JbAC 61 (2018) Seiten: 101-116

Appealing to angels in Late Antiquity could satisfy the hope for both divine help and divination. At the same time Christian authorities criticized the practice as a form of idolatry. Names of angels in magical texts underline the conflictual position of angelic prayers and angelic visions in the public space of early Christian societies. The aim of this paper is to explain this position.