The Angelology of Sergius Bulgakov

Authors

  • Maciej Raczyński-Rożek Akademia Katolicka w Warszawie

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15633/ps.26102

Keywords:

angels, angelology, sophiology, Bulgakov

Abstract

Contemporary angelology is primarily an apologetic response to the negation of the existence of the angelic reality by liberal Protestantism. Bulgakov’s teaching about angels, on the other hand, arose as an indispensable part of the theological system. The orthodox author defines angels as created ideas of reality. As with Plato, every thing has its own idea, so with Bulgakov it has its own angel. The angels are therefore closely related to the earthly world and are its guardians, leading the world to the realization of the meaning given to it. Angels are also closely related to God because it is their nature to be filled with divine life. Thus, they constitute “Jacob’s ladder” — the reality that connects the world with God.

Author Biography

  • Maciej Raczyński-Rożek, Akademia Katolicka w Warszawie

    Rev. Maciej Raczyński-Rożek — lecturer and assistant professor of dogmatic theology at the Catholic Academy in Warsaw and director of the PhD department. Priest of the Arch- diocese of Warsaw.

References

Bulgakov S., Apokalipsis Ioanna, YMCA Press, Paris 1948.

Bulgakov S., The Bride of the Lamb, transl. B. Jakim, Ed. William Eerdmans Publishing Company Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge UK 2002.

Bulgakov S., The Comforter, transl. B. Jakim, Ed. William Eerdmans Pub- lishing Company, Michigan/Cambridge UK 2004.

Bulgakov S., The Friend of the Bridgegroom, transl. B. Jakim, Ed. William Eerdmans Publishing Company, Michigan/Cambridge UK 2003.

Bulgakov S., Jacob’s Ladder. On Angels, transl. T. A. Smith, Ed. William Eerdmans Publishing Company Grand Rapids, Michigan 2010.

Bulgakov S., The Lamb of God, transl. B. Jakim, Ed. William Eerdmans Pub- lishing Company, Michigan/Cambridge UK 2008.

Bulgakov S., Sophia. The Wisdom of God — an Outline of Sophiology, transl. F. Clarke, X. Braikevitc, Lindisfarne 1993.

Bulgakov S., Unfading Light. Contemplations and Speculations, transl. T. A. Smith, Ed. William Eerdmans Publishing Company Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge UK 2012.

Daniélou J., The Angels and Their Mission. According to the Fathers of the church, transl. D. Heimann, MD: Christian Classics Inc., Westminster 1982.

Flick M., Alszeghy Z., Fondamenti di una antropologia teologica, Libreria Editrice Fiorentina, Firenze 1970.

Rahner K., Angels, in: Encyclopedia of Theology. The Concise Sacramentum Mundi, Seabury Press, New York 1975, p. 4–13.

Slesinski R. S., The Theology of Sergius Bulgakov, St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, Yonkers 2017.

Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae, Marietti, Torino 1952–1962.

Downloads

Published

2022-03-31

Versions

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 1 (2022)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Maciej Raczyński-Rożek

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain the copyright and full publishing rights without restrictions, and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).