Swedenborg Symposium

 

  • Saturday May 6th. 2006
  • in Amersfoort Netherlands.

Objective

The Swedenborg Symposium intents to bring Emanuel Swedenborg's ideas under the attention of a broad public. The theme is: Swedenborg is a reliable source! The participants want to correct a number of broadly spread misunderstandings concerning Swedenborg, and want to explain about the intentions of the New Church. The symposium offers an occasion to readers of Swedenborg's Writings to meet with each other. On Sunday May 7th. a public worship for the New Church will take place.

Program on May 6th:

  • Arrivals - from 9.30 the centre is open - so is the book room with the works by and about Swedenborg.
  • 10.30 - Welcome and biographical sketch by Guus Janssens.
  • 11.00 - The mystical way of Swedenborg - lecture by dr. Daniel van Egmond.
  • 12.00 - Swedenborg's place in world literature - lecture by Robert Lemm.
  • 13.00 - lunch – pause.
  • 14.00 - Kant's ambivalent relation with Swedenborg - lecture by prof. dr. Hans Gerding.
  • 15.00 - About the New Christian Church - lecture by Dr. Rutger Perizonius.
  • 16.00 - Epiloog by Rev. Dushan Sever
  • 16.30 - End of the symposium.

Program on Sunday 7 May 2006.

  • 12.00 - Evaluation and plans - open meeting.
  • 14.00 - Public worship service for the New Church led by Rev. Dushan Sever.

Exposition

Gouaches by Ton Gravelijn, painter.

  • The new publication of the Swedenborg Bookhouse is decorated with one of his gouaches.
  • Ton's inspiration for these fine paintings comes from Swedenborgs writings
  • and will be on display during the symposium.

Location

Swedenborg symposium takes place on Saturday 6 May 2006 in Amersfoort, in the renewed building of the Centre for Reflection, of the Holy Circle Foundation in Amersfoort - more info on www.heiligecirkel.nl.


Reservations

To be certain of a seat, reservations can be made via reserveren@swedenborg.nl. The price for participation is €10 per person. For the participants coffee and tea are free. During the pause from 13.00 till 14.00 there is a simple lunch available at €5.


Diner & Hotel - In the evening at 19.00 h. there will be a diner at the Golden Tulip Inn in Amersfoort. For those who come from far and also want attend the Sunday program, we advise to make reservations at this hotel via: www.goldentulip.com


Contact

The symposium is organised by the Swedenborg Boekhuis.

For more information and questions you may get in touch with Guus Janssens at:

  • Swedenborg Boekhuis
  • PO Box 19 - 5110 AA Baarle Nassau
  • Netherlands
  • telephone +31.612379252
  • email info@swedenborg.nl

More about the theme and the lecturers:

1. Dr Daniël van Egmond is a philosopher and scientist of religion. He promotes the realignment of religion and meditation in our culture. Daniel is also a member of the Swedenborg Genootschap and a fine friend when it comes to promoting Swedenborgian ideas in new age circles and students. He has a strong New Church opinion about the question: Was Swedenborg a mystic?

"Emanuel Swedenborg is not in the first place a theologian who proclaims doctrines based on his own theological studies. On the contrary, he is someone who speaks from own experience concerning God, the world and people. That his experiences are reliable becomes clear from the fact that they correspond with experiences which we do not fine with other Christian and not-Christian mystics. What Swedenborg makes special is that he offers a method for the process of regeneration. In Daniel's contribution special attention will be given on the methods which Swedenborg provides us."

2. Mr Robert Lemm will use the symposium to present his new book about Swedenborg's place in world-literature. Robert has written a number of books on the history of religion - several award winning titles you may find when you 'Google' for his name. He is a fine scholar too, f.i. he translated Jorge L. Borges' works from Spanish into Dutch - he also contributed to the 1994 symposium. An important statement in the introduction of his new book is: "Swedenborg reveals what was concealed by the churches."

3. Prof Dr Hans Gerding is active as professor in philosophy and theosophy at the University of Leiden. He is also the director of the Dutch Institute for Parapsychology in Utrecht. He wrote his doctrinal thesis on Kant versus Swedenborg. Hans' lectue is about: Immanuel Kant's ambivalent relation with Emanuel Swedenborg.

"Kant's book: ' dreams of a spirit seer' is interpreted by many as an attack on Swedenborg, and therefore a plead for critical thinking about his conclusions. At closer consideration however Kant's idea about Swedenborg is not at all destroying. The lecture focuses on the borders Kant drew and which were passed by Swedenborg."

4. Dr. Rutger Perizonius is the editor of the English magazine 'De Hemelse Leer', in which the internal sense of the Writings is the central theme. His lecture is adapted to listeners who know little about the New Church and it's various branches. Rutger will try to explain how the various opinions about the status of Swedenborg's Writings ultimately have lead to the opinion that they are the Word of God especially revealed for the present day man of the post Last Judgment era. Several doctrinal consequences of this opinion will be discussed.

5. Rev. Dushan Sever is pastor of The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma in Philadelphia USA. In the epilogue on this symposium day he will speak about the growth of the Church in man. Dushan will also deliver a sermon on this theme on Sunday. A Dutch translation will be made available for those attending.

6. My person will host the event, present a biographical scetch at the start of the symposium and coordinate the logistics and publicity.

Sincerely, Guus Janssens - info@swedenborg.nl