Protestant images of angels are difficult to imagine. Catholics have had an easier time of that, perhaps over-imaging angelic images. In the modern scientific world of drug users and godless materialism one might reasonably ask where do angels fit in to the world view of Protestant Christians?
I think the answer is not much. Protestants tend toward agnosticism on having opinions about angels yet they shouldn't. The theologian Karl Barth believed that since angels are in scripture it is necessary to have faith in angels too. I can live with that, especially after learning more about Karl Barth's views on scripture.
Americans tend to view extra-terrestrials more favorably than angels. Scientists seem to like the idea of extra-terrestrials on exo-planets that just haven't given us a call yet. In spite of all the effort with S.E.T.I. to locate the little green men from red planets and elsewhere the warblings of the creatures of fantasy remain undiscovered' fine-there are probably good reasons for that.
Angels though are comparable to extra-terrestrials I would think in that they are from somewhere else than here; some place not easy to seem with a telescope. Heaven-the place where angels are reputed to live-may be regarded as being of an extra-dimensional location. There may be innumerable undiscoverd dimensions, even string theory posits hundreds of them. Qualitative differences in dimensions may make heaven a place one can't ever by a space flight to. It has some sort of one-way accessability for the elect rhough the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Angels are beings already living in heaven whereas humans are living on Earth. The realm of the Earth could comprise the entire solid state Universe as a material condition I suppose-from the point of view of angels in heaven. An analogy would be that viewed from the moon the earth looks like a blue marble or some sort of potential topaz nugget for deposit in an account in a dark pool faster-than-light trading firm's computer accounts offshore.
Angels may be God's ambassadors or emissaries to Earth persons when the trinity wants to put in a personal appearance through the angels. Barth advises though to not go beyond scriptural references and invent one's own images of angels or imagine their works. Protestants I think tend to worry about the possibility of creating falsehood theologically speaking about the roles and impacts of angels upon humans individually and socially that might distract from thinking about the real relationship with the Lord and work of the Holy Spirit. Even so there is still room for angels in the world. If you ever actually meet one it probably won't require abstract verification.
I think the answer is not much. Protestants tend toward agnosticism on having opinions about angels yet they shouldn't. The theologian Karl Barth believed that since angels are in scripture it is necessary to have faith in angels too. I can live with that, especially after learning more about Karl Barth's views on scripture.
Americans tend to view extra-terrestrials more favorably than angels. Scientists seem to like the idea of extra-terrestrials on exo-planets that just haven't given us a call yet. In spite of all the effort with S.E.T.I. to locate the little green men from red planets and elsewhere the warblings of the creatures of fantasy remain undiscovered' fine-there are probably good reasons for that.
Angels though are comparable to extra-terrestrials I would think in that they are from somewhere else than here; some place not easy to seem with a telescope. Heaven-the place where angels are reputed to live-may be regarded as being of an extra-dimensional location. There may be innumerable undiscoverd dimensions, even string theory posits hundreds of them. Qualitative differences in dimensions may make heaven a place one can't ever by a space flight to. It has some sort of one-way accessability for the elect rhough the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Angels are beings already living in heaven whereas humans are living on Earth. The realm of the Earth could comprise the entire solid state Universe as a material condition I suppose-from the point of view of angels in heaven. An analogy would be that viewed from the moon the earth looks like a blue marble or some sort of potential topaz nugget for deposit in an account in a dark pool faster-than-light trading firm's computer accounts offshore.
Angels may be God's ambassadors or emissaries to Earth persons when the trinity wants to put in a personal appearance through the angels. Barth advises though to not go beyond scriptural references and invent one's own images of angels or imagine their works. Protestants I think tend to worry about the possibility of creating falsehood theologically speaking about the roles and impacts of angels upon humans individually and socially that might distract from thinking about the real relationship with the Lord and work of the Holy Spirit. Even so there is still room for angels in the world. If you ever actually meet one it probably won't require abstract verification.
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