Swedenborgianism

1. Swedenborgianism Kyle Burke and Jacob Charbonneau

2. Essential Information • Also known as New Christians, Neo-Christians, Church of the New Jerusalem and The Lord's New Church. • Name for a new religious movement that was created from the works of Swedish scientist Emanuel Swedenborg. • Emanuel Swedenborg claimed to have received a new revelation from Jesus Christ through a continuous period of twenty five years, in which he received many heavenly visions. • Members of New Church organizations view their religion as something which the Lord is establishing with all those who believe that the Lord, Jesus Christ, is the one God of heaven and Earth and that obeying his commandments is necessary for salvation.

3. History • The New Church movement was founded on May the 7th, 1787, approximately 15 years after Emanuel Swedenborg’s death. • This occurred in England. • It is said that while Swedenborg commonly referred to the “New Church” in his works, he himself never made any effort to establish any such organization. • Two years after the founding of the New Church, quite a number has sprung up around England. April of this year marked the very first General Conference of the New Church, In London. • Ideas discussed within this conference were brought to the United States via missionaries. • Many missionaries travelled to Africa, due to Swedenborg’s belief that African races would be in greater enlightenment than others on the earth.

4. History • The church was first organized in the US in 1817, where the religion would continue to grow, until later in the 19th century. • A controversy about doctrinal issues and the authority of Swedenborg's writings caused a faction to split off to form the Academy of the New Church. • It later became known as the General Church of New Jerusalem. • Today, the General Church has about 5,000 members in 33 churches • The Swedenborgian Church of North America, with headquarters in Boston, now has 37 active churches with about 1,500 members in the U.S.

5. Emanuel SwedenborgJanuary 29, 1688 – March 29, 1772

6. Emanuel Swedenborg • Swedenborg was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, Christian mystic and theologian. • In 1741 at the age of fifty-three he entered into a spiritual phase in which he eventually began to experience dreams and visions beginning on Easter weekend April 6, 1744. • A spiritual awakening of sorts occurred in Swedenborg’s life. • He claimed the Lord had appointed him to create a heavenly doctrine to reform Christianity. • He also claimed from this point on, he could visit heaven and hell at will to discuss with angels, demons amongst other spirits. • He wrote and published a total of eighteen theological works.

7. Emanuel Swedenborg Theology • He considered his theology to be a revelation, as he believed the true Christian religion had become concealed and changed through centuries of theology. • He did NOT refer to his writings as theology, as he was taking this knowledge from real life experiences. • His theology was published in eight Latin volumes from the years 1749 through 1756. • These works interpret Biblical passaged of Genesis and Exodus. • The creation myth was not an account of the creation of Earth, but an account of man's rebirth or regeneration in six steps represented by the six days of creation.

8. Trinity- Swedenborg’s Views • The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is the unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as three figures in monotheism, thus one god. • Swedenborg REJECTS this explanation, as he states it was not taught in the early Christian Church. • He explains in his writings how the Divine Trinity exists in only ONE person, and thus one God, being the Lord Jesus Christ.

9. Emanuel Swedenborg Works • 1716–1718, (Daedalus Hyperboreus) Swedish: Daedalus Hyperboreus, ellernågranyamathematiskaochphysicaliskaförsök. (English: The Northern inventor, or some new experiments in mathematics and physics) • 1721, (Principles of Chemistry) Latin: Prodromusprincipiorumrerumnaturalium : sivenovorumtentaminumchymiam et physicamexperimentageometriceexplicandi • 1722, (Miscellaneous Observations) Latin: Miscellanea de Rebus Naturalibus • 1734, (Principia) Latin: Opera Philosophica et Mineralia (English: Philosophical and Mineralogical Works), three volumes • (Principia, Volume I) Latin: Tomus I. Principia rerumnaturliumsivenovorumtentaminumphaenomena mundi elementarisphilosophiceexplicandi • (Principia, Volume II) Latin: Tomus II. Regnum subterraneumsiveminerale de ferro • (Principia, Volume III) Latin: Tomus III. Regnum subterraneumsiveminerale de cupro et orichalco • 1734, (The Infinite and Final Cause of Creation) Latin: ProdromusPhilosophizRatiocinantis de Infinito, et CausaFinaliCreationis; dequeMechanismoOperationisAnimae et Corporis. • 1744–1745, (The Animal Kingdom) Latin: Regnum animale, 3 volumes • 1745, (The Worship and Love of God) Latin: De Cultu et Amore Dei, 2 volumes • 1749–1756, (Arcana Coelestia (or Cœlestia including Latin variant, Arcana Caelestia (Heavenly Mysteries) Latin: Arcana Cœlestia, quae in Scriptura Sacra seuVerbo Domini sunt, detecta., 8 volumes • 1758, (Heaven and Hell) Latin: De Caelo et EjusMirabilibus et de inferno. Ex Auditis et Visis. • 1758, (The Last Judgment) Latin: De Ultimo Judicio • 1758, (The White Horse) Latin: De EquoAlbo de quo in ApocalypsiCap.XIX. • 1758, (Earths in the Universe) Latin: De Telluribus in MundoNostroSolari, quævocanturplanetæ: et de telluribus in coeloastrifero: dequeillarumincolis; tum de spiritibus & angelisibi; ex auditis & visis. • 1758, (The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine) Latin: De Nova Hierosolyma et EjusDoctrinaCoelesti • 1763, (Doctrine of the Lord) Latin: DoctrinaNovæHierosolymæ de Domino. • 1763, (Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture) Latin: DoctrinaNovæHierosolymæ de Scriptura Sacra. • 1763, (Doctrine of Life) Latin: DoctrinaVitæ pro Nova Hierosolyma ex præceptisDecalogi. • 1763, (Doctrine of Faith) Latin: DoctrinaNovæHierosolymæ de Fide. • 1763, (Continuation of The Last Judgement) Latin: Continuatio De Ultimo Judicio: et de mundospirituali. • 1763, (Divine Love and Wisdom) Latin: Sapientia Angelica de Divino Amore et de DivinaSapientia. Sapientia Angelica de DivinaProvidentia. • 1764, (Divine Providence) Latin: Sapientia Angelica de DivinaProvidentia. • 1766, (Apocalypse Revealed) Latin: ApocalypsisRevelata, in quae detegunter Arcana quae ibipreedictasunt. • 1768, (Conjugial Love, or Marital Love) Latin: DeliciaeSapientiae de Amore Conjugiali; post quassequumturvoluptatesinsaniae de amore scortatorio. • 1769, (Brief Exposition) Latin: SummariaExpositioDoctrinæNovæEcclesiæ, quæ per NovamHierosolymam in Apocalypsiintelligitur. • 1769, (Intercourse of the Soul and the Body) Latin: De CommercioAnimæ & Corporis. • 1771, (True Christian Religion) Latin: Vera Christiana Religio, continensUniversamTheologiam Novae Ecclesiae • 1859, Drömboken, Journalanteckningar, 1743–1744 • 1983–1997, (Spiritual Diary) Latin: Diarum, UbiMemoranturExperientiaeSpirituales.

10. Is Emanuel Swedenborg Psychic? • Three well known incidents amongst followers of the Swedenborganism faith could lead one to believe these psychic accounts could signify his interaction with God is true, versus the majority of folk who recon he belongs in a mental institution.

11. Is Emanuel Swedenborg Psychic? • July 29, 1759, when during a dinner in Gothenburg, he excitedly told the party at six o' clock that there was a fire in Stockholm (405 km away), that it consumed his neighbour's home and was threatening his own. Two hours later, he exclaimed with relief that the fire stopped three doors from his home. Two days later, reports confirmed every statement to the precise hour that Swedenborg first expressed the information.

12. Is Emanuel Swedenborg Psychic? • In 1758 when Swedenborg visited Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden, who asked him to tell her something about her deceased brother Augustus William. The next day, Swedenborg whispered something in her ear that turned the Queen pale and she explained that this was something only she and her brother could know about.

13. Is Emanuel Swedenborg Psychic? • A woman who had lost an important document, and came to Swedenborg asking if a recently deceased person could tell him where it was, which he was said to have done the following night.

14. Summary of Beliefs • God is one person, in whom are the aspects of the Father (infinite Love), the Son (infinite Wisdom), and the Holy Spirit (His presence and operation in our lives). Our Lord Jesus Christ is that God. • God joins us to Himself and brings us happiness, if we permit Him to do so, by leading us in a life of following His Word and serving each other. Faith is nothing if it is not joined with love. • These beliefs are of course based on the Bible as explained by Emmanuel Swedenborg.

15. More Key Elements of Belief • Swedenborgian followers believe that: • God is infinitely loving, and is the center of every one’s life. • There is only ONE god, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all aspects of God. • God gives people the freedom to people to choose their beliefs, and live their lives according to their beliefs. • They believe the Second Coming of Christ has already taken place, and they believe it is still taking place. • They describe this as a return in spirit and truth that is being effected as a present reality, as opposed to a physical appearance of Jesus.

16. Views On Heaven and Hell • Swedenborgainism believes Heaven and Hell to not be rewards or punishments given on the day one has passed on, but is based upon the present inner experience one freely choses to possess. • Followers of this religion believe that we are creating the heaven, or hell of our choice in our next life, on the day one passes away. • They believe there is no devil providing temptation to commit sins and wrongful acts, but angels leading us toward the light of heaven.

17. Sacraments • Baptism • Eucharist • Marriage • Baptism signifies one’s entry to Christianity, cleansing one’s spirit of all impurity. This is done when one has reached the age of reason to make a personal decision to follow Jesus. • Swedenborg himself stated infants baptized are assigned a guardian angel until they reach a proper age. The purpose is so they are guided into the Christian faith.

18. Eucharist • Communion or Eucharist, is significant in the regeneration of a person’s will with God and his commandments. • Each and every person should thoroughly examine their lives, before taking the Holy communion, in order to ensure absolute purity. • Eucharist is an important sacrament for members of the New Church faith.

19. Marriage • Marriage is not only a earth only commitment, but an eternity commitment. Those whom are married on earth, meet again in the afterlife to live together forever. This applies to only those who are truly spiritual and in love. • Those who have not had a truly spiritual, true love type of marriage will have a new partner in heaven. Thus marriage can take place in heaven.

20. Salvation • They believe one needs to submit their lives to God as completely as possible. • This includes living one’s life in a unselfish fashion, and appreciating that everything good in life, is from God. • They believe God to be infinitely merciful, and forgiving. • They believe every individual to be predestined to an afterlife in heaven, as God has no ill will towards people.

21. Influences • With Swedenborg basing his writing to cover a vast subject matter, the New Church has influences on a number of areas. • Mormonism founded by Joseph Smith Jr. was influenced by Swedenborg’s writings. Mormons much like follows of the New Church faith believe in eternal marriage. Joseph Smith said himself he was familiar with the writings of Swedenborg, thus clearly providing an influence on this religion • The New Thought movement is a spiritual movement founded in the US. A healer by the name of Phineas Quimby healed a Swedenborgian minister by the name of Warren Evans. He himself became a healer, and promoted the New Thought, but explained it in terms of the New Church doctrines.

22. Works Cited Unknown. (n.d). Emanuel Swedenborg. Retrieved November 22nd, 2010 from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuel_Swedenborg#Theology Unknown. (n.d). SwedenborgianBeliefs. Retrieved November 22nd, 2010 from Swedenborg: http://www.swedenborg.org/Beliefs.aspx Unknown. (n.d). Emanuel Swedenborg. Retrieved November 22nd, 2010 from Online books library.edu: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Swedenborg%2C%20Emanuel%2C%201688-1772 Unknown. (n.d). New Church. Retrieved November 22nd, 2010 from Aztec.edu: http://aztec.asu.edu/worship/newchurch/ncpfaith.html

23. Question 1 • Who founded Swedenborgianism?

24. Question 2 • What other names are Swedenborganism referred to? (Give 2)

25. Question 3 • Where did this religion originate?

26. Question 4 • At what age did Swedenborg enter his religious faze?

27. Question 5 • How many theological works did he write and publish?

28. Question 6 • How many well known psychic incidents occurred in Swedenborg’s life?

29. Question 7 • What are the three sacraments?

30. Question 8 • What religion was influenced by Swedenborg’s works?

31. Question 9 • At what age does one make the decision to take first communion?

32. Question 10 • Where did Emanuel Swedenborg claim he could visit and who did he claim he could talk to? How could this have influenced his writings?

33. Discussion • Do you believe Swedenborg’s story about God telling him it was his duty to start a new Christian religion, and his accounts of visiting heaven and hell upon demand to speak with angels, demons, and other living spirits? Or is Emanuel Swedenborg a lunatic?