Swedenborgians, << `swee` duhn BAWR jee uhns, >> follow the formulation of Christian doctrine as set forth by Emanuel Swedenborg, a Swedish theologian. A church based on this doctrine was organized in London in 1787 and in the United States in 1792. Churches in the United States and Canada set up the General Convention of the New Jerusalem in 1817. A separate body, the General Church of the New Jerusalem, formed in 1890. Swedenborgians have societies and missions in many parts of the world. These societies and missions are usually affiliated with the American bodies or with the General Conference of the New Church in the United Kingdom.
Swedenborg’s teachings emphasize one God, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whom is the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Swedenborgians believe that the Holy City, New Jerusalem, is symbolic of an ideal human society. They regard Jesus as truly Immanuel, or God with us. They believe that God called Swedenborg to reveal deeper spiritual meanings in scripture. As humanity accepts and practices a truer Christianity, Jesus makes His Second Coming in spirit, rather than in physical form.
