Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The first major theological work of the Swedish scientist-turned-seer Emanuel Swedenborg, Secrets of Heaven reveals the unseen realms that await beyond death. In this second of fifteen volumes, Swedenborg discusses the nature of heaven and the perceptions of the spirits that live there. In addition, the work offers a detailed examination of chapters ten through fifteen of Genesis, including the story of the tower of Babel.
About the Author
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 Swedens 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 XIIs 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.
Lisa Hyatt Cooper is translator of the fifteen-volume Secrets of Heaven for the Swedenborg Foundations New Century Edition of Swedenborg. Her past publications include a series of short stories from Swedenborg translated for children and a Latin edition of his work Other Planets. She contributed translations to Debates with Devils by Don Rose and was the main consultant for five of the twelve volumes of John Elliotts translation of Arcana Caelestia, published by the Swedenborg Society in London. Her essay The Creation Story” for Your Turn!, the Foundations 2008 Chrysalis reader, was the source of the text for the current book.