About the Author

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) was a Swedish scientist, theologian, and mystic, and one of Europe’s foremost scientific minds. His early work included pioneering contributions to neuroscience, crystallography, and astronomy. His scientific treatises on metallurgy remained in use well into the 20th century.

At the age of 56, Swedenborg underwent a profound spiritual awakening that transformed his life’s direction. Beginning with dreams, he suddenly had the ability to communicate with angels, spirits, and beings from other realms. Following this experience, he devoted the rest of his life to theological writings and spiritual explorations.

His most influential works include Heaven and Hell, Divine Love and Wisdom, and Divine Providence, which detail his extensive visions of the afterlife and propose a comprehensive theory of correspondence between the natural and spiritual worlds. His eight-volume masterwork Arcana Coelestia (Secrets of Heaven) stands as one of history’s most comprehensive spiritual interpretations of the Bible, offering an exhaustive verse-by-verse analysis of Genesis and Exodus.

Swedenborg never established a church himself, but his ideas inspired the formation of the New Church (Swedenborgian) movement after his death. His writings influenced numerous luminaries including William Blake, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Carl Jung, and Helen Keller, who called him “one of the greatest geniuses of Christendom.”

Swedenborg remains a fascinating figure who bridged the scientific revolution and spiritual inquiry, leaving a legacy that continues to engage scholars, theologians, and spiritual seekers worldwide.

Lisa Hyatt Cooper is translator of the fifteen-volume Secrets of Heaven for the Swedenborg Foundation’s New Century Edition of the Works of Emanuel Swedenborg. Her past publications include a Latin edition of Swedenborg’s work Other Planets. She contributed translations to Debates with Devils by Donald L. Rose and was the main consultant for five of the twelve volumes of John Elliott’s translation of Arcana Caelestia, published by the Swedenborg Society in London.