Swedenborgianism

Swedenborgianism is the ecclesiastical organization of beliefs developed from the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, and as such, considered a religious movement by many. Many aspects are closely related to Christianity, and the movement is founded on the belief that Swedenborg witnessed the Last Judgment and second advent of the Lord, along with the inauguration of the New Church and an explanation of the spiritual meaning of the literal sense of the Scriptures. Some Swedenborian organizations teach that the writings of Swedenborg (often called The Writings) 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.

Beliefs

The doctrines of the New Church are as follows:

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• That there is one God and that He is the Lord Jesus Christ. Within Him there is a Divine Trinity.
• That a saving faith is to believe in Him and to live a life of charity.
• That all evils are to be shunned and originate in mankind.
• That good actions are to be done, because they are of God and from God, and are therefore necessary for life.
• 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.
• That one's fate after death is according to the character one has aquired 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 http://www.heavenlydoctrines.org/static/d12851/0.htm)

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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. Despite their eighteenth century origins they also have beliefs that could be deemed more "modern" or New Age. For example they believe in extraterrestrial life and Swedenborg spoke of having spiritual journeys to other planets. They also reject the idea of substitutionary atonement and believe all religions are valid paths.

Related Topics:
Robert Frost - Eighteenth century - New Age - Extraterrestrial life - Substitutionary atonement

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