A THOUGHTFUL SOUL: REFLECTIONS FROM SWEDENBORG [Paperback]

GEORGE F. DOLE (Editor), Huston Smith (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1995

George F. Dole, Harvard Ph.D., has translated and arranged by theme a selection of passages from Swedenborg's works on life, heaven and hell, and the nature of God. This book is an accessible introduction for the reader new to Swedenborg, as well as a concise reference for those familiar with his philosophy. [Swedenborg's] philosophy is about as practical as one could ask. Ascetism is not the way to God. ... A good person can be saved with any religion or with no religion.

"George F. Dole ... has done us a great service in bringing Emanuel Swedenborg back to the attention of our distracted age."
-from the foreword by Huston Smith

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Swedish

About the Author

Rev. Dr. George F. Dole holds a B.A. from Yale, an M.A. from Oxford, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Now professor emeritus, Dr. Dole taught ancient languages, the Bible, and theology at the Swedenborg School of Religion in Newton, MA. His recent translations of the New Century Editions of Heaven and Hell, Divine Love and Wisdom, and Divine Providence have won critical acclaim. He is also the author of Freedom and Evil and Sorting Things Out.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Chrysalis Books (November 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877851484
• ISBN-13: 978-0877851486
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,190,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) was a Swedish scientist, inventor, and theologian who made significant discoveries in many of the natural sciences, including astronomy, anatomy, geology, and mineralogy. At age fifty-five, his intensive search for answers to ultimate questions culminated in an awakening that gave him a unique insight into the workings of the spiritual world. He spent the remainder of his life writing about his experiences and how human beings can come to a deeper awareness of the divine.

Swedenborg's ideas have influenced people as diverse as Helen Keller, Johnny Appleseed, William Blake, Henry James, Ralph Waldo Emerson, D.T. Suzuki, Jorge Luis Borges, and Dr. Mehmet Oz. The continuing appeal of his thought undoubtedly lies in his insights into the afterlife, concepts of divine love, and focus on personal and social development.