the Armée de l'Air (the French Air Force) in 1939-1940. Danielou studied under Henri de Lubac at Fourvière in Lyon and received his doctorate in theology in 1942.
In 1944 he was made Professor of Early Christian History at the Institut Catholique de Paris, where he later became dean. Among his most influential books were The Bible and the Liturgy, The Lord of History, and From Shadows to Reality. At the invitation of Pope John XXIII Danielou served as an expert advisor at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).
