The third volume of the series of religious concepts in the Early and High Middle Ages analyses the medieval concepts of God's creatures from a historical perspective. In three comprehensive chapters the image of the angels, the devil with his demons and of the human beings is investigated and presented in an illustrative manner, close to the sources and in their diverse aspects: beside a look back on the tradition each kind of creature is dealt with according to their origins (Creation) and 'living space', nature, shape and manifestation, functions and behaviour, their relevance in salvation history and their relationship with the other groups. Finally, they are integrated into a general view of the whole religious imagination of the Middle Ages.

Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Goetz lehrte mittelalterliche Geschichte an der Universität Hamburg. Er beschäftigt sich vor allem mit den Vorstellungswelten des frühen und hohen Mittelalters.