The Truth About Angels in the Orthodox Church | Fr. Seraphim Holland | Ep. 110
Angels fascinate many people today, yet modern ideas about them are often shaped more by pop culture and New Age spirituality than by Christianity itself. In this episode of the Raised & Redeemed podcast, I sat down with Archpriest Seraphim Holland of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church and the OrthodoxNet YouTube channel to explore what the Orthodox Church actually teaches about angels, and why this teaching matters for our spiritual lives.
The Church understands angels as created, bodiless intelligences who serve God and participate in His work of salvation. They are neither metaphors nor the spirits of departed humans. Throughout Scripture and Tradition, angels appear not to glorify themselves (or lead us to glorify ourselves), but to lead people toward repentance, humility, and worship of God.
One of the highlights of our conversation was the angelic hierarchy—the nine ranks of angels arranged in three orders, from the Seraphim who burn with love before God’s throne, to the angels closest to humanity, including our guardian angels. This hierarchy, described in Scripture and articulated by St. Dionysius the Areopagite, reveals divine order rather than status or power.
We also discussed the fall of the angels and the reality of ongoing spiritual warfare. The war in heaven is not merely a past event, but something Christians experience today in the form of temptation, deception, and mental struggle. In this battle, angels assist us, but always under the authority of Christ.
A significant portion of the episode addressed guardian angels. According to the Church, those baptized into Christ are given a guardian angel who protects and prays for them. Their guidance is subtle and sober, not dramatic or sensational. This stands in stark contrast to New Age ideas that frame angels as communicators of signs, numbers, or personal messages detached from repentance and the sacramental life of the Church.
Finally, we spoke about how the Church honors angels through feast days, hymns, and prayer, especially prayers to Archangel Michael for protection. Right devotion to angels deepens humility and dependence on God rather than pride or hopeless fear.
Understanding angels properly helps ground the Christian life in reality. The goal is not fascination with the unseen, but faithfulness to Christ. When seen rightly, angels do not distract us from salvation, they help guide us toward it.
Recommended Resources
The Celestial Hierarchy — Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
https://ccel.org/ccel/d/dionysius/celestial/cache/celestial.pdfSupplicatory Canon and Akathist to the Archangel Michael — Nun Christina
https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/supplicatory-canon-and-akathist-to-the-archangel-michael_nun-christina/40055026Commentary tradition of Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid
https://www.amazon.com/Collected-Commentaries-Epistles-Blessed-Theophylact/dp/B0F3TJYS5M
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Coming up next: In the next podcast episode, we will be talking about modern Saints with Fr. Photios Dumont!
