3.56 angels, cont. (28)
Willard McCarty (MCCARTY@VM.EPAS.UTORONTO.CA)
Mon, 22 May 89 21:44:27 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 56. Monday, 22 May 1989.
Date: Mon, 22 May 89 11:53:47 BST
From: "stephen r.l.clark" <AP01@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK>
Subject: angels
G.M.Ross, 'Angels' (PHILOSOPHY 60.1985 P.495) reveals the following:
14th century Swester Katrei (cited by Philip Howard *Words fail me* 1983, 20-5)
refers to a thousand souls in heaven sitting on the point of a pin.
Angels dancing first appear in Isaac D'Israeli's Curiosities of Literature
(1791), as a joke, and not (as is supposed) citing Martinus Scriblerus.
Nothing about dancing or needles in Scriblerus (published 1742, written before
1714).
Aquinas ST q52 art 3 asks if many angels can exist in same place.
Anselm, Cur Deus Homo? does not seem to be concerned with this.
I recommend G.M.Ross's article.
Stephen.