areas, but did not cite any number in the Writings that specifically stated,
“only men can be priests,” or “all priests must be men.”
I believe that we need to look at the absence of such a statement
from the perspective of the historical period in which Swedenborg lived.
For instance, Swedenborg was born in 1688, but the Industrial Revolution
did not begin until the late 18th century. As a result, although we wish we
could find clear statements in the Writings about child labor laws, we
can’t because abuse of children in factories was not yet an issue. The same
could be said for legalized abortion and same-sex marriage. They, too,
were not yet issues that would have needed to be addressed.
The case is similar with the issue regarding the priesthood. Except
for one small sect of one religion (the Anabaptists), women did not
preach or publish during Swedenborg’s lifetime. There were nuns, of
course, among the Catholics. And there were a few prophetesses who
spoke to small groups of religious women. But throughout Europe, no
women were priests. There was, therefore, no need to specify an all-male
priesthood. The ordination of women was not an issue, nor would it have
been anticipated.
Swedenborg wrote down the truths that would be important in
defining the purposes and activities of a priest and in recognizing a call to
the priesthood. These truths, together with the truth that the Church is
received by a wife through her husband, are the truths Bruce wrote about
in his paper. To Swedenborg, a male priesthood simply would have been
a “given.”
Kirsten R. Rogers
Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Looking to What The Word Teaches
To The Editors:
I thought the article by the Rev. N. Bruce Rogers on women in the ministry
was very fair and articulate. He tried to look at all sides of the issue fairly, and
present them in the light of what the three-fold Word has to say on the subject.
I know there are many strong feelings on both sides of this issue. I have
been slowly reading my way through the Heavenly Doctrines and have to
say that I agree with all that Mr. Rogers had to say. From what I have read,
the Writings of the New Church seem to teach that women should not be
ministers. What I mean is that women should not be the leaders in deriving
doctrine from the Word.
I have heard that many people were angry with the article or did not like
113