People within the New Church believe that the theological Writings of the 18th century scholar, statesman and theologian Emanuel Swedenborg are a precious gift from the Lord. They help us better understand our Lord the Creator and they unveil many of the mysteries of the Old and New Testament Scriptures.

You will often find people referring to these theological writings as either the Heavenly Doctrine or simply The Writings.

Perhaps the most fundament outline of New Church beliefs can be found in the book of the Writings called The True Christian Religion.

These beliefs are quoted as follows:

The faith of the New Heaven and the New Church in particular terms is as follows:

Jehovah God is Love itself and Wisdom itself, or Good itself and Truth itself. He came down in the form of Divine Truth, which is the Word and which was God with God, and took upon Himself a human form, so as to reduce to order everything in heaven, in hell and in the church. For at that time the power of hell was stronger than the power of heaven, and on earth the power of evil was stronger than the power of good, so that utter damnation stood threatening at the gates. This impending damnation was removed by Jehovah God by means of His Human, which was Divine Truth, and thus angels and people on earth were redeemed. Afterwards He united in His Human Divine Truth with Divine Good, or Divine Wisdom with Divine Love, and so returned into the Divinity which was His from eternity, together with and in His glorified Human. This is the meaning of the passage in John: The Word was with God and the Word was God; and the Word was made flesh" (John 1:1, 14).

In the same gospel: "I came out of the Father and I came into the world; I leave the world again, and go to the Father" (John 16:28).

Further in the following passage: "We know that the Son of God came and gave us understanding, so that we might know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and everlasting life" (1 John 5:20).

These passages show that without the Lord's coming into the world no one could have been saved. The situation today is similar. So unless the Lord comes into the world again in the form of Divine Truth, that is, the Word, no more can anyone now be saved.

The particular details of faith on man's part are:

1. God is one, in whom is the Divine Trinity, and He is the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ.
2. Faith leading to salvation is, believing in Him.
3. Evil actions must not be done because they are the work of the devil and come from him.
4. Good actions must be done because they are the work of God and come from Him.
5. A person must perform these actions as if they were his or her own, but he must believe they come from the Lord working in him and through him.

The first two points deal with faith, the second two with charity; and the fifth deals with the joining of charity with faith and thus of the Lord with mankind.