Angelology

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /eɪnd͡ʒəˈlɒləd͡ʒi/

Definitions

1. The academic discipline that investigates divine messengers addresses their ontological aspects, classifications, and impact on spirituality in several religions
2. This area of inquiry analyzes the characteristics, ranks, and functions of supernatural beings typically referred to as angels in diverse theological frameworks
3. The study focused on the nature, hierarchy, and roles of celestial messengers within various religious traditions is known for its intricate analysis

Etymology: Angelology is a fairly transparent compound: "angel" joined to the combining form "-ology," the "study of" suffix. The angel part is the more interesting piece. It comes from Ancient Greek "ángelos," meaning "messenger," which passed into Latin as "angelus" and then into Old English as "engel" (later "aungel" in Middle English). So the angels of religious belief are, at root, simply the ones who carry word from one place to another. The "-ology" ending has a longer chain. It derives from Ancient Greek "lógos," meaning "word," "reason," or "account," which gave rise to combining forms ending in "-logia" that meant "discourse about" a subject. Latin and then French carried this form into English as "-logy," and the "-o-" linking vowel that appears in "angelology" follows the pattern of many Greek-derived compounds. Taken together, angelology is literally "an account of the messengers," which is a fitting description of what the field has always been: a systematic discussion of the beings whose job was to deliver messages.

Synonyms: study of angels, theology, divine science, spiritual study, angelic studies