The New Church in the New World: A Study of Swedenborgianism in America

About the Author

Dr. Marguerite Beck Block (1889–1974) earned her PhD from Columbia University in 1932, where she later taught for twenty-five years. Block was one of the first students in Columbia University’s religion department and edited the journal Review of Religion. Though not a Swedenborgian herself, Dr. Block’s scholarship on Emanuel Swedenborg was driven by a deep appreciation for his work and a desire to present him as a “real human being.”


The Rev. Christopher Augustus Barber teaches religion at the Academy of the New Church and holds master's degrees in both New Church theology and Human Sexuality Education. He enjoys exploring and writing on doctrine, church history, and current events. In the Academy, he serves on the pastoral team and works to bring heaven and earth closer for students through classroom learning and curriculum design. As an ordained priest in the General Church of the New Jerusalem, he serves in various capacities, including clergy think tanks and preaching occasional Sunday services by invitation. He serves on the board of directors of the Swedenborg Foundation, furthering the reach of New Church doctrines worldwide. Christopher has been engaged in an extensive years-long study of the life of Dr. Marguerite Beck Block and is honored to play a role in the continued usefulness of her work and increased appreciation of her life. He and his wife, Annika (Fitzpatrick), reside in Trenton, NJ.

Robert H. Kirven was president and professor emeritus at the Swedenborg School of Religion in Newton, Massachusetts. He held degrees from the University of Chicago, Andover Newton Theological School, and Brandeis University, where he earned a Ph.D. in the history of ideas. He was the author of Angels in Action and the co-author, with George F. Dole, of A Scientist Explores Spirit.