New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-09
ANGELS And ARCHANGELs
Shall They Be Represented as
Masculine or Feminine 2
ro the Editor 81 The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The discussion Of the sex OF angels grow
ing out Of the fguratfve representation Of them
in the new Belmont Chapel of the Cathedral Of
ST. John the Divine has developed some inter-
esting phases Just as many current theologi-
cal ideas have been derived from literature es-
recial1y from Millions Paradise Lost" rather
than from the Bible itself. so the current IDEAS
Of angels have been derived from medieval
art rather than from the found and source o.
all knowledge regarding them. the canonicaI
and uncanonicaI books Of the Sacred Scriptures
In this way the representation Of them has been
changed from the original masculine idea to thu
feminine by means Of personifcadon Of thu
qualities Of beauty. brightness. innocence,
graciOusness Of manner and kindliress Of heart.
AS those qualities more frequently appear in
women than in men. the idea Of representing
angels as feminine came more and more in
vogue. until to the modern world the very word
angel was restricted TO the softer sex
But when the Of the word is examined in
the Bible. it Will be found that it IS invariably
masculine and restricted to that sex. and not
inclusive Of both sexes. as some other words
such as man in a general sense. So. too the
artistic representation Of angels with wings IS
a purely arbitrary one and a conventicna1zatlon
Of the ideas associated with angels. that Is Of
spiritual beings IN human form. endowed with
the highest type Of beauty. clothed in long
flowing robes and having wings attached back
Of the shoulders.
The original meaning Of angel. as shown in
the derivation Of the word itself, was that q a
messenger from God. the Hebrew Yahveh. TO
men. The earliest mention OF angels in the
Book OF Genesis is found in the use Of this
word in the Greek text for the Hebrew term
rendered sons Of God" in the King James Eng
lish version. The angels whom Jacob saw
dream were also sons Of Cod IN the original
and that there was no idea Of their being
equipped with wings in the writer's mind IS
shown by the fact that the ladder was intro
duced.
In Job appear the sons Of God" and Satan
among them and the same term is later rem
dered angels" who are charged with folly Irs
Daniel appears the first reference OF the man
Gabriel" who reappears as the angel OF the An.
nunciation in Luke, delivering a message which
would seem far more likely 10 have been in
trusted to a feminine angel had such a creature
existed. Gabriel has come to be regarded as an
archange1, or leader OF angels, from his exalted
mission. since Jude refers TO Michael. the arch
argeI and in Revelation there is reference to
Michael and bis angels taking part in the war
in heaven, when the dragon and ''the old ser
pent, called the Devil and Satan" was cast
out with his angels.
In the ApocryphaI Book OF Tobtt Raphael Is
mentioned as a guardian angel AMI iu II
Esdras Uriel, the fire or light of God. is named
To fill out the mystical number Of seven angels .
which stood before God" referred to in Revela-
ton and also in Tobit. the names Of Chemuel.
Zophiel and Zadl,iel were added by tradition,
and they are all called archangeIs- Ii viii be-
seen that no feminine designation is included.
In the celestial hierarchy adopted by the R3-
man Catholic Church which While f0rbtdIiuS
divine worship of angels, allows reveTeuCial
obeisance to them, the following is the order OF
rank: "Seraphim, cherUbim. thrones, domino
lions. powers, pTinCipalitieS archaDgelS- angels
The Early Church fathers placed the creation
of angels before that of the material world
The second Synod of Nice gave them subtle
ethereal or f1relike body the LateTau Council
declared that they immateriaI. while
TO the appearance of angels, assigned to them
the power of assuming the corporal form The
wOrshipping of them would seem To be expressly
condemned in the Epistle TO the COlOssians- An
additional proof of their masculine character
istics is given in the direction in Corinthians
for the yelling of women because 81 the senSi-
bility of angels TO female beauty In the Gospel
of Matthew, Jesus is reported saying For
in the resurrection they neither marry. nor ara
given in marriage, but are as the angels of God
in heaven" In one of the Psalms man is repre-
scented as made "a little lower than the angels
Milton who has so much to say of fallen
when they please. can either sex assume. or
both" p NJ W
Brooklyn. Oct. g. 1905.