The Spiritual Diary of Emanuel Swedenborg

by Theodore Webber (Editor), Emanuel Swedenborg, James Buss (Translator)

Overview

The Spiritual Diary of Emanuel Swedenborg is a five volume work containing the private account of Emanuel Swedenborg's spiritual experiences in heaven and hell, which he experienced in full waking visions over a 27 year period. The Diary contains a chronological account of what he saw and experienced, his dialogue with angelic beings, and discussions concerning the theology of true Christianity. Experiences from the Spiritual Diary were often later incorporated into Swedenborg's systematic theological works, which have been published separately in the multi-volume work, The Divine Revelation of the New Jerusalem: Expanded Edition (39 volumes). This digital version is unique in that it not only hyperlinks all references for ease of lookup, but also has a complete hyperlinked index to all five volumes of the diary. Using the index a reader can now lookup a particular subject or topic and see all entries at a glance, making this work a useful reference tool. The Diary has also been formatted with hyperlinked footnotes placed separately from the text.

Following is a sample of topics that are contained in the index: Heaven, Hell, Angels, Spirits, Divinity, Last Judgment, Life, Love, the Lord, Marriage, Adultery, Faith, the Word, Science, Affection, Rationality, Sense, Knowledge, Idea, Intelligence, Wisdom, Influx, Infernals, Interior, Celestial, Children, Soul, Regeneration, among many others. This is just a sample and shows the broad depth of topics that were discussed through many years in Swedenborg's heavenly visions. For the general reader who is new to the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, an introductory preface has been included from the editor, in addition to the original preface from the translator.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940150428157
Publisher:	Theodore D. Webber
Publication date:	09/11/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He journeyed to England, Holland, France, and Germany to study and work with leading scientists in western Europe. Upon his return he apprenticed as an engineer under the brilliant Swedish inventor Christopher Polhem (1661-1751). King Charles XII of Sweden gave him a salaried position as an overseer of Sweden's mining industry (1716-1747). After the death of the King, Emanuel was ennobled by Queen Ulrika Eleonora. This gave him a seat in the Swedish House of Nobles, where he remained an active participant in the Swedish government throughout his life. A member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences, he devoted himself to scientific studies and philosophical reflections that culminated in a number of scientific publications, mainly concerning minerology and physiology, where he had made several discoveries. From 1743 to 1745 he entered a transitional phase that resulted in a shift of his main focus from science and philosophy to theology. Throughout the rest of his life he maintained that this shift was brought about by Jesus Christ, who appeared to him, called him to a new mission, and opened his perception to a permanent dual consciousness of this life and the spiritual world of heaven and hell. Although he at first published his theological works anonymously, he became more well known to the public when he had a clairvoyant experience where he could describe a fire in Stockholm in 1759, over 400 km away. This was investigated by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, who confirmed the event, and it was also noted by Carl Jung who borrowed from Swedenborg for many of his ideas in psychology. At other times Swedenborg demonstrated his clairvoyant abilities to multiple witnesses, including John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Zen master D.T. Suzuki called Swedenborg the "Buddha of the North." Swedenborg presents a view of Christianity that is not only spiritual, but also rational, pragmatic and utilitarian.