Emanuel Swedenborg was born in Sweden on 29 January, 1688. He was the third child of Jesper Swedberg (1653-1735), a pastor of the Lutheran Church, and of Sara Behm (1666-1696), the daughter of a rich mine owner. In 1719, after being ennobled by Queen Ulrika Eleonora, his family, with the exception of his father, changed the original name into “Swedenborg”, as an evidence of the recipient’s advancement of social status.

Jesper Swedberg was a prolific writer of hymns and sermons, a professor of theology at the University of Uppsala and, in 1702, was made bishop of Skara, a position he would retain until his death, in 1735. From his father, Swedenborg inherited the belief in the presence of angels and devils in everyday life, and his fecundity as a writer.

Jesper Swedberg was a prolific…

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Citation: Volpone, Annalisa. "Emanuel Swedenborg". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 December 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4294, accessed 13 October 2024.]

4294 Emanuel Swedenborg 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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