This open access book explores the various manifestations of the Archangel Michael in history, politics and popular culture. The Archangel Michael is probably the most venerated intermediate being of the belief systems of all Abrahamic religions. Inside the various Christian traditions, he has assumed various roles that go far beyond the traditional characteristics defined in his major cult centres in Byzantium, Italy, France, Egypt or Ethiopia. Besides being the divine messenger par excellence, he has often accompanied processes of Christianization; he has taken up ancient cults; he has been linked with magic and ritual power; he has guided religious and secular leaders in their exploits; he has been “branded” in order to market his blessings and protections.
The history of these limitless boundaries is redefined in “unorthodox” manners by Christians of Adventist beliefs; by politicians using religious apocalypse in their rhetoric; by New Age leaders combining such tendencies in highly innovative and individualistic manners.
The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the University of Bergen.
List of figures
Acknowledgments
Notes on Contributors
Introduction
1.“The archangel Michael looked just like me”:The iconization of the archangel Michael in twentieth-century Moldova, James A. Kapaló, (University College Cork, Ireland)
2. “Latent archangels”: The archangel Michael in Romanian fascism, Roland Clark, (University of Liverpool, UK)
3. “Menacing, powerful, and frightful captain of the heavenly host”: The archangel Michael in early modern Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Ovidiu Olar, (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria)
4. Can a celestial warrior become a healer? The archangel Michael in the manuscript and oral traditions of Romanian charms, Emanuela Timotin (Institute of Linguistics of the Romanian Academy)
5.Letters from Heaven: The archangel Michael as God’s messenger in Western Christianity, Alexandros Tsakos (University of Bergen, Norway)
6.“Who is Michael?”: Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Protestant tradition, George D. Chryssides, (York St. John University, UK)
7.Playing with the dragon: Michaelmas celebrations in Steiner schools as hybrid rituals in the making, Marie von der Lippe,(University of Bergen, Norway) and Camilla Stabel Jørgensen, (NTNU, Norway)
8. “Mr. fix-it archangel”: Michael in American New Age spirituality, Cecilie Endresen (University of Oslo, Norway)
Index
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