We’re excited to announce the official release of the electronic edition of The Shorter Works of 1758, which was published in hardcover last spring. The EPUB edition of the book contains the full text of the original with internally linked notes and references for easy navigation. It’s available for free download through our online bookstore, or for $2.99 through other retailers.
The Shorter Works of 1758 contains four of Swedenborg’s short works, all of which, as the title suggests, were published in 1758. Although they have all been published in various forms before, this volume represents the first time that Swedenborg’s short works have been grouped by original date of publication. The volume contains a preface that discusses why Swedenborg might have chosen to print these short works in the same time period, giving readers a peek into his publishing strategy.
This volume contains four of Swedenborg’s short works:
- New Jerusalem: In this work, Swedenborg outlines his theology in twenty-three brief chapters.
- Last Judgment: This work on the “end times” asserts that the Last Judgment foretold in the Bible was actually an upheaval in the spiritual world that has already occurred and that Swedenborg himself witnessed.
- White Horse: This brief work is primarily an exposition on the inner meaning of the white horse mentioned in chapter 19 of the book of Revelation.
- Other Planets: Swedenborg describes life on other planets in our solar system and elsewhere in the universe.
As a Deluxe NCE edition, not only is this work printed in hardcover, but it contains extensive reference materials:
- An introduction by Richard Smoley that places each of the works in the context of the history of thought
- A note on editions and translations by editors Jonathan S. Rose and Stuart Shotwell that explores the complex history of translation of these short works
- An editors’ preface that discusses the order in which the works were published and what might have motivated Swedenborg to write on these particular themes.
- More than a hundred pages of annotations throughout the text that illuminate obscure references and provide additional insights into Swedenborg’s thought
- A table of passages that parallel other sections in Swedenborg’s works
- An index of scripture quotations
- A combined index of all four short works as well as a separate index to the notes, prefaces, and introduction
The Deluxe edition is the ultimate study guide for people who love digging into the details of Swedenborg’s thought! But if you’d rather explore one work at a time, New Jerusalem, White Horse, and Other Planets are also available as translation-only paperbacks and free e-book downloads through our online bookstore, and Last Judgment will be available in September.
You can order these books and many more from our online bookstore. If you’re a member of the Swedenborg Foundation, you receive an additional 20% off on all of our books!
New Century Edition Subscriptions
Subscribe to the New Century Edition and you can save 30% off the cover price of each volume as it’s released—and if you’re also a member, that discount stacks to become 50% off! There is no fee to subscribe; we ask only that you commit to buying each volume as it comes out. For more information, contact Brian Mann at bmann@swedenborg.com or 610-430-3222, ext. 109.