This original work, the combined effort of 2 Swedenborgian scholars, contains key concepts of Swedenborg's theology & is sprinkled throughout with illustrations of his time & his accomplishments. It touches on the father-son relationship between Emanuel & Jesper, Bishop of Skara, thought to be tenuous but in actuality having significant influence on the boy's youthful years. It was after his father's death that Swedenborg's interests turned away from the physical sciences & toward physiology, including the soul-body question that was to totally occupy him in later years. Swedenborg was a familiar figure at the royal court, had friends who were prominent in society & government & was himself a member of the House of Nobles & the Board of Mines. In his late twenties, he had frequent visits with King Charles XII who was about his own age. They shared interests in theoretical mathematics & technological inventions. This small volume reviews in-depth Swedenborg's dream & the divine visitation, which he accepted as a commission to reveal to the world the internal meaning of the New Testament. This commission occupied him until his death.

Published by Swedenborg Foundation, Inc., 139 E 23rd St., NY, NY 10010 (1-800-366-7310).