The Swedenborg Society was founded in London ... [in] 1810 to translate, publish and sell the works of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). This book tells the story of how a society founded with just forty members grew into a body with nearly one thousand members worldwide, continuously commissioning new translations over the years and thus keeping Swedenborg's works in print and ideas alive. It is also the story of the men and women who founded the Society and who sustained it over two centuries. -- Book jacket.

In Search of the Absolute: Essays on Swedenborg and Literature looks at the enduring influence of the eighteenth-century Swedish philosopher and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg on poetry, drama, and short fiction in Europe and both North and South America. It contains articles by H. J. Jackson, Anders Hallengren, and other leading writers and academics.

Swedenborg did more than most people would in ten lifetimes. He was fluent in 9 languages, excelled in music, was a member of Parliament, wrote 150 books on 17 different sciences, invented an undersea boat, glider, and a hearing-aid trumpet for the deaf. As an astronomer he put forth the nebular theory regarding planetary formation. As a physiologist he discovered the function of certain ductless glands and several areas of the brain. He wrote the first in-depth books on metallurgy and developed an elaborate theory of the origin of all thingsbut at age 57 dropped all scientific pursuits to search for the human soul. His spiritual discoveries attracted a large following that became a religion.

Swedenborg's Secret is the first major study of the eighteenth-century Swedish philosopher and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) to be published in English for over fifty years. Using a wealth of historical material, Lars Bergquist paints a vivid portrait of an ambitious and practical man who was one of the greatest figures of the Enlightenment and who captivated generations of thinkers with his stunning vision of human destiny.