One of the ways we believe we can be most helpful is to share the information that we have about the afterlife.

But how can anyone know about this, you ask?

Well, of course many people claim to have had insight through visions or dreams, some as a result of a near-death experience, some through a trance-like experience or "channeled" sources. In our case, however, we rely on the conscious insights of an individual who was steeped in science and engineering as well as the Christian Bible, and whose writing on the subject is so careful, so meticulous, and so compellingly reasonable that it has long been recognized as the primary influence on many other scholars, poets, theologians, even whole religious movements with respect to this subject.

Colleen McDannell and Bernard Lang in their book, "Heaven, a History," have an extensive chapter on "Swedenborg and the Emergence of a Modern Heaven" in the centre of their exhaustive treatment of the subject. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry James, Sr., Zen scholar, D. T. Suzuki, William Blake, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Helen Keller are just a few among scores of well known writers who credited Swedenborg with tremendous insights into the spiritual realm. Even Carl Jung famously read twelve whole volumes of Swedenborg, which clearly influenced his thinking about archetypes and symbols.

What we at The Calgary New Church offer is not so much exhaustive research but a genuinely comforting, truly Christian body of teaching about the life that awaits each one of us after death.

For example, the book, "Heaven and Hell," by Swedenborg begins by introducing the reader to a whole new concept of God who is, as he writes, Love and Wisdom itself (embodied in the person of Christ), and whose whole creation reflects the divinely human form. Then it proceeds to explain, often referring to relevant symbolism in the Bible, how the heavens are actually organized and formed according to the spiritual states of those who live there. He describes in detail not only what that world is like but how angels live, and what they do, and what real influence they have on us still living in this world. He also describes the introductory "world of spirits" and hell, and makes the special point that hell is not a punishment by God for evils committed in the world, rather it is the world of selfish, hurtful loves and falsities that people actually choose for themselves!

In fact, we believe the information in Swedenborg's books is not the result of his own thought at all but that it was revealed to him in the course of his study of the Christian Scriptures, as the spiritual meaning of many otherwise obscure allusions became clear to him, and as he was introduced into a personal awareness and wakeful consciousness of the spirit world. So we value his writing on the subject as 100% reliable and we find it no coincidence at all that it lines up substantially with what many have described in their modern near-death experiences.

Explore further. See what you think. Search around this larger website for more on the subject, or write or call us at the Project for some other free, introductory material or a substantial book or two about it. Or just call and ask your questions. We'd be glad to help if we can. We are also available to provide a guest speaker for any group or organization in western Canada wanting to learn more. Remember, we have a toll-free number: - 1-877-533-6955.