Abstract

An astute expert on Swedenborg’s work and biography guides the reader – in an essayistic and somewhat impressionistic manner – through the thicket of biographical facts and the extraordinary achievements of the Swedish scholar and mystic, a true polymath. Swedenborg’s accomplishments made their mark in numerous areas of science and technology, as well as in the sphere of his mystical experiences – unique in their kind, arousing both controversy and fascination. The author – a meticulous researcher and university professor – situates the theosophist’s accounts against the background and in the context of other cultural texts. Jonsson examines intriguing literary figures and topoi present in Swedenborg’s mystical works, which depict the scenes he witnessed taking place in heaven and the world of spirits, reflecting on their function and placement within the literary and cultural context; he also cites aspects of the principle of mutual correspondence. He delves into the specifics of the convoluted, repetitive style of his narrative’s protagonist, present in his mystical writings. He identifies the Cartesian inspirations of Swedenborg the scholar, who developed the philosophy of nature, conducted studies in anatomy and physiology, and pursued cosmogonic inquiries. He brilliantly demonstrates how Swedenborg’s earlier scientific mindset and his mechanistic concepts translated into the inquiries conducted after his mystical breakthrough, discerning a crucial link (iunctim) between these seemingly vastly distant spheres of exploration.