Swedenborg, Oetinger, Kant: Three Perspectives on the Secrets of Heaven

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Swedenborg Foundation, 2007 - Biography & Autobiography - 170 pages

In this meticulous study, Wouter Hanegraaff examines the structure, themes, and development of Emanuel Swedenborg's massive work Secrets of Heaven (Arcana Coelestia), published between 1749 and 1756. Written as a work of biblical exegesis (of Genesis and Exodus), Swedenborg also interpolated material on his visionary experiences, which have long fascinated readers.

In the second part of the study, Dr. Hanegraaff examines the contemporary reception of the multi-volume work, particularly the critical reactions of Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Christoph Oetinger. He finds that Swedenborg's biblical exegesis, so important in his divine calling, was largely ignored in favor of the mystical experiences.

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Contents

The Structure of Secrets of Heaven
13
Method History and Doctrine
21
Biblical Exegesis
37
Copyright

9 other sections not shown

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About the author (2007)

Wouter Hanegraaff is professor of History and Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam. He has published widely on historical and theoretical aspects of the study of Western esotericism, including a recent study of the 15th-century Hermetic philosopher Lodovico Lazzarelli and a highly acclaimed publication New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought.

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