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Opinions on Emanuel Swedenborg

Shempster

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Outside of his theology this guy had mad skills.
He was a Scientist, mathematician, an astronomer, inventor, held positions of influence and more.

He does have some wild ideas and tends to spiritualize things that most Christians assume are real events. But he does have some very interesting views.

Any opinions on him?
 

JM

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He seems to be the ideal 17th century deist! I only recently started listening to podcasts about his life and work. Interesting stuff. His name first came up in The Soul After Death by Father Rose who views him as an arch heretic.

Yours,

j
 
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Albion

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He seems to be the ideal 17th century deist! I only recently started listening to podcasts about his life and work. Interesting stuff. His name first came up in The Soul After Death by Father Rose who views him as an arch heretic.

Yours,

j
Hmm. Well, he's certainly no Deist. His view of God is unusual, it's true, but its not Deism.
 
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JM

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I think you know what I mean, the kind of fella that believed in a kind of Christianity, a Christianity that was not orthodox or confessional. He was a mystic and replied on his personal experiences and visions, believing that he was able to measure the truthfulness of these experiences independently, without the church.
 
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Albion

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I think you know what I mean, the kind of fella that believed in a kind of Christianity, a Christianity that was not orthodox or confessional. He was a mystic and replied on his personal experiences and visions, believing that he was able to measure the truthfulness of these experiences independently, without the church.
Well, no. Not until now, anyway.

Swedenborg did live at the right time, and his ideas really were close to being unique, but they were definitely were not Deistic. But yes, I see better now what you were getting at.
 
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JM

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In the Soul After Death Fr Rose mentions that Protestant Christianity has been influenced by Swedenborg in how we understand the souls experience when it departs the body, near death experiences and out of body experiences. The OP asked for an opinion and Fr. Rose seems to believe that Swedenborg's teachings lead the soul into the arms of Demons and ultimately hell.

Yours,

j
 
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Albion

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FWIW, I don't think that Swedenborg's influence extended that far, although he did have an influence over the Transcendentalist writers of the 19th century and some Protestants. But even there, it's a fairly subtle influence. Swedenborg's rejection of the Trinity is the 'kiss of death' for most Protestants, even if they have some fondness for certain of his ideas.
 
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Shempster

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Thanks for the replies.
I'm really not too sure on how to take him. Very unique insights. He does tend to spiritualize nearly everything and seems to suggest that his spiritual interpretations are the only correct ones.
Some of the thoughts are way out there.
 
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JM

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FWIW, I don't think that Swedenborg's influence extended that far, although he did have an influence over the Transcendentalist writers of the 19th century and some Protestants. But even there, it's a fairly subtle influence. Swedenborg's rejection of the Trinity is the 'kiss of death' for most Protestants, even if they have some fondness for certain of his ideas.

His influence can be found readily in Protestantism and this was demonstrated by Rose and alluded to in Occult America by Horowitz where Swedenborg esq teaching criss cross 19th century spiritualism and Protestantism.
 
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JM

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Still, during that time a lot of cross over. ex. the manufacture of the Ouija board claimed to be a devout Presbyterian and thought little of it. I have not read ANYTHING by Swedenborg, just listened to some podcasts and read works critical of the "visions."

As an Anglican I can see why you may not have a problem with Swedenborg.

Swedenborgianism

by Matt Slick
1/12/09

Swedenborgianism is also known as The New Church, the Church of New Jerusalem.

Founder: Emanuel Swedenborg, born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1688. Died in 1772. Of course, members of this group deny that Emanuel Swedenborg is the author of the religion, but will admit that it draws it primary theology from his writings.

Headquarters: No single headquarters. The North American headquarters is located in Newtonville, MA.

Membership: 25,000 to 50,000 world wide.

Doctrines: Denies the Vicarious Atonement, the Trinity, and deity of the Holy Spirit. It holds to Christ as divine. All religions lead to God, though all are not equally enlightened. One of its goals is to bring the world together under a new religious understanding. It teaches a need for Christianity to undergo a rebirth — according to Swedenborgian interpretations. The Bible is the inspired word of God with two levels: the historical and the deeper spiritual one. Regarding the Trinity, a Swedenborg pastor said, "The Christian trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are aspects of God just as soul, body, and activities are aspects of each one of us."

There is no personal devil. Instead, the devil is the personification of human evil. Hell is corrupted human society. The Scriptures are best interpreted through the writings of Swedenborg. Angels go through cycles of purity of character where they are sometimes closer and at other times further from God. Swedenborg stated that the Acts and Epistles were not inspired as are the four Gospels and the Book of Revelation. There is no physical resurrection. After death, a person becomes an angel or an evil spirit. Angels are not supernatural creations of God. Position in the afterlife is based on "the kind of life we have chosen while here on earth."

At a person’s death, his mind falls asleep for three days in a place called the world of the spirits. Afterwards, he awakens and encounters spirits who’ve died before hand who help him adjust to the afterlife.

There is marriage in heaven.

Origins: Emanuel Swedenborg was born on January 29, 1688 (died 1772) in Stockholm. His father was a Lutheran minister. Emanuel was very bright and had an inquisitive mind. He was particularly interested in science and religion. In the former, he was recognized as an expert in geology and he also studied astronomy, cosmology, and physics. In 1744 he was stricken with a severe delirium which seems to have affected his mind for the rest of his life since many trance states were attributed to him as his life progressed.

In 1745 he had a vision where loathsome creatures seemed to crawl on the walls of his room. Then a man appeared who claimed to be God. This apparition said that Emanuel was to be the one who would communicate the teachings of the unseen realm to the people of the world. He would be the means by which God would further reveal Himself to the world.

Publications: Arcana Coelestia: The Earths in the Universe. The 35 volumes of writings by Swedenborg.

Comments: This is a dangerous mystical non-Christian religion. Its denial of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit, the vicarious atonement, and rejection of Acts and the Pauline epistles clearly set it outside of Christian orthodoxy.

Resources: The Swedenborgian Church of North America
 
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Albion

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As an Anglican I can see why you may not have a problem with Swedenborg.

You mean that you think I might not have a problem.

Considering that nothing I've written in this thread leans in that direction and Anglicanism itself is not supportive of Swedenborg's teachings on God, the Bible, or much of anything else, I sure would like to know how you came to that conclusion. (?)
 
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JM

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You mean that you think I might not have a problem.

Yes, "As an Anglican...I can see why YOU may not have a problem with Swedenborg. Anglicanism doesn't really have a standard representation today, it's a mash of views huddled together under a tradition.

Considering that nothing I've written in this thread leans in that direction and Anglicanism itself is not supportive of Swedenborg's teachings on God, the Bible, or much of anything else, I sure would like to know how you came
to that conclusion. (?)

It's your willingness to defend anyone that disagrees with your understanding :twohearts:of Swedenborg.

Yours,

j
 
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JM

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Albion, I just joking around.

He has some good things to say, other things are not so good...his universalism (as you can imagine) does not appeal to me.

Yours in the Lord,

jm
 
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Emanuel Swedenborg

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Any opinions on him?
I think Swedenborg's books are for those who know the Bible well and want to move on. This is for those who like to dig into the Word, to study the correspondence of the literal meaning of the Word with Its spiritual meaning. This can be compared to the next level of a video game. If I already play the first level of my game well enough, then I am no longer satisfied with it, and then I want to go to the next level to enjoy my favorite game. And there are an infinite number of such levels of knowledge of the Word in the Bible. Because the wisdom of God is infinite and uncountable.
 
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