Servetus, Swedenborg And the Nature of God

The Trinity was defined at the Council of Nicaea and the relationship of the human and divine natures of Christ was defined at Chalcedon. Very few questioned the Church's depictions of the nature of God. Two such mavericks, Michael Servetus (1509-1553) and Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), in spite of their Christian educations, rejected the Church's creedal understanding of God and the Trinity.

Andrew M.T. Dibb is Associate Professor of Theology at the Academy of the New Church Theological School.

Prologue

Introduction

Chapter One Christology

1

(10)

Underlying Principles of Christology

3

(5)

Philosophy

3

(1)

Language

4

(2)

Christology from Above and Below

6

(2)

Underlying Principles of Servetian and Swedenborgian Christology

8

(3)

Chapter Two The History of the Trinity

11

(34)

The Earliest Christology and Concepts of the Trinity

12

(15)

The Christology of Ignatius

13

(3)

The Christology of Irenaeus

16

(3)

The Christology of Tertullian

19

(8)

The Arian Controversy

27

(3)

The Nicene Creed

30

(2)

The Athanasian Creed

32

(1)

The Divine and Human in Christ

33

(3)

Nestorius

34

(1)

Cyril of Alexandria

35

(1)

The Resolution of the Council of Ephesus

36

(9)

The Council of Chalcedon

37

(3)

The Effect of Trinitarian Christology on Christian Theology

40

(5)

Chapter Three Michael Servetus

45

(22)

Early Years

46

(5)

The Middle Years

51

(6)

The Final Years

57

(4)

Capture in Switzerland

61

(6)

Chapter Four On the Errors of the Trinity in Seven Books

67

(24)

Book I

68

(3)

Book II

71

(4)

Book III

75

(4)

Book IV

79

(3)

Book V

82

(1)

Book VI

83

(2)

Book VII

85

(6)

Chapter Five Dialogues on the Trinity in Two Books

91

(14)

Book the First

92

(6)

Book the Second

98

(7)

Chapter Six The Sources for Servetus' Christology

105

(22)

Servetus' Rejection of Scholasticism

107

(10)

The Illustrative

109

(3)

The Demonstrative

112

(1)

The Fideist

113

(4)

William of Occam

113

(1)

Gregory of Rimini

114

(1)

Pierre D'Ailly

115

(1)

John Major and Erasmus

115

(2)

Servetus and the Church Fathers

117

(10)

The Christology of Tertullian

117

(3)

The Christology of Irenaeus

120

(1)

The Christology of Ignatius

121

(2)

Islamic and Jewish Sources in Servetus

123

(4)

Chapter Seven Emanuel Swedenborg

127

(36)

The Early Years

129

(7)

The Middle Years

136

(5)

Spiritual Experiences

141

(3)

Transition

144

(1)

The Journal of Dreams

145

(1)

Swedenborg's Visions of God

146

(4)

Biblical Studies

150

(4)

Full Contact with the Spiritual World

154

(1)

'Proofs' of Swedenborg's Clairvoyance

155

(3)

Last Journey

158

(1)

What does one make of Swedenborg?

159

(4)

Chapter Eight Swedenborg's Rejection of the Traditional Trinity

163

(22)

Swedenborg's Philosophic and Anatomical Stage

163

(5)

Swedenborg's Early Theological Stage

168

(17)

Swedenborg's Reflections on the Traditional Trinity

172

(4)

The First Epoch - the Apostolic Church

173

(1)

The Second Epoch - the Trinitarian Church

174

(2)

The Athanasian Creed

176

(4)

Swedenborg's Rejection of Scholasticism

180

(1)

The Destruction of the Church

181

(2)

There is a Divine Trinity

183

(2)

Chapter Nine Swedenborg's Concept of God

185

(40)

God is One

187

(3)

The Nature of the One God

190

(7)

The Esse and Existere

191

(3)

Essence and Existence

194

(3)

The Successive Revelation of God

197

(7)

The Most Ancient Church

198

(3)

The Ancient Church

201

(2)

The Israelitish Church

203

(1)

Jesus Christ

204

(9)

The Son from Eternity

205

(1)

Who is Jesus Christ?

206

(2)

Christ's Conception and Birth

208

(5)

The Process of Glorification

213

(5)

The Holy Spirit

218

(7)

Chapter Ten Swedenborg's Concept of the Trinity

225

(26)

Soul, Body, Operation

226

(4)

Discrete Degrees

230

(3)

The Trinity before Christ

233

(2)

Reworking the Athanasian Creed

235

(4)

One God

236

(1)

Three Persons

237

(2)

The Acceptable Athanasian Creed

239

(12)

Christ allowed himself to be born

240

(1)

The Divine of the Father took on a Human

241

(1)

The Rational Soul and Human Body

242

(1)

Christ's Soul

243

(2)

One Christ

245

(1)

The Two Natures are not Co-Mingled

245

(1)

The Soul and the Body

246

(5)

Chapter Eleven Servetus, Swedenborg and the Nature of God

251

(34)

Historical Similarities

252

(5)

Concept of the Bible

257

(4)

Nicaea

261

(2)

The Idea of God

263

(16)

God the Creator

263

(3)

The Word prior to the Advent

266

(3)

The Incarnation

269

(6)

The Holy Spirit

275

(2)

The Trinity

277

(2)

The Consequences of this Belief

279

(6)

Rejection of Faith Alone

280

(5)

Chapter Twelve Common Sources and Roots

285

(26)

Tertullian

289

(6)

The Rule of Faith

292

(3)

Tertullian and Swedenborg

295

(5)

Substance

297

(1)

Person

298

(2)

Could Tertullian have influenced Swedenborg?

300

(4)

The Testimony of the Soul

304

(7)

Chapter Thirteen Conclusion

311

(18)

Appendix A

329

(3)

Appendix B

332

(3)

Appendix C

335

(2)

Bibliography

337

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Servetus, Swedenborg And the Nature of God

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials