“One of the rare and striking features of Swedenborgian theology is its combination of a profound reverence for Jesus Christ as God Incarnate and a profound respect for other, non-Christian faiths. There is no need to downgrade Christ in order to appreciate the beauty of other religions and no need to downgrade other religions in the name of loyalty to Christ.
At a time when Christian theologians are wrestling with issues raised through globalization and when faiths are being enlisted in the cause of violence there could scarcely be a more practical message. It is tells us simply that we cannot see the best in our own religion if we are unwilling to see the best in others. In the following passage from Divine Providence (§255), Swedenborg explains how the emergence of Islam shows God’s divine plan.” — George F. Dole
New Century Edition Blog
Our New Century Edition blog collects articles from our translation team on interesting finds that come up during translation and editing. These articles were originally featured in our print newsletters, and are dated from when they were originally published. Because of this, some of the older articles may contain out-of-date references, but all of the information is worth sharing and enjoying!
Holding On and Letting Go
Swedenborg was a persistent person. He had an omnivorous mind and wrote on a wide range of subjects, yet some individual topics seemed to haunt him throughout his life.
Continue ReadingSwedenborg’s Sizeable Tomes
Sometimes people ask why the New Century Edition volumes are so large. The first thing we like to point out is that Swedenborg’s writings themselves are nothing if not rich and ample. The Bible text of Genesis and Exodus fills only ninety-nine pages in the New King James Version; yet Secrets of Heaven, Swedenborg’s exposition of these books, fills 4,559 Latin pages.
Continue ReadingA Guide for the Quest
Some places in this world we can get to on our own, some we need directions to find, and some we can only reach with a guide. The purpose of the New Century Edition is to make Swedenborg’s works more accessible to a modern readership. Fresh translations into clear modern English comprise the heart of this project, enabling readers to explore these unique and remarkable works “on their own.”
Continue ReadingThe Art of Annotation
Sometimes, we who are working on the New Century Edition are asked, “Why annotate the translations if you are trying to keep them simple? Don’t the annotations just complicate the reader’s experience of the text?” I would like to explore the answer to that question.
Continue ReadingHark! The Herald Angels Sing: New Translations of Divine Love and Wisdom and Divine Providence
Many people ask me, “What’s next?” What they mean is “Which volume of Swedenborg’s is the New Century Edition going to publish next?”
There are actually two answers in one: Divine Love and Wisdom and Divine Providence. As I write, these two key titles are going through the final stages of publication.
Continue ReadingForthcoming in the New Century Edition: Worship and Love of God, An Excerpt
In rich and colorful Latin that virtually revels in haunting symbolism, this long-neglected prose poem describes the creation of the world and the upbringing of Adam and Eve. Composed in a few months in 1745, it bridges the two main periods in Swedenborg’s life: his career as a scientist and his many years of experiencing the spiritual world on a daily basis. Thus, it touches both on the topics that fascinated him as a scientist and the themes of love and wisdom that illumine his theological works.
Continue ReadingInto the Heart of the English Galaxy: Translation Theory and the New Century Edition
As a full-time translator for the New Century Edition, I read and study Swedenborg’s Latin original and then attempt to recreate that Latin in English. In that process, I have come to find that, although both languages have words, phrases, and sentences, the rules and traditions in Latin are very different from the rules and traditions in English. The two languages are not merely different worlds; they are different galaxies.
Continue ReadingGifts
Emanuel Swedenborg gave many gifts to the world—inventions, scientific discoveries, unique philosophic perspectives—but his final gift to the world was his greatest: eighteen works that conveyed a new theology and a rich panoply of spiritual experiences.
Continue ReadingA Passage of Outstanding Beauty
Our reading group has been currently moving through the NCE version of Heaven and Hell. At times, someone may observe that a word choice in the new translation falls strangely upon the ear. More often, there are comments on how a passage has become clear that was not so clear before. Occasionally, we simply enjoy the beauty of a passage. The passage about “peace” here had outstanding beauty.
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