Swedenborg’s Garden of Theology

Description

When he entered the visionary phase of his life, Emanuel Swedenborg set out on a journey to document all that he had seen, heard, and learned while in contact with the spirits of heaven and hell. Before his death, he wrote eighteen different works published in twenty-five volumes, totaling about three and a half million words.

Navigating that rich garden of thought has been a challenge even for scholars of Swedenborg, let alone those new to his work. In this compact guide, Jonathan S. Rose introduces readers to the basic concepts of Swedenborg’s writings, including Swedenborg’s view of God and the afterlife and his description of humanity’s spiritual history. Rose also examines how Swedenborg’s theology relates to other Christian denominations, both in his time and ours, and takes a side trip into some of Swedenborg’s more unusual ideas.

Swedenborg’s Garden of Theology provides an ideal introduction for anyone seeking a starting point to delve into Swedenborg’s religious thought.

This work was originally published as an essay in the volume Emanuel Swedenborg: Essays for the New Century Edition on Swedenborg’s Life, Work, and Impact, which is also available through our bookstore.

About the Author

Jonathan S. Rose is the series editor of the New Century Edition, an ongoing project that incorporates the latest scholarship to produce a modern, accessible translation of Emanuel Swedenborg’s theological works. Holder of a B.A. and a M.Div. in religion and a M.A. and a Ph.D. in Latin, he has worked for years in the study of Neo-Latin and in Swedenborgian research. He was both chaplain and a tenured professor of religion and sacred languages at Bryn athyn College before taking on his current position.

Reviews

“Science is not the enemy of Christianity, but it can further enhance it. Swedenborg’s Garden of Theology: An Introduction to Emanuel Swedenborg’s Published Theological Works tells how Emanuel Swedenborg, an eighteenth-century theologian and scientist, came to a unique view of the universe and offers much thought that is pondered on by fellow theologians to this day. A key addition to any religious studies collection, Swedenborg’s Garden of Theology is not a volume to be missed.—”

—Wisconsin Press Bookwatch, December 2010

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