Heaven and Hell

by Emanuel Swedenborg

Overview

In Heaven and Hell, Swedenborg gives the reader a detailed description of the afterlife. He deals with God, heaven, hell, angels, spirits, and devils; and he addresses the issues of who is in heaven and hell. Are there any Jews, Muslims, and people of pre-Christian times such as pagan Romans and Greeks in heaven? He posits that the love of self or of the world drives one towards hell, and love of God and fellow men towards heaven. Here is the most influential and important book ever written on the subject!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781625584113
Publisher:	Start Publishing LLC
Publication date:	01/18/2013
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	317
File size:	522 KB

About the Author

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) was a Swedish scientist, nobleman, and theologian who spent his life investigating the mysteries of the soul. Born in Stockholm to a staunchly Lutheran family, he graduated from the University of Uppsala and then traveled to England, Holland, France, and Germany to study with the leading scientists of the time. Between 1743 and 1745, he began to have visions of heaven, hell, and Jesus Christ, which resulted in a stream of books about the nature of God, the afterlife, and the inner meaning of the Bible. He devoted the last decades of his life to studying Scripture and presenting his own unique theology to the world.

Read an Excerpt

“Some people believe it is hard to lead the heaven-bound life that is called ‘spiritual’ because they have heard that we need to renounce the world and give up the desires attributed to the body and the flesh and ‘live spiritually.’ All they understand by this is spurning worldly interests, especially concerns for money and prestige, going around in constant devout meditation about God, salvation, and eternal life, devoting their lives to prayer, and reading the Word and religious literature. They think this is renouncing the world and living for the spirit and not for the flesh. However, the actual case is quite different, as I have learned from an abundant experience and conversation with angels. In fact, people who renounce the world and live for the spirit in this fashion take on a mournful live for themselves, a life that is not open to heavenly joy, since our life does remain with us [after death]. No, if we would accept heaven’s life, we need by all means to live in the world and to participate in its duties and affairs. In this way, we accept a spiritual life by means of our moral and civic life; and there is no other way a spiritual life can be formed within us, no other way our spirits can be prepared for heaven. This is because living an inner life and not an outer life at the same time is like living in a house that has no foundation, that gradually either settles or develops gaping cracks or totters until it collapses.”

Editorial Reviews

Inaugurates a projected 25-volume series representing the first time the complete work of the Swedish scientist, theologian, and religious mystic Swedenborg (1688-1772) will be produced in English by the same publisher using unified standards of translation and scholarship. Supporting the translation of are an introduction, diagrams, a chronological table, endnotes, a table showing parallel passages in other works, and three indices. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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