"I appreciate your events so much–they are thoughtful, sane, and restore the soul!"
Victoria, Chicago, IL 
If we despise our neighbors or regard people as our enemies for merely disagreeing with us or not showing us reverence or respect, our life is a life of self-love. 

If for similar slights we hate our neighbors and persecute them, then we are even more deeply entrenched in self-love. 

And if we burn with vengeance against them and crave their destruction, our self-love is stronger still; people with this attitude eventually love being cruel.

–Emanuel Swedenborg, "New Jerusalem" section 68. 
"Thanks for the welcoming format of the Common Ground lectures at the Swedenborg Library...warm & relaxing." 
Bill, Wilmette, IL
Above, the Lincoln Park Chicago monument to Swedenborg, whose vision of the new Jerusalem (Revelation, chapter 21 in the Bible) inspired city planner Daniel Burnham. Swedenborg looks benevolently toward the city, holding a copy of "Secrets of Heaven" to his heart. 


The Library is open for visits on Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 1–5 PM Central Time, and by appointment.

Our upcoming free Zoom programs this spring are listed below.
Welcome to the Swedenborg Library in Chicago
Above: Lecturer Jerry Leitner addresses a group during a Swedenborg Library program. 

Here you'll find information on upcoming events and programs on a wide range of topics, from spiritual practices, the world's religions, spirituality in America among others. 

Our circulating book collection offers a range of contemporary books on spiritual topics, as well as the work of the 18C Swedish scientist and theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. 

One of the insights that Swedenborg had about the heavenly realm was that people who lived the good of their religion of all religions were found there. The Swedenborg Library embraces that idea, and is an ecumenical center. People of all faiths, and those who aren't sure what they believe are welcomed here. 

The Swedenborg Library has public hours on Wednesday and Friday afternoons, from 1–5 PM Central Time, and by appointment.
Zoom Program, Thursday, April 24, 6 PM Central
Paul Amongst the Gentiles: Strategies of Legitimization in the Work of Paul of Tarsus, with Dell Rose
Accounting for more than half of the New Testament, the letters of Paul remain some of the most influential writings ever. Yet their familiarity also masks their strangeness.
   Join us as Dell discusses Paul and his rhetorical strategies, examining their context in the first century world. We will examine Paul's relationship with the mystery religions of the ancient world, the influence of monotheistic practitioners of Greek and Roman religions, and the literature of oracles. Dell will focus especially on other Hellenic groups likewise seeking validation and converts. 
   Much of Paul's theology shares a common ancestry with other Hellenic groups, yet due to the prevalence of Christianity as a historical construction, this has mostly been forgotten. As Christianity's most important articulator, we will discuss Paul's motivations and reasons for lasting success. 
(Suggested reading: Matthew Sharp, Divination and Philosophy in the Letters of St. Paul, ©2024.)

Zoom Info:
Meeting Room ID 558 403 3057
Password: Swedenborg
Thursday, April 24, at 6 PM Central (room opens at 5:45 PM)
Saturday, April 26, 3 PM Central: The Biannual Meeting of the Illinois Association of the New Jerusalem, in the Swedenborg Library, and via Zoom. 
Delegates representing the churches that are part of the Illinois Association should contact Info@SwedLib.org for information prior to the meeting. 
Saturday, April 26, 6 PM Central: special guest Dr. Vadim Putzu, Missouri State University will discuss
The Missouri Platonist: Thomas Moore Johnson 
"The Missouri Platonist," Thomas Moore Johnson amassed one of the largest philosophical libraries in the Midwest, the Bibliotheca Platonica, in Osceola Missouri. He was a major thinker in the transmission of hermetic philosophy in America and around the world. Johnson had extensive correspondence with members of the Theosophical Society, and with members of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor, which connected his small commuity with the wider intellectual world of the 19th century. Johnson was also an interesting node in the distribution of Swedenborg's works throughout the central U.S. 

Join us either in the Swedenborg Library, or via Zoom to learn more of this fascinating American. 

Location: Swedenborg Library, 77 W. Washington St. 17th floor (at Clark St.), Chicago
Date/Time: Saturday, April 26, 6 PM central

Zoom information:
Meeting id: 558 403 3057
Password: Swedenborg
For all Spring 2025 upcoming programs, click on the "Coming Programs & Events" button at left, and view the brochure PDF.
To view the recent program, "Swedenborg's Inward Turn" with Rev. Robert McCluskey, use the link to Youtube below. 
To view the video, click the link below, or copy the URL address below and paste into your browser window:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbWqnT4rjRs&t=803s
Scholar Dell Rose joins the Swedenborg Library
Dell J. Rose develops and hosts programs for the Swedenborg Library in Chicago. Dell holds the position of Swedenborg Doctoral Fellow with the Swedenborg Society in the United Kingdom, and he is a doctoral candidate at the Centre for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the Universities van Amsterdam. His research focuses on the intersection of Western esotericism and political reform, particularly with Swedenborgianism in 19th century Britain. 

To read Dell's latest article, click on the "Readings" navigational tab at left, and you will find his article "The House of David" at the top of the PDFs there, or click here: Readings. 
To join online discussions of others who are reading Swedenborg's work, or to view video presentations, visit one of the sites below:

The Swedenborg Community online: Click Here.

Off The Left Eye videos (organized by topic area:) Click Here.
For blog discussions of Swedenborgian and contemporary topics, or to download books: 

See Events & Programs for information on our upcoming programs. We look forward to seeing you then. Use the Contact Us form for information on our collection.
  
If you will be in downtown Chicago and would like to visit the Swedenborg Library, we are open Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 1:00-5:00 pm, and by appointment. Click on the Calendar link in the top left column for our hours and schedule. 

For more info on upcoming programs, click on the "upcoming events" bar in the left-hand column.

  

PAST SPEAKERS AT THE SWEDENBORG LIBRARY INCLUDE: 
Julia Bachrach, Marc Ian Barasch, Denise Breton, Herbert Bronstein, Sophy Burnham, Kanjin Cederman Shonin, Rabbi Menachem Cohen, Phil Cousineau, Matthew Fox,vRev. Dr. George Dole, Barbara Geiger, Mercy Gilpatric, Jack Gilroy, John Haller Jr., Fatima Imam, Kenneth James, Sunny Dawn Johnston, Jim Kenney, Christopher Largent, Stephen & Robin Larsen, Erik Larson, Rev. Dr. James Lawrence, Jerrol Leitner, Dr. Wayne Martindale, Rev. Robert McCluskey, Ron Miller, Dr. Raymond Moody, John Moulder, Sarah Odishoo, Paul Quinn, Rev. Dr. Jonathan Rose, Ahmad Sadri, Kristen Schaffer, Ann McNamara Smith, Richard Smoley, John Stolfo,Edward Sylvia, Brother Wayne Teasdale, Dr. Alfred Thomas, Pauline Viviano, Rev. Wilma Wake, John Wasik...