Swedenborgian Biblical Exeges

Catalog description

Taught by GTU. This course will locate Swedenborgian exegesis in the history of biblical interpretation, and consider how it relates to other spiritual sense traditions from biblical religions. Swedenborg's famous doctrine of correspondences will be explored first in the context of dream interpretation and the interpretation of the natural world, two realms that occupied Swedenborg himself before he turned his methods to the interpretation of the Bible. This "universal rhyming scheme," as one scholar put it, will then be applied to biblical themes and images, from Genesis to Revelation. Aside from close readings of biblical texts, course material will include Swedenborgian scholarship and homiletical material and non-Swedenborgian interpretation theory. Fundamental interpretive principles will be identified, which give meaning to biblical texts and to human spiritual flourishing. Students will develop an exegetical methodology that blends Swedenborgian tradition and personal intuition, for scholarly, pastoral and homiletical purposes. Assignments will include written reflections, presentations and a final paper.