Swedenborg Foundation Publishers Announce the 250th Year Anniversary Release of "Heaven and Hell" by Emanuel Swedenborg

New York, NY (PRWEB) May 9, 2008

Swedenborg Foundation Publishers celebrates the 250th anniversary of the beloved Heaven and Hell by Emanuel Swedenborg, which has been continuously in print since its first publication in 1758. The book has been translated into over 23 languages. Swedenborg Foundation Publishers is a small press that keeps in print and distributes worldwide the works of Swedenborg.

Heaven and Hell sets out Swedenborg's groundbreaking revelations on what happens to people after their deaths, based on his visions of heaven and hell and his conversations with angels and devils.

Some of his key ideas were:

• People of all faiths go to heaven
• All angels were once human beings on earth
• God does not judge or condemn human beings to hell; people determine their own fate based on their actions and values in this world
• People who go to heaven live a life very similar to this one, engaging in the activities they loved most in this world; marriages which happen in this world may continue in the next

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of this work, this month Swedenborg Foundation Publishers released a series of excerpts from Heaven and Hell geared toward issues that affect our lives today:

• What happens to us when we die?
• What happens to children when they die?
• What lifestyle is the best preparation for heaven?
• What is the nature of good government?

Each includes an introduction describing Heaven and Hell and a short biography of Emanuel Swedenborg. The excerpts are available at no charge through Swedenborg Foundation Publishers for quantities up to five, and a nominal charge for five and over.

Heaven and Hell has touched many lives over the past 250 years. One such person was Helen Keller, who wrote about the impact Swedenborg's writings had on her life in the spiritual autobiography Light in My Darkness (Swedenborg Foundation Publishers, 1994).

Swedenborg Foundation Publishers produced a documentary about her experiences, Shining Soul, which is currently showing on PBS stations around the country. Another film produced by these publishers, Splendors of the Spirit, provides additional insights into Swedenborg's teachings. These films, created by filmmaker Penny Price, are both available online at http://www.newcenturytv.com/swedenborg.

For a quick introduction to Swedenborg, readers may wish to consult "Afterlife" (Chrysalis Books, 2006), a condensed version of "Heaven and Hell" which gives the essence of Swedenborg's ideas.

This spring and summer, Swedenborg Foundation Publishers will release three new editions of Swedenborg's works:

• True Christianity, volume 1 (April 2008) is the most complete summary of Swedenborg's theology published in a single work.
• Divine Love and Wisdom (June 2008) describes a God who is present with all people on earth--regardless of race or religion--and explores the underlying unity of all living things.
• Divine Providence (July 2008) explores the classic problem of why evil exists, and shows how our inner life connects directly to the conflicts between heaven and hell.

All of Swedenborg's works are available via Swedenborg Foundation Publishers web site at http://www.swedenborg.com , as well as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Ingram, and Baker and Taylor.

"We're very proud of the continued interest in Swedenborg's life and writings. He is still one of the most compelling and comforting visionaries to date and we continue to see the impact of his life and writings all over the world," said Stephanie Ford, Finance & Operations Manager/Acting Managing Director.

Swedenborg Foundation Publishers will be exhibiting at the annual Book Expo America in Los Angeles, CA on May 29 through June 1 in booth 757. Staff there will have copies of Heaven and Hell (including the excerpts) available for review, as well as all new releases. The site for the expo is http://www.bookexpoamerica.com .

For review copies or interviews, please contact Nettie Hartsock, Hartsock Communications -- nettie AT nettiehartsock.com or 512-396-1067.

Swedenborg Foundation Publishers web site is http://www.swedenborg.com and their direct line is 610-430-3222.

About Emanuel Swedenborg
Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on January 29, 1688 (Julian calendar).

A member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences, he devoted himself to scientific studies and philosophical reflections that culminated in a number of publications, most notably a comprehensive three-volume work on mineralogy (1734) that brought him recognition across Europe as a scientist and philosopher. After 1734 he redirected his research and publishing to a study of anatomy in search of the interface between the soul and body, making several significant discoveries in physiology.

From 1743 to 1745 he entered a transitional phase that resulted in a shift of his main focus from science and philosophy to theology. Throughout the rest of his life he maintained that this shift was brought about by Jesus Christ, who appeared to him, called him to a new mission, and opened his perception to a permanent dual consciousness of this life and the life after death.

He devoted the last decades of his life to studying Scripture and publishing eighteen theological titles that draw on the Bible, reasoning, and his own spiritual experiences. These works present a Christian theology with unique perspectives on the nature of God, the spiritual world, the Bible, the human mind, and the path to salvation.

Swedenborg died in London on March 29, 1772, at the age of eighty-four.

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