Long-Distance Book Study

All are welcome to join our toll-free line every Wednesday for our book study on one of the books of the Heavenly Doctrine.
To find out what book we are currently reading or more information contact: Rev. Justin Schorran:
(w) 519-740-5802, asstpastor@carmelnewchurch.org

Newsletters

The NEW CHURCH CANADIAN is our bimonthly national newsletter, containing information about current programming and special events, pastoral visits around the country, book reviews and other opportunities to get involved, not to mention thoughtful articles by the members.

Originally conceived by a lay member of the church in Kitchener, Ontario, it began rather informally and has evolved since the 1970's into its current form as the "official" publication of the New Church in Canada. Only recently made available in electronic form it may now be read here as a PDF, or you can subscribe to the print edition simply by contacting the editor, Sandy Kuhl, at Sandy.C.Kuhl@gmail.com or by writing to them at 8 Marshall Ave., RR#1, Ayr, ON N0B 1E0.

2024 September - October New Church Canadian

Notice of a Special Meeting of GCIC

2024 July - August New Church Canadian

2024 May - June

2024 March - April Easter

2024 - January - February

History, Culture & Publications

Throughout its history the New Church has been a prolific publisher of books, magazines and special studies on religion, philosophy, education and culture. In no particular order, here is a list of some of the more general publications that are available (mostly from the United States) today.

New Church Life: This monthly magazine is devoted to the teachings revealed through Swedenborg and is the official communications organ of the General Church internationally. Here you can read sermons and other articles related to the life of the church, see occasional photographs of ministers, churches and other developments, and of course read church news from around the world. You may subscribe for $16 per year to any address, or read the publication online at www.newchurchlife.org

The New Philosophy: This is the occasional (quarterly?) journal of the Swedenborg Scientific Association, a scholarly magazine that varies often between 60 and 120 pages in length and covers all sorts of topics related to Swedenborg's life and studies, and the philosophical background to New Church doctrine. Subscriptions or memberships in the Association may be explored at www.swedenborg-philosophy.org and the lastest issue of the journal may be read online at www.newphilosophyonline.org

In addition here are some other interesting websites that provide a raft of information about the New Church.

www.newchurchhistory.org features research, articles and other oganizations dedicated to preserving the knowledge of Swedenborgian thought and, including various ambitious projects...

www.highermeaning.org features studies and papers explaining the connection (correspondence) between natural and spiritual things, and a variety of research on science and religion. 

www.glencairnmuseum.org - among many other things - takes you into the special world of fine arts collections that have special interest to those influenced by Swedenborg's revelations.

newchurchvineyard.org provides all kind of resources for helping children approach the Word. Pictures, projects, and Sunday School lessons from a variety of sources.

to be continued....

Schools and Colleges 

In addition to the two elementary schools run by our churches in Ontario, and the fledgling high school just opened in Kitchener specifically, many students from across Canada have attended and continue to attend the church-run high school, college and theological seminary in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

There, for over 130 years, the church has not only provided a first-class education to its students, it has developed an extensive new philosophy of education based on the revelations in Swedenborg's works. Traditionally most of the students came with strong church background, but in recent years there has been a special effort to invite the public to consider the benefits of this combination of natural and spiritual education, and "outside" enrollments have been welcomed. In this connection students from Canada may be eligible for special bursaries to help with the cost of attendance, pending acceptance.

You can visit the Academy of the New Church Secondary School on the web at www.ancess.org
and the college (a full, four year institution) at www.brynathyn.edu

The theological seminary also has a website at www.ancts.org

Note that both the high school and the college host week-long annual summer programs to provide special skills or training, and to help introduce future students to the life and atmosphere of the schools.

In addition, the most comprehensive library in the world for archives and resources related to the study of New Church history and doctrine is also housed on this campus, which is in the small burrough of Bryn Athyn, about 15 miles north of center-city Philadelphia.

New Christian Bible Study

The New Christian Bible Study Project is an online clearinghouse for people who are interested in the Bible, not just in its powerful literal sense, but also in its inner, spiritual sense.

The idea that the Bible has an inner meaning is an old idea. Jesus knew it, and referred to it. Jewish commentary on the Old Testament, the “Oral Torah” dates back perhaps as far back as the time of Moses, though it wasn't written down (called the Mishnah) until the second century of the Christian Era. Christian commentary dates back almost to the time of Christ, and has continued to the present day.

The theological underpinnings of this site are based on Emanuel Swedenborg's religious works from the 1700's. Although Swedenborg himself is not well-known today, the influence of his theological works has been wide and deep.

Among other things, Swedenborg published detailed expositions of the Book of Genesis, the Book of Exodus, and the Book of Revelation, or the Apocalypse. He also outlined the inner meanings of the Psalms, and the Prophets, and cited other scripture passages extensively.

Swedenborg wrote in Latin, but his books have been translated into many languages, and we hope to bring together many of them here for worldwide readers. So far, in our main database, we have most of the extant English translations, the original Latin versions, and some translations in Portuguese, French, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Dutch, and Korean.

In our on deck page, we have some of Swedenborg's works in 12 other languages, too, in .pdf format. We're going to import them into the main database as soon as we can, but they're online now, and ready for your use.

We have also gathered Bible translations in most of the major languages, so that Bible readers have a comfortable, easy-to-use place to read and study the Word of God, and to readily cross-link to explanatory content.

One of the key pieces of our project is that we're also adding plain-language explanations of Bible stories, verses, and words that are designed for modern readers. We're adding videos, too, and artwork that helps illustrate concepts.

This pr forward by the New Christian Bible Study Corp., a registered non-profit 501(c)3 organization that was set up for this purpose. We hope that this site will be useful to you in your spiritual journey.

To stay up to date with project news, sign up here: Subscribe to Our Mailing List

Church Camps & Retreats

Living waters Family Camp

All families are welcome; the camp will include activities and classes geared to all ages, as well as plenty of time to relax.

For more information, click here to see their webpage

Maple Leaf Academy

This very popular annual summer camp for high school teens (with provision for "alumni" counselors) currently takes place in late June or early July in a well developed retreat facility in south-central Ontario. Programming includes formal and informal discussion of Scripture and doctrinal teachings in application to life, in a context of warm and affirming personal relationships and great outdoor recreational opportunities.

Click here to go to our Facebook page.    Or click here to go to our web page.

Writings in French


Now you can search the writings in French!
visit our page here:

recherche.egnj.net

Swedenborg

Born in 1688 to a Lutheran bishop and his wife in Sweden, as a young man Emanuel Swedenborg excelled in math, science, engineering and language skills, among other things. He was an inventor of some renown, both a practical man and an intellectual at the same time. He was also deeply religious, but as he studied his religion (traveling also throughout Europe) he found many inconsistencies and contradictions in the faith, and he became especially concerned about the link between the natural and the spiritual in his work.

For example, even before he turned to theology as a special focus he wrote several extensive books about human anatomy and physiology, both elucidating the work of others and adding his own unique discoveries. Increasingly, however, his interest turned toward the body as the seat of the soul, and he wondered how the soul and the body were precisely integrated.

About this time he also began to have rather disturbing dreams, and he wondered what symbolic meaning those dreams held for him. Finally, in 1743 he experienced a vision of the Lord Himself, which convinced him to set out on a particular study of the Scriptures as the means of answering his most troubling questions. His approach was meticulous and scholarly. He read both Hebrew and Greek, and so was able to do his research in the original languages of the Bible. He studied intensely, comparing passages and compiling an extensive index of texts for reference in his expository works.

 Finally, in 1749, he published the first of what would be 8 volumes in Latin (10 or 12 when translated into English) systematically explaining the spiritual meaning or "internal sense" of every single verse of the books of Genesis and Exodus. He called the work Arcana Caelestia, or Secrets of Heaven. After this he compiled and added to the information in the "Arcana," publishing several works of a topical nature, including perhaps his best read book, Heaven and Hell, a book about the Last Judgment, and a book summarizing New Church teachings. Then there were books about creation and providence, the Lord, the Word, life, faith and the spiritual aspects of marriage, and two separate and extensive treatments of the biblical book of Revelation, all carefully documented from his studies.

His last major work, The True Christian Religion, was published in 1770, following a year in which the Swedish state church brought him to trial on charges of heresy. But since his work was so thoroughly documented from the Scriptures he was exonerated, and the ensuing book is a vigorous defense of the new theology. He died peacefully as he predicted on March 29th, 1772.

Unlike many religious writers Swedenborg made no attempt to start a new religious organization, though he explains the principles of the New Church in great detail, especially in the exposition of the symbolism in John's vision of the Holy City, New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven (Rev. 21-22). Early readers thought that this new approach to the Scriptures would take hold within established denominations and inspire a complete renewal of the Christian Church. But it was not to be. So, gradually, momentum built for the establishment of an entirely new church, first in England, then America, and now in dozens of countries around the world.

You can read more about Swedenborg on many of the websites listed under "Other Resources," including Wikipedia, which gives a pretty fair treatment of the man. Note also the long list of tributes paid to him by famous intellectuals from around the world, on www.swedenborg.ca.

Videos

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