The Swedenborg Library has public hours on Wednesday and Friday afternoons, from 1–5 PM Central Time.
Above, the monument to Swedenborg, whose vision of the new Jerusalem (Revelation, chapter 21 in the Bible) inspired city planner Daniel Burnham; in Chicago's Lincoln Park on a particularly beautiful day. Swedenborg looks benevolently toward the city, holding a copy of "Secrets of Heaven" to his heart.
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Zooming Wednesday, May 24 at 7:30 PM CDT: Ralph Waldo Emerson, with Rev. Robert McCluskey (a Zoom-from-home program)
For the Zoom room and password information for this program, use the "Contact Us" button at left to request it.
A well-known American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson was a leader in the creation of the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19C. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society. His ideas were dissem- inated through dozens of published essays and more than 1,500 public lec- tures across the United States. Harold Bloom described him as “the prophet of American religion.” Although he traveled extensively, this “Sage of Concord” spent most of his life in the great- er Boston area.
In 1826, Emerson was introduced to Swedenborg through Sampson Reed’s Growth of the Mind. Much like William Blake before him, Emerson maintained an abiding, if ambiguous, relation to Swedenborg’s ideas for the remainder of his life. Moving between high praise and harsh criticism, Emerson demonstrated his own principle of individualism, freedom, and the dynamic nature of thought and learning. As he famously noted, “Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”
Rev. McCluskey’s lecture will briefly examine Emerson’s life and consider his philosophy and works. He will then turn to Emerson’s connection to Swedenborg. Here the concepts of correspondence, influx, freedom of thought, and the primacy of personal experience over doctrine, will be examined. The presentation on three works of Emerson: Nature (1836), The Transcendentalist (1842), and Representative Men (1850).
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Join in from your home the Swedenborg Chapel in Cambridge, MA's Zoom presentations. All programs will begin at 6 PM Central Time:
FRIDAY, MAY 19: WILLIAM JAMES with Dr. Carl von Essen
FRIDAY, JUNE 2: JOHN CHAPMAN (JOHNNY APPLESEED) with Rev. Dr. Jim Lawrence
FRIDAY, JULY 7: IMMANUEL KANT with Dr. Rebecca Esterson
To register, use the "Contact Us" navigation button in the left-hand column to send us a note.
Ivan Aguéli with Dr. Devin Zuber May 5 at 7:00 PM ET
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Join us at the World Parliament of Religions August 14-18, 2023 at the McCormick Lakeside Center, ChicagoPasses to the entire week of events are $425 or day passes (use any day) are $175. Students (high school and undergrad), $50 for kids. $125 for a day pass.
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Friday, August 18, 10:30 AM at the World Parliament of ReligionsMcCormick Lakeside Center Panel Presentation: Many Roads to the Kingdom of Heaven: Swedenborg's Cultural Legacy, with Del Rose and Dr. Devin Zuber
Register for a day pass to the World Parliament of Religions for the closing day, Friday, August 18 and join us for our program in room E271B.
Scholar Dell Rose and Dr. Devin Zuber will discuss the cultural impact of Emanuel Swedenborg's work, with special focus on the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Dell J. Rose is an American Ph.D. student at the University of Amsterdam. Holding a bachelor’s degree with majors in English, History, and Religion and a master’s degree in Folklore, he is also a fellow of the Swedenborg Society in London.
Dr. Devin Zuber is an Associate Professor of American Studies, Religion, and Literature at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley, California. He teaches in the GTU’s Ph.D. program’s concentrations for Art and Religion, New Religious Movements, and Religion and Literature. Dr. Zuber holds a Ph.D. in English Literature and a M.Phil. from the CUNY Graduate Center, an M.A. from Queens College, and a B.A. from Bryn Athyn College.
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To join online discussions of others who are reading Swedenborg's work, or to view video presentations, visit one of the sites below:
Off The Left Eye videos (organized by topic area:) Click Here.
For blog discussions of Swedenborgian and contemporary topics, or to download books:
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To register for the 2023 Annual Convention of Swedenborgians, which will take place in Bridgewater, MA July 1-5, 2023, visit the denominational website using the link below. Deadline for registration is May 15, 2023. Some mini-courses may be available via Zoom this year.
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Mini-courses from the 2022 Swedenborgian convention in Long Beach, CA may now be viewed on YouTube. 2022 Convention programs
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Welcome to the Swedenborg Library in Chicago
Above: Common Ground lecturer Jerry Leitner addresses a group during a Swedenborg Library program taking place in James Parlor at 77 W. Washington St., Chicago.
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.
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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, Thursday afternoons prior to programs, and by appointment. Click on the Calendar link in the top left column for our hours and schedule.
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For more info on upcoming programs, click on the "upcoming events" bar in the left-hand column.
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PAST SPEAKERS AT THE SWEDENBORG LIBRARY INCLUDE:
Rebecca Armstrong, Julia Bachrach, Marc Ian Barasch, Rev. Kit Billings, Denise Breton, Herbert Bronstein, Sophy Burnham, Rabbi Menachem Cohen, Phil Cousineau, John DeBerry, Rev. Dr. George Dole, Rev. Dr. David Fekete, 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, Russell Lewis, 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...
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