Where Did The Expression Angels Dancing On The Head Of A Pin Come From?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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: The question “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” is associated with

medieval theology of the Scholastic school

, the best-known representative being Saint Thomas Aquinas, the 13th-century Christian philosopher (and a Dominican monk).

Where does angels dancing on the head of a pin come from?

It is

first recorded in the 17th century

, in the context of Protestant apologetics. It also has been linked to the fall of Constantinople, with the imagery of scholars debating while the Turks besieged the city.

How many angels can dance on the tip of a needle?

The answer ‘Exactly

seven

‘ is, prima facie, offensive to reason. While it seems perfectly imaginable that there are in fact at most seven angels on the point of any needle, it would be most surprising if some particular finite number provided a necessary upper bound.

How many angels can dance on the head of a pin Aquinas?

So Aquinas’ answer is presumably that just

one angel

may dance on the head of a pin at one time—unless a pin head is considered to be a big enough location to encompass many “places”. William of Ockham [or Occam], like Aquinas, argued against the corporeal (material) existence of angels.

How many angels can dance on the end of a pin?


An infinite number of angels can

dance on the head of a pin. As purely spiritual beings, angels do not take up physical space, so an infinite number of them can fit into any given physical space. 2. No angels can dance on the head of a pin.

How many angels can stand on the head of a pin meaning?

angels dancing on the head of a pin pl (plural only) (figuratively) The subject of arcane intellectual speculation; used as

an example subject of enquiry the pursuit of which is of no value

.

How many angels of God are there?

The idea of

seven archangels

is most explicitly stated in the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit when Raphael reveals himself, declaring: “I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, ready to serve him.”

What does dancing on the head of a pin?

Filters. (metaphor)

The subject of arcane intellectual speculation

; used as an example subject of enquiry the pursuit of which is of no value.

How big is the head of a pin?

The head of an average pin is

approximately 100 thousandths of an inch

(. 100′′ or 1/10′′) in diameter. The point is approximately 5 thousandths of an inch in diameter (. 005′′) or about twice the thickness of a human hair or one sheet of cigarette paper.

Can several angels be in the same place?

No,

an angel cannot be in two different places at the same time

. Only GOD is omnipresent. Angels to not have equality with GOD. They were created as messengers on His behalf.

Who is the most powerful angel?


Seraphim

are the highest angelic class and they serve as the caretakers of God’s throne and continuously sing praises to God of “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Who was God’s first angel?

Therefore, the first creation by God was

the supreme archangel

followed by other archangels, who are identified with lower Intellects. From these Intellects again, emanated lower angels or “moving spheres”, from which in turn, emanated other Intellects until it reaches the Intellect, which reigns over the souls.

Who is Lucifer’s mother?

Lucifer’s

mother Aurora

is cognate to the Vedic goddess Ushas, Lithuanian goddess Aušrinė, and Greek Eos, all three of whom are also goddesses of the dawn.

How many atoms on the head of a pin?

how many atom can fit on the head of a pin?

About five million million hydrogen atoms

could fit. Some factors would affect that number like the area of the head and the size of atoms (as well as attractions between atoms). Some atoms are larger than others.

How many bacteria are on the head of a pin?


150,000

of these bacteria could fit on the tip of a hair, and that’s about as small as life can get Back to video. The question of how many bacterial cells can dance on the head of a pin is actually pretty intriguing.

Who first asked how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

: The question “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” is associated with medieval theology of the Scholastic school, the best-known representative being

Saint Thomas Aquinas

, the 13th-century Christian philosopher (and a Dominican monk).

Rachel Ostrander
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Rachel Ostrander
Rachel is a career coach and HR consultant with over 5 years of experience working with job seekers and employers. She holds a degree in human resources management and has worked with leading companies such as Google and Amazon. Rachel is passionate about helping people find fulfilling careers and providing practical advice for navigating the job market.