# Whether the angels that fell partook of the blessedness which the holy angels have always enjoyed from the time of their creation explained — The City of God

> Chapter companion for The City of God by Augustine of Hippo.

## What happens

Augustine examines whether the fallen angels ever shared in the same blessedness as the holy angels. He argues that the good angels were created as light and enlightened to live wisely and blessedly, while the evil angels turned away from that light and thus never attained the full, eternal blessedness that comes with sure confidence in eternity. He concludes that the fallen angels' life, though rational, was darkened by folly and lacked the eternal felicity of the holy angels.

## Themes in this chapter

### Sin, Grace, and Redemption

The chapter discusses the fall of some angels from a state of light into darkness, illustrating the nature of sin as a turning away from divine wisdom and the loss of eternal blessedness.

### True Worship and the One God

Augustine contrasts the blessedness of the holy angels, who remain in the light of God, with the folly of the fallen angels, emphasizing that true blessedness comes from adherence to the one true God.

## Character check-ins

### Augustine

Author and theologian, argues that the fallen angels never fully participated in the eternal blessedness of the holy angels.

## Key lines

> For if they had equally participated in this true knowledge, then the evil angels would have remained eternally blessed equally with the good, because they were equally expectant of it.

If the fallen angels had shared the same true understanding as the good angels, they would have remained blessed forever, since they would have had the same hope of eternal happiness.

_Augustine argues that the fallen angels lacked the full knowledge and certainty of eternal blessedness that the holy angels possessed._

> For, though a life be never so long, it cannot be truly called eternal if it is destined to have an end; for it is called life inasmuch as it is lived, but eternal because it has no end.

No matter how long a life lasts, it cannot be called truly eternal if it will eventually end; 'life' refers to the act of living, while 'eternal' means without end.

_Augustine distinguishes between mere longevity and true eternity, which is necessary for perfect blessedness._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-ii-xi
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