Jones asks the question: what are angels? Examining them through the multiple fields and perspectives, Jones provides insight into what distinguishes these beings from gods and attempts to unearth their continued relevance in philosophy, theology, and pop culture. According to Jones, angels are the spiritual servants to the creator, whoever that may be, whether they are divine messengers or heavenly hosts, religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all having their own interpretations of their roles and appearances in the universal grand scheme.

Inferno is the first of Dante Alighieri's 3-part epic poem collectively titled The Divine Comedy. It follows the poet Dante, guided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil, as he journeys through the nine circles of Hell and encounters many historical figures in eternal punishment. For this class, we read cantos 1-3, 10, 13, 33-34, and examined several aspects of the poem including the circles and their meaning, its use a frame narrative, the repetition of the trinity, and what it means when evil becomes a function of good.

Christopher Marlowe’s play, Doctor Faustus, focuses on a man’s desire for knowledge and his downfall as a result. This man is Dr. Faustus, who makes a deal with Lucifer. The deal is that he will gain knowledge, power, worldly goods, and the servitude of Mephistopheles, for twenty- four years and after which, his soul is the property of Lucifer. During the course of those years, Dr. Faustus considers repenting, plays many practical jokes, and summons Alexander the Great and Helen of Troy. However, at the end of the twenty- four years, he has failed to repent and is damned for all eternity. 

Based on the wildly popular comic book series “Hellblazer” from DC Comics, seasoned demon hunter and master of the occult John Constantine. specializes in giving Hell. Armed with a ferocious knowledge of the dark arts and his wickedly naughty wit, he fights the good fight, or at least he did. With his soul already damned to Hell, he’s decided to leave his do-gooder life behind, but when demons target Liv, the daughter of one of Constantine’s oldest friends, he’s reluctantly thrust back into the fray and he’ll do whatever it takes to save her.

John Milton’s epic poem is a unique take on creation. Milton’s epic begins in medias res, shortly after the fall of Lucifer (who is now referred to as Satan) he and his demonic brood plot the fall of mankind as a way to circumvent the will of God. Throughout the epic, Milton uses different characters and their perspectives to illustrate the importance of being obedient to God, as well as displaying the consequences that arise when one turns away from the almighty. 

Dogma is a 1999 fantasy comedy film by Kevin Smith and is a part of his Askewverse film series. Dogma features an all-star cast, including Ben Affleck and Matt Damon who play fallen angels and main characters Bartleby and Loki respectively. The film centers around the two characters’ plan to exploit a ‘loophole’ in the Catholic dogma which will allow them to return to Heaven, and the last scion and two prophets’ attempt to stop them as their return would prove that God was wrong thus destroying the world due to existence’s dependence of God being infallible.  

Good Omens is a 2019 TV miniseries based on the bestselling novel (by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett) of the same name. The series follows longtime friends, Crowley (a demon) and Aziraphale (an angel), representatives of Heaven and Hell respectively. Having grown accustomed to life on Earth, they seek to prevent the coming of the Antichrist and prevent a war between Heaven and Hell. Between thoughtful religious satire, Gaimanesque world-building, and breathtakingly new interpretations on biblical prophecies, wacky hijinks are sure to ensue.

Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel, The Master and Margarita, is set in Soviet Moscow, Russia. During the novel, one follows the devil, Woland, and his followers through the pandemonium they bring through the lives of different characters. Furthermore, one also hears the story of Pontius Pilate and the many different artists and the challenges they face. One such artist is the Master, who wrote about Pontius Pilate and ended up in an asylum. Furthermore, this novel is a love story about the Master and Margarita and how their love did not die.

Lucifer is a 2000 comic series spinning out of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. Written by Mike Carey, the series explores the exploits of Lucifer Morningstar as he resigns from his role as ruler of Hell in favor of running a piano bar in Los Angeles. But when Heaven’s creator comes knocking with a golden opportunity, Lucifer will risk it all to chart his own path. Portrayed as a sophisticated, “gentleman devil”, the series shines brand new light on Lucifer as both a character and biblical figure in this grand epic of sacrifice and deceit.

"Young Goodman Brown" is a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It depicts the story of how Young Goodman Brown struggles with keeping his faith after having a run-in with the Devil. The Devil takes him to a terrifying evil ceremony that changes his views on his own faith and makes him see evil in its true form for the first time. When on his deathbed, Brown is on his back, looking at the sky and sees all the stars, and, for a moment, regains his faith, only to lose it again when a cloud passes over the sky blocking his view.   

"A Man With Enormous Wings" was published in 1955, and translated in the US in 1972. A family with a dying child discovers that an old man with very large dirty wings has landed in their yard one day. They lock the man in their chicken coop, with their chickens, and sell tickets for people to come and gape at the oddity of the man. He ends up losing his wings, but they regrow and it turns out they are made of teeth and other bodily material. Some time passes and the man with wings escapes and the family never sees him again.

The story, "The Angel Seems," is a dark twisted retelling of major gospel stories. The angel comes in on a sled pulled by two hellhounds. His wings are made of scales, and he convinced a village of people that he is prepared to save them for the second coming. His only condition is to steal one townsperson to “help” him with his task. He ends up kidnapping several townsfolk and also capturing and possibly killing God himself.