Swedenborgianism

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See also: The New Church
Symbol of the Swedenborgian Church
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Symbol of the Swedenborgian Church

Swedenborgianism is the ecclesiastical organization of beliefs developed from the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Many aspects are closely related to Christianity, and the movement is founded on the belief that Swedenborg witnessed the Last Judgment and second coming of Jesus Christ, along with the inauguration of the New Church and an explanation of the spiritual meaning of the literal sense of the Scriptures. Some Swedenborgian organizations teach that the writings of Swedenborg (often called The Writings or The Third Testament) are a third part of the Bible and have the same authority as the Old and New Testaments. Other names for the movement are also used, especially by adherents, including New Christians, Neo-Christians, The New Church, and Church of the New Jerusalem.

Contents

[edit] History

Swedenborg spoke of a "new church" that would be founded on the theology in his works, but he himself never tried to establish an organization. At the time of his death, few efforts had been made. But May 7, 1787, 15 years after Swedenborg's death, the New Church movement was founded in England, a country Swedenborg often visited and where he also died. Its ideas were carried to United States by missionaries. One famous Swedenborgian was Johnny Appleseed. Early missionaries also went to parts of Africa as Swedenborg himself believed that the "African race" was "in greater enlightenment than others on this earth, since they are such that they think more interiorly, and so receive truths and acknowledge them." (A Treatise concerning the Last Judgment, n. 118) Although potentially odd-sounding today, at the time this was viewed as intensely liberal, and so Swedenborgians accepted freed African converts to their homes as early as 1790. Several of them were also involved in abolitionism.[1]

In the 19th century, occultism became increasingly popular especially in France and England, and Swedenborg's writings were, by some, blended in with theosophy, alchemy and divination. What fascinated these followers most was Swedenborg's mystical side. Much emphasis was laid on his work Heaven and Hell, wherein Swedenborg is led to Heaven and Hell by spirits to experience and report the conditions there (compare The Divine Comedy).

Bryn Athyn Cathedral
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Bryn Athyn Cathedral

In the U.S., Swedenborgianism was organized in 1817 with the founding of the General Convention of the New Church (sometimes referred to as the Convention), now also known as the Swedenborgian Church of North America.

The movement in the United States grew increasingly stronger until the late 19th century, when a controversy about doctrinal issues and the authority of Swedenborg's writings caused a faction to split off to form the Academy of the New Church which would become the General Church of New Jerusalem (sometimes referred to as the General Church), with headquarters in Bryn Athyn, a suburb of Philadelphia. Today, the General Church has about 5,000 members in 33 churches. The Swedenborgian Church of North America, with headquarters in Newtonville, a suburb of Boston, now has 37 active churches with about 1,500 members in the U.S. The most recent membership figures for the Four Church Organizations 2000[2]:

  • General Conference (Great Britain): 1,314
  • General Convention (USA): 2,029
  • General Church of the New Jerusalem: 5,563
  • The Lord's New Church: 1,000

The Lord's New Church is primarily associated with South Africa, although roughly 200 members are in the United States, and concerned with justice issues there. The nations of Australia and Germany are estimated to have 504 and 200 members, respectively. When counting additional members in Asia, Africa, and South America, current sources put the total of Swedenborgians as between 25,000-30,000.

Although deemed to be in a decline in membership, in the United States at any rate, Swedenborgianism was never very large - especially not after the 1850s. For example, it is estimated that in 1911 the total US membership in all Swedenborgian organizations was roughly 9400[3].

[edit] Beliefs

The doctrines of the New Church are as follows:

  1. That there is one God and that He is the Lord Jesus Christ. Within Him there is a Divine Trinity.
  2. That a saving faith is to believe in Him and to live a life of charity.
  3. That all evils are to be shunned and originate in mankind.
  4. That good actions are to be done, because they are of God and from God, and are therefore necessary for life.
  5. That these good acts are to be done by mankind as if from him/herself; but that it ought to be acknowledged that they are done from the Lord with him and by him.
  6. That one's fate after death is according to the character one has acquired in life; specifically that those governed by the love of the Lord or the love of being useful to others are in heaven, and that those governed by love of self or the love of worldly things are in hell.

(see Swedenborg's True Christian Religion, author's introduction [4])

Added to this the Swedenborgians believe that marriage is eternal. They state that an individual will be married to their spouse in the afterlife if they have a true spiritual marriage, and that if a person dies unmarried they will find a spouse in heaven. Robert Frost reportedly married in a Swedenborgian ceremony.

[edit] Non-organized Swedenborgians

The term may also be used to refer to people inspired by some part of Swedenborgian philosophy or theology who nevertheless take an eclectic approach to such topics and so blend "pure" Swedenborgian thought with ideas from other systems, including Jungian psychology, Spiritualism, and "traditional" Christianity. Such Swedenborgianism bears little resemblance to the more ecclesiastical form usually referred to by the term. It should be noted that for various reasons, such as not believing in the trinity which is esteemed as 3rd Century development by Tertullian, Swedenborg held to a Oneness view of God such as modern day Oneness Pentecostalism.

[edit] Other views

Swedenborgians have been viewed skeptically by fundamentalist Christian groups for the unorthodox aspects of their religion. These aspects are the rejection of the traditional doctrine of the Trinity and the doctrine of atonement. They have been accused of being a fringe or even occult movement in which people communicate with spirits. ("Swedenborgianism is a dangerous mystical non-Christian religion," says the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry.) While the mystical aspect certainly appealed to some people, and still does, this is not the focus of most New Church members today. Interestingly, in contrast to accusations of occultism, the doctrine of the New Church actually warns against contact with spirits.

[edit] Influence

Entrance to the Wayfarers Chapel, which is dedicated to Swedenborg
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Entrance to the Wayfarers Chapel, which is dedicated to Swedenborg

Notable persons influenced either by Swedenborg's writing or by the New Church include:

[edit] External links

[edit] Resources

[edit] Organized Churches

[edit] International

[edit] USA

[edit] Other English speaking countries

[edit] Miscellaneous

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