Theology editor Stefani McDade: Growing up, my knowledge of (and interest in) angels was  informed by the popular show Touched by an Angel, children’s bedtime stories, and some wild testimonies from missionaries. I didn’t learn about angels from sermons. I don’t know if I ever heard any? Now, as a more theologically informed adult, I believe angels are at work, as the Bible attests, but my thoughts about them are practically nonexistent.

But as Christmas fast approaches and we sing about angels sweetly singing o’er the plain, I find myself sympathetic to AJ Sherrill’s proposal for Christians to reacquaint ourselves with the angels we ignore on high. I want to raise my toddler daughter with an awareness of angels—but in a biblically grounded way that preserves the mystery and enchantment of our faith.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s eager for more resources on angels. More than two-thirds of Americans believe in angels, according to a 2023 Gallup poll, despite the declining numbers of people who identify as Christian. I think that means there’s a significant opportunity here for theologians and biblical scholars to articulate a faithful angelology, pointing us all back to the testimony of Scripture.