page_title: Christian angelology
section_title: Second Sphere
hierarchical_section_title: Christian angelology / Second Sphere
caption_attribution_description: English: In memory of Frances, widow of John Frederick Binney
context_page_description: In Christianity, angels are agents of God, based on angels in Judaism. The most influential Christian angelic hierarchy was that put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 4th or 5th century in his book De Coelesti Hierarchia.
  During the Middle Ages, many schemes were proposed about the hierarchy of angels, some drawing on and expanding on Pseudo-Dionysius, others suggesting completely different classifications.
  According to medieval Christian theologians, the angels are organized into several orders, or "Angelic Choirs".
  Pseudo-Dionysius and Thomas Aquinas drew on passages from the New Testament, specifically in Galatians 3:26-28, Matthew 22:24-33,
  Ephesians 1:21-23, and Colossians 1:16, to develop a schema of three Hierarchies, Spheres or Triads of angels, with each Hierarchy containing three Orders or Choirs. Although both authors drew on the New Testament, the Biblical canon is unclear on the subject, and these hierarchies are considered less definitive than biblical material.
context_section_description: Angels of the Second Sphere work as heavenly governors of the creation by subjecting matter and guiding and ruling the spirits.
caption: West window of the Church of St Michael and All Angels, Somerton. It depicts Christ the King in the centre with nine angelic figures, each of them represents, higher row: Dominions, Cherubim, Seraphim, and Angels; lower row: Principalities, Thrones, Archangels, Virtues, and Powers.
exif: {"Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS 7D Mark II", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Photos 1.0.1", "Image DateTime": "2015:09:21 14:06:31", "Image ExifOffset": "200", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/125", "EXIF FNumber": "4", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Aperture Priority", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "100", "EXIF SensitivityType": "Recommended Exposure Index", "EXIF RecommendedExposureIndex": "100", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0230", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2015:09:21 14:06:31", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2015:09:21 14:06:31", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "7", "EXIF ApertureValue": "4", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "-2/3", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "4", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "45", "EXIF SubSecTime": "00", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "00", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "00", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3255", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "4890", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "231297/38", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "121803/20", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF LensSpecification": "[24, 105, 0, 0]", "EXIF LensModel": "EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM", "EXIF LensSerialNumber": "0000a0d18f"}