Right: Library speaker Jerry Leitner discusses the gospel of Mary Magdala, a Common Ground program. Due to its size, the group gathered in James Parlor, on the second floor of 77 W. Washington St. for this program. 

Upcoming Events & Programs
Sunday, September 29, 3–6 PM: Prayer Gathering
Join us for an afternoon prayer gathering and conversion in the Swedenborg Library. 
Zoom Program Monday September 30 at 6 PM CDT, with Dell Rose:
Garden City: The Garden City Movement
The Garden City movement was inspired by spiritual teachings from Swedenborg and others, to reimagine the city as a beautiful space. 

Sir Ebenezer Howard, the founder of the movement, saw the garden as the fundamental building structure. He believed that by turning the city green, one could overcome the effects of spiritual decline. 

Join us and learn about the motives behind the city parks and gardens we enjoy today. 

Contact us for the Zoom link at Info@SwedLib.org.
Time: 6 PM CDT / 7 PM Eastern on Monday Sept. 30.
Zoom & In-Person Program: Monday October 7 at 12 PM CDT, with Dell Rose:
William Blake, Schwenckfeld, and the German Spiritualist Concept of Natural Redemption
"When the little Vole Lets forth his Joy, 
When his Redemption Draweth Nigh" –William Blake

In this presentation, we'll consider the concept of "natural redemption," meaning the messianic restoration of the material and animal worlds in Blake's Book of Thel (1789.) In this poem, Blake presents a totalizing vision of messianic redemption, of time and of all matter, including animals and plants typically considered vermin.

In Blake's vision, our fear of certain creatures is a result of our fallen nature, and the redemption of humanity would be nothing if it did not include these other beings. This  concept received a good deal of attention by writers in the German Spiritualist tradition of the 16th and 17th centuries. 

Blake's engagement with this tradition is well documented, especially in his readings of Paracelsus and Böhme. However, few scholars have considered the influence of radical visionary Caspar Schwenckfeld von Ossig (1488–1561), whose teachings were central to the development of German Protestant mysticism. 

Like Blake, Schwenckfeld saw the natural world's redemption as being fundamentally identical with the redemption of humanity; anything else would be "halbfertig" (half-finished). 

Schwenckfeld's apocalyptic was one of transmutation, and using the language of alchemy he spoke not of the end of the material order, but of its translation. Like Blake, he saw material creation as a fundamental "mercy," and there is a great deal to be gained through considering the Schwenckfeldian elements in Blake's vision.

Whether or not Blake had ever read Schwenckfeld's works himself will also be discussed. There were 17th century translations of Schwenckfeld in London, and there is some evidence that Blake may have encountered Schwenckfeld through them. However, even if he received glimpses of Schwenckfeld's vision through Paracelsus and Böhme, it is important to recognize their intellectual genealogy as it helps us to recognize Shwenckfeld's broad influence in different cultural and linguistic spheres. 


Contact us for the Zoom link at Info@SwedLib.org.
Time: 12 PM Noon CDT / 7 PM Eastern on Monday October 7.
Zoom & In-Person Program: Saturday October 12 at 12 PM CDT, with Dell Rose:
What Is Swedenborgian spirituality? with Dell Rose
Introducing the twelve gates to the city, from the Book of Revelation in the Bible. 
Thursday, October 24, 5 PM: Gnostics Reborn?
A special presentation by Archbishop William Behun, primate of the Johannite Gnostic Church of North America. 

Archbiship Behun will be presenting on the Johannite tradition of modern gnosticism, a descendant of the Gnostic revival movements begun in France in the latter part of the 20th century. Archbishop Behun will introduce us to the specifics of the Johannite path, and what gnosticism means for interested parties today. 

Location: Swedenborg Library
77 W. Washington St., Suite 1700
Chicago, IL (at Clark St & Washington)

When: Thursday, October 24, 5–7 PM

Fee: $10. Refreshments provided. 
Ofrenda Set-Up Party: Friday, November 1, 3–6 PM

You are warmly invited to join the Swedenborg Society in setting up an ofrenda for All Soul's Day a meaningful tradition that honors the lives and spirits of those who have passed on. This year, our focus will be on celebrating individuals from the past who were inspired by the works of Emanuel Swedenborg, whose visionary writings have touched countless lives. 

The ofrenda will feature figures such as William Blake, Helen Keller, and others who were deeply influenced by Swedenborg's ideas on the afterlife, spiritual growth, and the connection between heaven and earch. 

Whether you are familiar with these figures or new to Swedenborg's thought, we welcome you to contribute with photos, mementos, or simply your presence. Let's come together to reflect, remember, and celebrate the enduring connection between the spiritual and physical worlds. 

Location: Swedenborg Library
77 W. Washington St., Suite 1700
Chicago, IL (at Clark St & Washington)

When: Friday, November 1, 3–6 PM

Fee: None. Donations accepted.