Angel Hierarchy
How many choirs of angels are there according to St. Thomas Aquinas?
What is 9?
According to Aquinas, angels are purely what type of beings?
What are spiritual beings?
How do angels acquire their knowledge, according to Aquinas?
What is directly from God, without learning or experience?
According to Aquinas, do angels have free will?
What is yes?
According to Catholic tradition and Aquinas, each human being is assigned what type of angel?
What is a guardian angel?
Which choir of angels is closest to God, often associated with fiery love and light?
What is the Seraphim?
What term does Aquinas use to describe the essence or "form" of an angel?
What is intellect or intellective form?
Aquinas teaches that angels know things in a single act of understanding. What term does he use for this mode of knowing?
What is intuitive knowledge?
How does Aquinas describe the decision of fallen angels, such as Lucifer, to rebel against God?
What is their decision was irrevocable because angels make choices with complete understanding?
Aquinas argues that angels can communicate with humans. By what means does he say this communication occurs?
What is through intellectual illumination or visions?
According to Aquinas, which choir of angels are responsible for delivering God’s justice and judgments?
What are the Thrones?
Angels do not have bodies, but they can take on physical forms. What does Aquinas say about the nature of these physical forms?
What is they are temporary and only for the sake of interaction with humans?
Can angels know the future, according to Aquinas?
What is no, except for what God reveals to them?
According to Aquinas, once an angel makes a decision, can they change their mind?
What is no, because their intellect and will act in complete unity?
Can angels intervene in human affairs without God’s permission, according to Aquinas?
What is no, angels act as ministers of God’s will?
In Aquinas’ hierarchy, which choir is considered the "middle management" overseeing the lower orders of angels?
What are the Dominions?
Aquinas teaches that angels do not experience time the same way humans do. How does he describe their experience of time?
What is "aeviternity," or a mode of existence between time and eternity?
How does Aquinas say that angels can know individual human thoughts or decisions?
What is they cannot know human thoughts directly, but can infer them from external actions?
What term does Aquinas use to describe the role of angels in guiding and influencing the world through their actions?
What is divine governance or providence?
What role do angels play at the time of a human’s death, according to Aquinas?
What is they guide the soul to judgment?
Which two choirs of angels does Aquinas describe as responsible for guiding nations and assisting humans directly?
What are the Principalities and Archangels?
In Aquinas’ view, do angels occupy space the same way material beings do?
What is no, because angels are not limited by space, though they can be "present" by their power or action?
Aquinas describes angelic knowledge as structured in a certain way. How does he categorize the types of knowledge angels possess?
What is "morning knowledge" (knowledge of creation as it exists in God's mind) and "evening knowledge" (knowledge of creation as it exists in its own nature)?
Aquinas teaches that angels act instantaneously. How does he explain their movement or action from one place to another?
What is by "virtual" presence, meaning they act where they will to act, without physically moving?
Aquinas teaches that humans and angels are different by nature, but share a common end. What is this ultimate shared destiny?
What is eternal union with God in Heaven?