Non-fiction: True Christian Religion

Overview
True Christian Religion presents Emanuel Swedenborg's attempt to articulate a single, coherent account of Christianity grounded in spiritual realities. It synthesizes his theological insights into a concise presentation aimed at revealing what he considered the essential truths of Christian faith: a living relationship with the Divine, the inner meaning of Scripture, and the moral transformation required for salvation.

God and the Trinity
God is described as one Divine Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose nature is both divine and human. The traditional threefold names, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are not separate persons but aspects of the one God: source, life, and operation, respectively. This formulation emphasizes unity without abolishing the relational language that Scripture uses.

The Lord and the Word
The Lord is the center of all spiritual reality and the sole mediator of regeneration. The Word, understood as the Bible in its literal and inner senses, is the primary means by which the Lord communicates truth and grace. The literal sense serves external worship and moral instruction while the spiritual sense reveals deeper correspondences to heavenly realities and human regeneration.

Faith and Charity
Faith is not mere intellectual assent but a living trust formed by love and obedience. Charity, understood as love active in deeds toward God and neighbor, is the essential fruit of genuine faith. Swedenborg insists that faith separated from charity is dead; true belief must manifest in a life of moral zeal and care for others.

Regeneration and Salvation
Regeneration is a lifelong, inward rebirth in which the will and understanding are gradually transformed by the Lord's influx. It involves repentance, the rejection of self-centered loves, and the cultivation of heavenly affections. Salvation is described as a progressive cooperation with divine grace, where human freedom and divine providence work together to form a life conformed to the Lord's commandments.

Sacraments and Worship
Sacraments such as baptism and the Lord's Supper are meaningful insofar as they correspond to internal spiritual realities. External rites become effective when they symbolize and foster inward commitment and transformation. Worship must therefore unite outward form with inner life, making doctrinal truth alive through practice.

Scripture and Spiritual Sense
Scripture is presented as layered, containing both literal narratives and a deeper spiritual sense that unveils the heavenly correspondences behind historical events and moral teachings. Interpreting the Word requires discernment of these correspondences so that doctrine aligns with both rational understanding and spiritual revelation. The spiritual sense is a key to understanding prophetic and sacramental meaning.

Church and Community
The true church is not identified with any single denomination but with the living body of believers who live according to the Lord's commandments. A genuine church forms when people practice charity and hold faith that leads to moral reformation. Institutional forms are secondary to the inward state of those who constitute the community.

Practical Implications
The emphasis falls on personal transformation, moral responsibility, and an integrated life of faith and love. Spiritual progress is measured by increasing self-awareness, reformation of life, and the cultivation of heavenly affections. Study, prayer, and active love toward others are presented as the steady means by which the Lord effects regeneration and draws individuals into spiritual reality.