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According to Swedenborgian theology, salvation is achieved through a process called "regeneration," involving the acceptance of divine truth and the control of one's outer self.
Answer: True
Explanation: Salvation, within Swedenborgian theology, is attained through 'regeneration,' a process wherein individuals internalize divine truth and govern their external actions by prioritizing goodness and truth over worldly inclinations and their attendant evils.
The New Church accepts the traditional Christian doctrine of a trinity of three persons from eternity, viewing it as the ultimate expression of divine unity.
Answer: False
Explanation: The New Church rejects the traditional doctrine of a trinity of persons, deeming it polytheistic. Their theology posits one God, Jehovah, who incarnated as Jesus, glorifying His human form.
The New Church emphasizes only faith as essential for salvation, believing good works are secondary.
Answer: False
Explanation: The New Church teaches that both faith and charity (good works) are essential for salvation, asserting that faith without charity is not true faith.
The New Church teaches that the Lord's physical form was inherently divine from birth and did not undergo a process of glorification.
Answer: False
Explanation: The New Church teaches that the Lord's Human was made Divine through a process of glorification, uniting it with the Divine essence, rather than being inherently divine from birth without such a process.
Regeneration is described as a passive reception of divine grace, requiring no active participation from the individual.
Answer: False
Explanation: Regeneration is understood as an active process involving a spiritual battle, the exercise of free will, and the individual's participation in accepting divine truth and controlling their lower self.
The New Church believes that faith and charity are intertwined and cannot exist independently.
Answer: True
Explanation: The New Church posits that faith and charity are intrinsically linked and interdependent. True faith necessitates charity, and charity is incomplete without faith; together, they manifest in acts of repentance and good works.
Swedenborg did not believe that humans are born into total depravity, but rather into a state of ignorance regarding spiritual truths.
Answer: True
Explanation: Swedenborg posited that humans are not born into total depravity but rather into a state of ignorance beyond their 'outer self,' with their primary affections oriented toward worldly matters due to a deficiency in spiritual knowledge.
Regeneration involves a spiritual battle where individuals choose between good and evil, utilizing their free will.
Answer: True
Explanation: Regeneration entails a spiritual conflict wherein individuals exercise their free will to choose between good, influenced by heaven, and evil, influenced by hell. This internal struggle, or temptation, is viewed as a battle between divine truth and opposing forces, aiding the individual's reform.
The New Church interprets Jesus' crucifixion as the central act of redemption, where His death paid the penalty for human sin.
Answer: False
Explanation: The New Church posits that Christ's death was not redemption itself, which they consider a fundamental theological error. Rather, they interpret the crucifixion as the ultimate temptation Jesus faced, through which He vanquished hell and achieved the glorification of His Human.
The New Church teaches that the soul originates from the father's seed, while the body is its clothing received from the mother.
Answer: True
Explanation: The New Church teaches that the soul, as the recipient of divine life, originates from the father's seed, with the body serving as its clothing received from the mother. This doctrine precludes beliefs in reincarnation, as individuals experience only one life.
The New Church finds the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds agreeable, viewing them as accurate representations of the Trinity.
Answer: False
Explanation: The New Church considers the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds to be problematic, viewing them as introducing erroneous concepts regarding a trinity of persons, in contrast to their own understanding of the Divine Trinity.
What is the primary theological foundation of The New Church, also known as Swedenborgianism?
Answer: The theology of Emanuel Swedenborg, emphasizing renewal and the inner sense of scripture.
Explanation: The foundational theology of The New Church is derived from the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, emphasizing a renewal of original Christianity and the interpretation of scripture through its inner, spiritual sense.
How is salvation achieved in Swedenborgian theology?
Answer: Through a process called "regeneration," involving divine truth and controlling the outer self.
Explanation: Salvation is achieved through 'regeneration,' a process involving the acceptance of divine truth and the active control of one's outer self to align with goodness and truth.
Which statement accurately describes The New Church's view on the Trinity compared to traditional Christianity?
Answer: They believe God is one, Jehovah, who manifested His divinity in Jesus' glorified human form.
Explanation: The New Church posits a singular God, Jehovah, whose divine essence was manifest in Jesus' glorified human form, rejecting the traditional concept of three co-equal persons existing from eternity.
Which of the following are considered the two essential doctrines of The New Church?
Answer: The divinity of Jesus Christ and the obligation to live by His commandments (love and charity).
Explanation: The two essential doctrines are the acknowledgment of Jehovah as the singular God who incarnated as Jesus, and the imperative to live by His commandments, emphasizing that love and charity are constitutive of the church.
How does The New Church understand the Lord's Human (Jesus' physical form)?
Answer: It was made Divine through a process of glorification, uniting it with the Divine.
Explanation: The New Church teaches that Jesus' physical form, the Lord's Human, was made Divine through a process of glorification, thereby uniting it with the Divine essence.
What is the role of faith and charity in The New Church?
Answer: Faith and charity are intertwined and cannot exist independently.
Explanation: In The New Church, faith and charity are considered inseparable, with true faith requiring charity, and charity being incomplete without faith, culminating in acts of repentance and good works.
What is Swedenborg's view on the nature of man's birth regarding depravity?
Answer: Humans are born into a state of ignorance beyond their outer self, not total depravity.
Explanation: Swedenborg posited that humans are not born into total depravity but rather into a state of ignorance beyond their 'outer self,' with their primary affections oriented toward worldly matters due to a deficiency in spiritual knowledge.
How is regeneration described within Swedenborgian theology?
Answer: A process of spiritual battle involving free will and divine truth.
Explanation: Regeneration is described as a process of spiritual rebirth, wherein individuals accept divine truth, cultivate love for goodness and truth, and live a life of usefulness, leading to union with the Divine.
How does The New Church interpret Jesus' crucifixion?
Answer: As the final temptation Jesus endured, through which He conquered hell.
Explanation: The New Church interprets Jesus' crucifixion not as the act of redemption itself, but as the final temptation He endured, through which He conquered hell and achieved the glorification of His Human.
How does The New Church view the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds?
Answer: As introducing erroneous concepts like a trinity of persons.
Explanation: The New Church views the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds as introducing erroneous concepts, particularly concerning a trinity of persons, and does not consider them authoritative.
How does The New Church's doctrine of the Lord's Divine Human differ from the Chalcedonian Definition?
Answer: It states Jesus' human nature was made divine, making Him altogether one person, unlike the Chalcedonian Definition.
Explanation: The Chalcedonian Definition asserts Jesus possesses two distinct natures (divine and human), a concept contrary to New Church doctrine. Swedenborgians maintain that Jesus' human nature was divinized, resulting in one unified Divine Human person, rather than two separate natures.
The New Church, also known as Swedenborgianism, posits itself as a renewal of the original Christian church.
Answer: True
Explanation: The New Church, or Swedenborgianism, identifies as a Restorationist Christian movement, believing it represents a renewal of the original Christian church established by Emanuel Swedenborg.
The movement known as The New Church was officially founded in England on May 7, 1787, fifteen years after Emanuel Swedenborg's death.
Answer: True
Explanation: Emanuel Swedenborg conceptualized a "New Church" but did not personally establish an organization. The movement was officially founded in England on May 7, 1787, fifteen years subsequent to Swedenborg's passing.
John Chapman, famously known as Johnny Appleseed, was instrumental in spreading New Church ideas in the United States.
Answer: True
Explanation: The dissemination of New Church ideas in the United States was facilitated by missionaries, notably John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed).
The General Convention of the New Church in the United States was established in 1817 and was initially known as the Swedenborgian Church of North America.
Answer: True
Explanation: The New Church was formally organized in the United States in 1817, establishing the General Convention of the New Church, also identified as the Swedenborgian Church of North America.
A doctrinal dispute concerning the authority of Swedenborg's writings caused a split, leading to the formation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem.
Answer: True
Explanation: Doctrinal disputes and differing views on the authority of Swedenborg's writings precipitated a schism, leading to the formation of the Academy of the New Church, which subsequently evolved into the General Church of the New Jerusalem.
When and where was the New Church movement officially founded as an organization?
Answer: In England on May 7, 1787, after Swedenborg's death.
Explanation: The New Church movement was officially organized in England on May 7, 1787, approximately fifteen years following the death of Emanuel Swedenborg.
Who is noted as a missionary who helped spread New Church ideas in the United States?
Answer: John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed)
Explanation: John Chapman, widely known as Johnny Appleseed, is recognized as a significant figure who helped disseminate New Church ideas within the United States.
What was the name of the organization founded in the United States in 1817 for The New Church?
Answer: The General Convention of the New Church
Explanation: The organization established in the United States in 1817 was named the General Convention of the New Church, also referred to as the Swedenborgian Church of North America.
In the spiritual world, according to Swedenborgian belief, physical space and time continue to govern the existence of spirits and angels.
Answer: False
Explanation: In the spiritual world, which transcends physical space and time, states of being substitute for time, love replaces space, and the perception of truth replaces material substance. Angels and spirits are liberated from the constraints of physical space and time after death.
Immediately after death, individuals enter an intermediate state in the spirit world to await judgment, where their hidden intentions are revealed.
Answer: True
Explanation: Following death, individuals enter an intermediate state in the spirit world for judgment, during which their concealed intentions and affections are disclosed, determining their subsequent passage into heaven or hell based on their life's choices.
The New Church believes that God actively sends individuals to hell as a form of punishment for their earthly sins.
Answer: False
Explanation: The New Church understands hell as the internal state of evil, to which individuals are drawn by their inherent nature. God does not consign individuals to hell; rather, they choose it through their will and love for evil.
Heaven, in the Swedenborgian view, consists of countless societies, each fulfilling a specific purpose according to the love and use of its members.
Answer: True
Explanation: Heaven is understood to emanate from God, comprising innumerable societies, each dedicated to a specific purpose aligned with the love and use of its members, all of whom were formerly human.
The New Church believes in a literal, physical "end of the world" scenario as described in some apocalyptic prophecies.
Answer: False
Explanation: The New Church rejects the notion of a literal 'end of the world.' Instead, they interpret historical epochs of the church as concluding with spiritual 'Last Judgments,' which herald the commencement of new ages or new churches.
What is the Swedenborgian understanding of hell?
Answer: The internal state of evil chosen by individuals through their will and love for evil.
Explanation: Hell is understood as the internal state of evil, chosen by individuals through their will and love for evil, rather than a place divinely assigned as punishment.
What is the Swedenborgian view on the nature of angels and the absence of a personal devil?
Answer: Angels are humans who lived heavenly lives, and devils represent collective hellish societies, not a single entity.
Explanation: Swedenborgians believe angels and devils originate from the human race, not from separate creations. 'The devil and Satan' collectively denote hellish societies of evil spirits, rather than a singular entity. Angels are understood to be humans who lived lives of heavenly love and faith.
Emanuel Swedenborg posited that the "African race" was less receptive to spiritual truths due to their focus on external appearances.
Answer: False
Explanation: Contrary to the assertion, Swedenborg believed that the "African race" was "in greater enlightenment than others on this earth" due to their tendency toward interior thinking and receptivity to truths.
During the 19th century, some Swedenborg followers integrated his writings with occult traditions like theosophy and alchemy.
Answer: True
Explanation: In the 19th century, coinciding with the rise of occultism, certain followers integrated Swedenborg's writings with traditions such as theosophy, cabala, and alchemy, often drawing inspiration from his descriptions of the spiritual realms.
The term "Church" in Swedenborgianism is strictly limited to Christian denominations that acknowledge the Nicene Creed.
Answer: False
Explanation: Within Swedenborgianism, the term 'Church' encompasses any populace, culture, or religion that acknowledges the Lord and possesses the 'Word' (divine revelation), extending beyond Christendom to include manifestations of the Word found in diverse faiths.
What was Swedenborg's perspective on the spiritual enlightenment of the "African race"?
Answer: He believed they were "in greater enlightenment" due to interior thinking and receptivity to truths.
Explanation: Swedenborg believed that individuals of the "African race" possessed "greater enlightenment than others on this earth" due to their capacity for interior thinking and receptivity to truths.
In the 19th century, how did some followers of Swedenborg interact with contemporary spiritual movements?
Answer: They blended Swedenborg's writings with traditions like theosophy, cabala, and alchemy.
Explanation: In the 19th century, some Swedenborgian followers integrated his writings with various occult traditions, including theosophy, cabala, and alchemy, often focusing on his descriptions of the spiritual world.
What is The New Church's critique of Catholicism regarding papal authority?
Answer: They believe the Catholic Church perverted scripture to establish papal primacy.
Explanation: The New Church posits that Catholicism perverted scripture to establish papal primacy, interpreting passages such as Matthew 16:18-19 in a manner that supports this authority.
How does The New Church view Protestantism's core doctrines, particularly regarding justification?
Answer: They agree on justification by faith but disagree with the emphasis on "faith alone," stressing charity.
Explanation: The New Church agrees with Protestantism's emphasis on justification by faith but disputes the doctrine of 'faith alone,' stressing the necessity of charity and good works alongside faith.
What is The New Church's stance on Socinianism and Arianism?
Answer: They are viewed as heretical because they deny Jesus' divinity.
Explanation: The New Church deems Socinianism and Arianism heretical doctrines because they deny the divinity of Jesus Christ, which is considered essential for salvation.
How does The New Church view Islam?
Answer: As a partial revelation established by divine providence to combat idolatry.
Explanation: The New Church views Islam as a partial revelation, established by divine providence to counteract idolatry, though it does not fully reveal spiritual matters due to its accommodation of polygamy, which conflicts with the correspondence of heavenly marriage.
Which of the following criticisms has been leveled against The New Church by some Christian theologians?
Answer: Its denial of the traditional trinity and atonement.
Explanation: Some Christian theologians have classified The New Church as a cult, primarily due to its divergence from traditional doctrines on the Trinity and atonement.
What was Immanuel Kant's assessment of Emanuel Swedenborg?
Answer: Kant investigated Swedenborg's clairvoyance but criticized his reliance on visions in his writings.
Explanation: Immanuel Kant investigated Swedenborg's purported clairvoyance concerning the 1759 Stockholm fire but critiqued his reliance on visions in his writings, though he privately admired him.
How did Transcendentalism interact with Swedenborg's ideas?
Answer: Swedenborg was considered a pervasive influence on the Transcendentalist worldview, particularly Emerson.
Explanation: Emanuel Swedenborg exerted a significant influence on the Transcendentalist movement, with figures like Ralph Waldo Emerson expressing high regard for his work. His mystical and spiritual concepts resonated with the movement's focus on intuition and the immanent divine.
What connection does Carl Jung see between Swedenborg and synchronicity?
Answer: Jung cited Swedenborg's clairvoyance regarding the Stockholm fire as an example of synchronicity.
Explanation: Carl Jung referenced Swedenborg's clairvoyant account of the 1759 Stockholm fire as a significant example of synchronicity, emphasizing the acausal connection between the vision and the actual event.
What is the Swedenborgian perspective on marriage?
Answer: It is a personal sacrament originating from the divine marriage, ideally administered by a priest.
Explanation: Marriage is regarded as a personal sacrament, ideally officiated by a priest, stemming from the divine marriage of God and the church. It is grounded in religion, representing a union of souls that is preferred over celibacy.