Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Divine Love and Wisdom has been called the most profound work of the Enlightenment scientist and seer Emanuel Swedenborg. It demonstrates how God’s love, wisdom, and humanity are reflected in creation and in ourselves, and suggests that the act of Creation is not a mystery of the past, but a miracle ongoing in every instant of the present. Like a blueprint of things unseen, Divine Love and Wisdom makes visible the hidden design of the universe, as well as the qualities of its Architect. Its vivid depiction of the spiritual mechanism of the world has impressed thinkers such as William Blake, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry James Sr.
This volume contains an introduction by Gregory R. Johnson that puts the work in the context of the history of philosophy.
The New Century Edition of the Works of Emanuel Swedenborg is a modern-language, scholarly translation of Swedenborg’s theological works. The series’ easy-to-read style retains the dignity, variety, clarity, and gender-inclusive language of Swedenborg’s original Latin, bringing his thought to life. Introductions and annotations by eminent, international scholars place Swedenborg’s writings in their historical context and illuminate obscure references within the text, enabling readers to understand and trace Swedenborg’s influence as never before.
Synopsis
Swedenborg presents a vision of a universe so full of Divinity that there is no room for sectarianism. He reaches out to the secular mind with a vision of order and beauty pregnant with meaning and direction and appeals to human experience and reflection (rather than scriptural interpretation) in making the case for the presence of God's love and wisdom.
It is not just that there is a purpose underlying creation; it is that we share in that purpose and are essential to its fulfillment. From God's infinite love and wisdom to our own individual desires and perceptions, there is an underlying unity on which we can rely.
In Divine Providence, the sequel to Divine Love and Wisdom, the focus is directed toward earth, at a world so troubled that the loving hand of God is often hidden from our sight and brought into question. How can we believe in the goodness and power of God when we constantly see injustice and war?
The answers that are offered turn us toward a deeper understanding of our own human nature and process. For better or for worse, we do make a difference, and heavenly community is not beyond our reach. Only divine love and wisdom can provide us with the accountability that gives meaning to our lives.
About the Author:
Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), a truly remarkable visionary, began his career as a Swedish mining official and member of parliament and became well known throughout Europe as a scientist and prolific writer on scientific and philosophical subjects. After a series of profound religious experiences during midlife, he devoted the remaining twenty-seven years of his life to being a Aservant of the Lord@ and wrote energetically to communicate aspiritual vision of reality. Since then, the rigid theologies of the eighteenth century have steadily yielded, and the foresighted lucidity of his perspective has gained widening recognition. The fresh and contemporary appeal of Swedenborg=s insights arises from the respect he showed for all religious faiths that stress a useful and loving life.