Emanuel Swedenborg : Visionary Savant in the Age of Reason

“Ernst Benz’s book still offers the best access to Swedenborg’s thought. Benz’s profound knowledge of the history of philosophical, spiritual—not least, esoteric—and scientific ideas in the Western world enables him to present a ‘Swedenborg in context.’ . . . The remarkable introduction by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke is simply the best and most comprehensive short text on Swedenborg I’ve ever read.”

– Antoine Faivre, Professor in the History of Esoteric and Mystical Currents in Modern Europe at the E.P.H.E, Sorbonne, Paris

Originally written more than fifty years ago by eminent scholar Ernst Benz, this volume stands as one of the most comprehensive biographies of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) ever published.

Benz examines Swedenborg’s life through the lens of the intellectual atmosphere of the eighteenth century. Growing up at a time when the classical view of the world was being challenged by the new philosophers and scientists of the Enlightenment, Swedenborg was deeply immersed both in the religious teachings of the Lutheran church and the explorations of rational science. His quest for understanding eventually led to his spiritual awakening and the unique insights that continue to inspire seekers and thinkers today.

Now available for the first time in paperback, Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke’s eminently readable translation shines a new light on the Swedish seer.