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Essential Readings
Best known for his focus on the intuitive force within, Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) also anticipated major modern discoveries in mineralogy, psychology, and anatomy. In this succinct and readable collection, Stanley expertly brings the most significant writings from Swedenborg's oeuvre together, showing readers a man who created a hieroglyphic language, reimagined the Genesis story, influenced Blake, Balzac, Strindberg, and Yeats, and authored a number of anonymous works that put the Swedish clergy of his day on high alert. This is the fourth title in the Western Esoteric Masters Series from North Atlantic Books.
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 24, 1988
43 people want to read
About the author
Emanuel Swedenborg
1,588 books292 followersEmanuel Swedenborg (born Emanuel Swedberg; February 8, 1688–March 29, 1772) was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, Christian mystic, and theologian. Swedenborg had a prolific career as an inventor and scientist. At the age of fifty-six he entered into a spiritual phase in which he experienced dreams and visions. This culminated in a spiritual awakening, where he claimed he was appointed by the Lord to write a heavenly doctrine to reform Christianity. He claimed that the Lord had opened his eyes, so that from then on he could freely visit heaven and hell, and talk with angels, demons, and other spirits. For the remaining 28 years of his life, he wrote and published 18 theological works, of which the best known was Heaven and Hell (1758), and several unpublished theological works.
Swedenborg explicitly rejected the common explanation of the Trinity as a Trinity of Persons, which he said was not taught in the early Christian Church. Instead he explained in his theological writings how the Divine Trinity exists in One Person, in One God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Swedenborg also rejected the doctrine of salvation through faith alone, since he considered both faith and charity necessary for salvation, not one without the other. The purpose of faith, according to Swedenborg, is to lead a person to a life according to the truths of faith, which is charity.
Swedenborg's theological writings have elicited a range of responses. Toward the end of Swedenborg's life, small reading groups formed in England and Sweden to study the truth they saw in his teachings and several writers were influenced by him, including William Blake (though he ended up renouncing him), Elizabeth Barrett Browning, August Strindberg, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charles Baudelaire, Balzac, William Butler Yeats, Sheridan Le Fanu, Jorge Luis Borges and Carl Jung. The theologian Henry James Sr. was also a follower of his teachings, as were Johnny Appleseed and Helen Keller.
In contrast, one of the most prominent Swedish authors of Swedenborg's day, Johan Henrik Kellgren, called Swedenborg "nothing but a fool". A heresy trial was initiated in Sweden in 1768 against Swedenborg's writings and two men who promoted these ideas.
In the two centuries since Swedenborg's death, various interpretations of Swedenborg's theology have been made (see: Swedenborgian Church), and he has also been scrutinized in biographies and psychological studies.
Swedenborg explicitly rejected the common explanation of the Trinity as a Trinity of Persons, which he said was not taught in the early Christian Church. Instead he explained in his theological writings how the Divine Trinity exists in One Person, in One God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Swedenborg also rejected the doctrine of salvation through faith alone, since he considered both faith and charity necessary for salvation, not one without the other. The purpose of faith, according to Swedenborg, is to lead a person to a life according to the truths of faith, which is charity.
Swedenborg's theological writings have elicited a range of responses. Toward the end of Swedenborg's life, small reading groups formed in England and Sweden to study the truth they saw in his teachings and several writers were influenced by him, including William Blake (though he ended up renouncing him), Elizabeth Barrett Browning, August Strindberg, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charles Baudelaire, Balzac, William Butler Yeats, Sheridan Le Fanu, Jorge Luis Borges and Carl Jung. The theologian Henry James Sr. was also a follower of his teachings, as were Johnny Appleseed and Helen Keller.
In contrast, one of the most prominent Swedish authors of Swedenborg's day, Johan Henrik Kellgren, called Swedenborg "nothing but a fool". A heresy trial was initiated in Sweden in 1768 against Swedenborg's writings and two men who promoted these ideas.
In the two centuries since Swedenborg's death, various interpretations of Swedenborg's theology have been made (see: Swedenborgian Church), and he has also been scrutinized in biographies and psychological studies.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 4, 2017
A collection of fascinating three hundred year old quotations from Emanuel Swedenborg’s extensive theological ruminations. Expertly selected and interspersed with illuminative notes by Michael Stanley in this 1988 edition. Swedenborg derived his universalistic cosmology from his extensive reading, study of the Bible and Eastern mysticism as well as his spiritualistic ‘travels’ conversing with angelic beings. He repeatedly emphasized that in order to survive, to advance in the spiritual dimensions and gain wisdom, love must be put to use [applied in one’s walk through life].
“By the power to grow wise is not meant the power to reason about truths and goods [materiality] from knowledge, nor the power to confirm whatever a man pleases, but to discern what is true and good, to choose what is suitable, and apply it to the uses of life.”
“Wisdom is loving use, that is, loving the good of a fellow citizen, of society, of one’s country, and of the Church.” [By ‘Church’ is meant any discipline which promotes the practice of loving one’s neighbor, as inspired from the Divine within.]
“To receive good from the Lord and thence to will good, is wisdom.”
“The state of wisdom is when man has no longer any concern about understanding truths and goods [i.e. materiality, the natural world], but about willing and living them; for this is to be wise.”
All the above quotations are from page 37. Comments in [square brackets] were added by me.
The centuries that have passed by have not made Swedenborg’s complete theocentric cosmology any easier to sort through for seekers but many of his concepts are intelligible and deserve to be weighed for validity on one’s spiritual journey.
“By the power to grow wise is not meant the power to reason about truths and goods [materiality] from knowledge, nor the power to confirm whatever a man pleases, but to discern what is true and good, to choose what is suitable, and apply it to the uses of life.”
“Wisdom is loving use, that is, loving the good of a fellow citizen, of society, of one’s country, and of the Church.” [By ‘Church’ is meant any discipline which promotes the practice of loving one’s neighbor, as inspired from the Divine within.]
“To receive good from the Lord and thence to will good, is wisdom.”
“The state of wisdom is when man has no longer any concern about understanding truths and goods [i.e. materiality, the natural world], but about willing and living them; for this is to be wise.”
All the above quotations are from page 37. Comments in [square brackets] were added by me.
The centuries that have passed by have not made Swedenborg’s complete theocentric cosmology any easier to sort through for seekers but many of his concepts are intelligible and deserve to be weighed for validity on one’s spiritual journey.
May 30, 2014
Scienziato, filosofo, mistico, medium e chiaroveggente svedese. Leggere le sue intransigenti opinioni su cosa sono cristianesimo e percorso iniziatico è qualcosa che può arrivare a scaldare anche la mente più addormentata, ma il rischio di bruciarsi c'è. Meglio non leggere Swedenborg prima dei cinquant'anni... "Mi è capitato di inghiottire il sole pregando, e nel buio felice in cui mi sono trovato spirava un vento tiepido e lieve, soffiato dalle guance di milioni d'angeli silenti". L’opera di Swedenborg infuse un rispettoso stupore in Kant e influenzò profondamente Goethe e Jung, e di cui Elizabeth Barrett Browning disse: “A mio giudizio, la sola luce che possediamo sull’altra vita si trova nella filosofia di Swedenborg”.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews