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Emanuel Swedenborg
Scientist and Mystic
SIGNE TOKSVIG
Swedenborg Foundation Publishers, 1983

This classic biography of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772), first published in 1948, gives us a sharp, witty, personal insight into the life of the Swedish scientist and theologian.

Though not a Swedenborgian herself, and somewhat skeptical of Swedenborg’s claims to divine revelation, Toksvig praises Swedenborg’s genius as both a thinker and a man of faith: “Swedenborg in his later phase has as great treasure to bestow as many of those millionaires of the spirit we call mystics, even if one reads him strictly from an ethical point of view. And, apart from an interest in distinctions between good and evil—not an unnecessary interest at the present time, one would think—Swedenborg in his life and works can, if one takes a little trouble to understand him, open travel horizons for us far exceeding all others for beauty and strangeness.”

An introduction by the Reverend Brian Kingslake, added to a 1983 edition, provides a Swedenborgian perspective and retrospective on a work that remains a fascinating, informative look at Swedenborg’s world.

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Emanuel Swedenborg
The Development of His Thought
MARTIN LAMM
Swedenborg Foundation Publishers, 2000

Available for the first time in English, Martin Lamm's work on the evolution of Emanuel Swedenborg's (1688-1772) philosphical system has stood as the standard humanist interpretation of Swedenborg's writings. First published in Swedish in 1915, the book has influenced generations of European scholars. His detailed investigation of the philosophical and religious background of Swedenborgian thought is an illuminating inquiry into the mystery of how Swedenborg was transformed from a scientist into a seer.

Lamm demonstrates that there is a logical and consisten line of thought developed from Swedenborg's earliest childhood experiences to his most mature theological statements. Backed by scholarly evidence, Lamm shows that Swedenborg's scientifically based worldview was not changed by his religious revelations -- rather, his visions completed and corroborated the picture.

Martin Lamm's analysis of the genesis of Swedenborgian philosophy is a masterful and lively portrait of one of history's most remarkable thinkers.

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Emanuel Swedenborg
Visionary Savant in the Age of Reason
ERNST BENZ
Swedenborg Foundation Publishers, 2002

Originally written more than fifty years ago by eminent scholar Ernst Benz, this volume stands as one of the most comprehensive biographies of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) ever published.

Benz examines Swedenborg’s life through the lens of the intellectual atmosphere of the eighteenth century. Growing up at a time when the classical view of the world was being challenged by the new philosophers and scientists of the Enlightenment, Swedenborg was deeply immersed both in the religious teachings of the Lutheran church and the explorations of rational science. His quest for understanding eventually led to his spiritual awakening and the unique insights that continue to inspire seekers and thinkers today.

Now available for the first time in paperback, Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke’s eminently readable translation shines a new light on the Swedish seer.

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Enlightenment All the Way to Heaven
Emanuel Swedenborg in the Context of Eighteenth-Century Theology and Philosophy
Friedemann Stengel
Swedenborg Foundation Publishers, 2023
Enlightenment All the Way to Heaven: Emanuel Swedenborg in the Context of Eighteenth-Century Theology and Philosophy is an English translation of Friedemann Stengel’s 2009 German habilitation (qualifying) thesis, which was published by Mohr Siebeck Tübingen in 2011, Aufklärung bis zum Himmel: Emanuel Swedenborg im Kontext der Theologie und Philosophie des 18. Jahrhunderts. In this volume, Stengel provides a survey of Swedenborg’s philosophical influences, as well as an assessment of Swedenborg’s own influence on the German theology of his time, thereby giving the reader new insight into the nature of the Enlightenment. Exploring Swedenborg’s many inspirations, from Plato to Aristotle, Augustine to Descartes, and Malebranche to Leibniz, just to name a few, Stengel shows the breadth of their impact on Swedenborg and the resultant sophistication of the Swedish prophet’s ideas.

By broadening the conversation surrounding Swedenborg’s source and reception histories, Stengel hopes to counter the reductive lenses through which certain of Swedenborg’s experiences have been filtered. In the author’s own words, “this will serve to highlight the perspectives contained within the historical discourse, tracing their seminal influence on later religious and philosophical discussions that, in turn, gave rise, from the eighteenth century onward, to the psychohistorical interpretations of associated supernatural phenomena such as Swedenborg’s visionary propensity.”

Enlightenment All the Way to Heaven is the twenty-fourth installment in the Swedenborg Studies scholarly series.
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Imaginal Landscapes
Reflections on the Mystical Visions of Jorge Luis Borges and Emanuel Swedenborg
William Rowlandson
Swedenborg Foundation Publishers, 2015
In 1978, the great Argentine short story writer Jorge Luis Borges described Emanuel Swedenborg as the most extraordinary man in recorded history. In Imaginal Landscapes, William Rowlandson offers a brief but deep-reaching study of this often-unknown appreciation, showing how the Swedish visionary's influence has gone a long way to explain Borges's preoccupations with parallel existences, the infinite, and the mystery of language. Delightfully written and steeped in a wonderful sense of curiosity, Imaginal Landscapes cements Rowlandson's position as one of the UK's leading scholars on Borges, and it raises important questions about the criteria we often use to assess the lives and works of those thinkers and writers who have come to be labeled as mystics. 
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Overcoming Divisiveness
Lessons from Emanuel Swedenborg
Emanuel Swedenborg
Swedenborg Foundation Publishers, 2021
As long as there have been groups of people, there have been divisions between them personal, ideological, racial, religious, ethnic, and more. The ideological divisions in society, particularly those in American society, have been the subject of a lot of discussion in recent years, and at times the divide between the various camps seems insurmountable.

If you’ve been troubled by the broader divides in society, or if there’s a conflict within your own life that’s been a source of pain and anxiety, some spiritually focused thoughts on how to create harmony between those opposing sides may be just what you need. But be warned: as Emanuel Swedenborg tells us, the first step to overcoming a conflict is to look within yourself.

Overcoming Divisiveness contains passages from Swedenborg’s works that give not only insights into the roots of interpersonal conflicts but also perspectives on how to overcome them. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction to a group of related passages. Following each passage, you’ll find the core idea expressed in that passage along with a short description of what it entails, as well as questions for discussion or reflection that are intended to help illustrate how that concept can be directly and meaningfully applied to daily life. You are invited to read the passages from Swedenborg when you need inspiration, use the quotes and reflections as a starting point for a group discussion, or simply enjoy the material as food for your own spiritual journey. You might also find the passages to be inspiration for your own prayers, meditations, creative works, or other techniques for connecting with the Divine.
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The Swedish Prophet
Reflections on the Visionary Philosophy of Emanuel Swedenborg
Jose Antonio Anton-Pacheco
Swedenborg Foundation Publishers, 2012

José Antonio Antón-Pacheco exercises his expertise in philosophy in this meditation on the ideas of Emanuel Swedenborg.

In this book he tackles subjects as diverse as the nature of unity and the way that the Divine manifests in the world; the nature of human beings as they relate to the higher realms, and specifically Swedenborg’s concept of the Grand Man or Universal Human; the mystical nature of Swedenborg’s interpretation of the Bible; and the nature of time and space in the spiritual world. Alongside his exploration of Swedenborg’s thought are examinations of Swedenborg’s influence on a variety of different thinkers and authors, from Jorge Luis Borges to Ibn ’Arabi.

This book was originally published in Spanish as El profeta del norte: Un libro sobre Swedenborg. Perfect for scholars and serious students of Swedenborg’s thought, Antón Pacheco’s powerful writing casts a new light on the Swedish prophet.

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