True Christian Religion

True Christian Religionis the last published work of Swedish visionary Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). In it, he summarizes his theological ideas and gives his vision for the future of the Christian Church. The first volume contains a discussion of the nature of God and the creation of the universe; the nature Jesus Christ and of the Trinity; the inner spiritual meaning of the Bible; the spiritual teachings of the Ten Commandments; and the nature of both faith and charity, and how the one relies on the other. This edition is a reprint of a 1914 translation by John C. Ager.

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 the leading scientists of the time. He gained favor with Sweden’s King Charles XII, who gave him the position of overseer of the Swedish mining industry. Later, he was given a seat on the Swedish House of Nobles by Charles XII’s successor, Queen Ulrika Eleonora. 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.

Editor's Preface

xi

The faith of the new heaven and of the new church (sections 1--3)

1

(4)

God the Creator (4--80)

5

(138)

The unity of God (5--17)

6

(26)

The Divine esse, which is Jehovah (18--26)

32

(13)

The infinity of God or his immensity and eternity (27--35)

45

(21)

The Divine essence, which is Divine love and Divine wisdom (36--48)

66

(26)

The omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence of God (49--74)

92

(31)

The creation of the universe (75--80)

123

(20)

The Lord the Redeemer (81--137)

143

(104)

A corollary (109--113)

178

(24)

Redemption (114--137)

202

(45)

The Holy Spirit and Divine operation (138--188)

247

(86)

A corollary (158--162)

271

(19)

The Divine trinity (163--188)

290

(43)

The Sacred Scripture or Word of the Lord (189--282)

333

(98)

The Sacred Scripture or Word is Divine truth itself (189--192)

333

(3)

In the Word there is a spiritual sense hitherto unknown (193--209)

336

(19)

The sense of the letter of the Word is the basis, container, and support of its spiritual and celestial sense (210--213)

355

(3)

In the sense of the letter of the Word, Divine truth is in its fullness, its holiness, and its power (214--224)

358

(13)

The doctrine of the church should be drawn from the sense of the letter of the Word, and confirmed thereby (225--233)

371

(7)

By means of the sense of the letter of the Word, there is conjunction with the Lord and affiliation with the angels (234--239)

378

(4)

The Word is in all the heavens and angelic wisdom is from it (240--242)

382

(3)

The church is from the Word, and with man it is such as his understanding of the Word is (243--247)

385

(4)

In every particular of the Word there is a marriage of the Lord and the church, and in consequence a marriage of good and truth (248--253)

389

(6)

Heresies may be drawn from the sense of the letter of the Word, but to confirm them is hurtful (254--260)

395

(7)

The Lord when in the world fulfilled all things of the Word, and thereby became the Word, that is, a Divine truth even in things last (261--263)

402

(4)

Before the Word that is now in the world there was a Word that was lost (264--266)

406

(3)

That through the Word there is light also to those who are outside of the church and do not possess the Word (267--272)

409

(3)

If there were no Word there would be no knowledge of God, of heaven and hell, or of a life after death, still less of the Lord (273--281)

412

(19)

The catechism or Decalogue explained in its external and its internal sense (282--335)

431

(60)

In the Israelitish church the Decalogue was holiness itself (283--286)

431

(5)

In the sense of the letter the Decalogue contains the general precepts of doctrine and life...(287--290)

436

(4)

The first commandment (291--296)

440

(5)

The second commandment (297--300)

445

(4)

The third commandment (301--304)

449

(4)

The fourth commandment (305--308)

453

(3)

The fifth commandment (309--312)

456

(3)

The sixth commandment (313--316)

459

(3)

The seventh commandment (317--320)

462

(2)

The eighth commandment (321--324)

464

(2)

The ninth and tenth commandments (325--328)

466

(3)

The Ten Commandments...contain all things that belong to love to God, and all things that belong to love toward the neighbor (329--335)

469

(22)

Faith (336--391)

491

(98)

Saving faith is faith in the Lord God the savior, Jesus Christ (337--339)

494

(5)

The sum of faith is that he who lives well and believes rightly is saved by the Lord (340--342)

499

(6)

Man acquires faith by going to the Lord, learning truths from the Word, and living according to them (343--348)

505

(6)

An abundance of truths cohering...exalts and perfects faith (349--354)

511

(7)

Faith without charity is not faith, and charity without faith is not charity, and neither has life except from the Lord (355--361)

518

(8)

The Lord, charity, and faith make one, like life, will, and understanding in man...(362--367)

526

(10)

The Lord is charity and faith in man, and man is charity and faith in the Lord (368--372)

536

(9)

Charity and faith are together in good works (373--377)

545

(7)

There is true faith, spurious faith, and hypocritical faith (378--381)

552

(10)

With the evil there is no faith (382--391)

562

(27)

Charity, or love to the neighbor, and good works (392--462)

589

There are three universal loves---the love of heaven, the love of the world, and the love of self (394--402)

591

These three loves...perfect man. (403--405)

608

Every man individually is the neighbor who is to be loved...(406--411)

612

Man collectively...is the neighbor who is to be loved (412--414)

617

The church is the neighbor who is to be loved in a still higher degree, and the Lord's kingdom in the highest degree (415--416)

619

To love the neighbor...is not to love the person, but the good that is in the person (417--419)

621

Charity and good works are two distinct things, like willing well and doing well (420--421)

623

Charity itself is acting justly and faithfully in the office, business, and employment in which a man is engaged...(422--424)

625

The benefactions of charity are giving to the poor and relieving the needy, but with prudence (425--428)

627

There are duties of charity, some public, some domestic, and some private (429--432)

630

The diversions of charity are dinners, suppers, and social gatherings (433--434)

632

The first thing of charity is to put away evils; and the second is to do goods that are of use to the neighbor (435--438)

634

In the exercises of charity man does not place merit in works so long as he believes that all good is from the Lord (439--442)

638

When moral life is at the same time spiritual, it is charity (443--445)

642

A friendship of love, contracted with a man without regard to his spiritual quality, is detrimental after death (446--449)

645

There is spurious charity, hypocritical charity, and dead charity (450--453)

648

The friendship of love among the evil is intestine hatred of each other (454--455)

651

The conjunction of love to God and love toward the neighbor (456--462)

653

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True Christian Religion

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials