The New Church Exposed: The Strange Theology of Emanuel Swedenborg

The New Church Exposed: The Strange Theology of Emanuel Swedenborg

August 26, 2026 · 1h 12m · Episode 367

About this episode

The episode explores the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg and its impact on a former member of The New Church.

In this episode of Cultish, Andrew sits down with Ian Rose, a former member of The New Church, to explore the strange theology of Emanuel Swedenborg and the teachings that shaped Ian’s life. Ian explains how Swedenborg’s alleged revelations became foundational to the New Church, including its “internal sense” of Scripture, rejection of key biblical doctrines, works-based view of salvation, and unusual beliefs about heaven, angels, and the afterlife. Most importantly, Ian shares how encountering the biblical gospel—salvation through Christ alone rather than his own works—ultimately led him out of the New Church and radically changed his understanding of Jesus, Scripture, and salvation. Be Part of the Mission to Change Lives: HERE SHOP OUR MERCH: HERE

People in this episode

Host: Andrew Soncrant

Guest: Ian Rose

Topics covered

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The New Church

Books & works: Scripture

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