Epic of the Afterlife

A Literary Approach to Swedenborg

By Olof Lagercrantz
Translated by Anders Hallengren

Olof Lagercrantz, one of Sweden’s most illustrious writers, approaches Swedenborg’s works on the spiritual realm as an epic poem about an unknown country, a utopia on the other side of the tomb, a vision of a great and worthy life. This is a work of praise from one writer to another. Read more

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Description

As a poet and storyteller, Olof Lagercrantz approaches the works of Swedish scientist-turned-seer with the eyes of an artist, exploring the complex philosophy of one of Sweden’s most famous sons with curiosity and open wonder. Lagercrantz examines Swedenborg’s life, his experiences in heaven and hell, and writings about faith, the nature of the universe, and human relationships as works of literature, casting a new light on Swedenborg’s ideas that often differs from the usual theological interpretations.

About the Author

A descendant of an old noble Swedish family, Olof Lagercrantz was born in Stockholm in 1911. He became famous as a poet in the 1930s and ’40s, received his Ph.D. in the history of literature at Stockholm University in 1951, and was editor-in-chief of the largest Swedish daily, Dagens Nyheter, from 1960 to 1975. He has published many books in his native Sweden, two of which have been translated into English and published in the United States.

About the Swedenborg Studies Series

Swedenborg Studies is a scholarly series published by the Swedenborg Foundation. The primary purpose of the series is to make materials available for understanding the life and thought of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) and the impact his thought has had on others. The Foundation undertakes to publish original studies and English translations and to republish primary sources that are otherwise difficult to access.