The New Church, also known as Swedenborgian, is founded on the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.
Some basic teachings of the New Church include
* There is one God who came into the world as Jesus Christ.
* The deeper meanings of the Old and New Testaments are revealed through the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Every story in the Word has meaning in the lives we live today.
* People of all religions can be saved if they live a life that looks to God and do their best to follow His command to love Him and to love the neighbor. The neighbor is defined as the good in each person.
* Each of us continues life as a complete person after death. We do not earn Heaven , nor are we cast into Hell. We choose our eternal home by the choices we make while living in this world. Those who live a good life by shunning what is against God and the neighbor choose the life of Heaven. Those who put their own desires above others and live a life of selfishness at the expense of others choose the life of Hell.
* True marriage is an eternal union.
References
I will sometimes be using abbreviations when I quote from Swedenborg’s theological Writings. (Often referred to as “The Writings”) There are 33 volumes, but for the most part I will be using the following.
AC – Arcana Coelestia or Heavenly Secrets
HH = Heaven and Hell
DP = Divine Providence
DLW = Divine Love and Wisdom
CL = Conjugial Love or Married Love
FOR MORE ABOUT THE NEW CHURCH GO TO
NewChurch.org
or
www.swedenborg.org/beliefs.cfm
or google Baltimore New Church