Charity, Change, and Community: Frankford's Swedenborgians and Their Circle Volume I: 1817 - 1875 by Gail Rodgers McCormick

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Charity, Change, and Community: Frankford's Swedenborgians and Their Circle Volume I: 1817 - 1875

Spurred by a family discovery, Gail McCormick embarked on an historical journey to uncover the story of a unique society of Swedenborgians, a Christian sect inspired by the works of eighteenth-century scientist and theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Unlike most investigations of American Swedenborgianism that have emphasized Swedenborg’s influence on the elite, eccentric, and esoteric, McCormick focuses on the experience and impact of this community of faith in the Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood of Frankford. Independent until its consolidation within the city of Philadelphia in 1854, the neighborhood has maintained its own identity for generations, retaining a sense of its colonial past, industrial heritage, and the contributions of its diverse population. Frankford’s Swedenborgian congregation, officially the New Jerusalem Society of Frankford, was founded in 1817 as a “Free-Will Baptist” congregation by former Quakers, German Pietists, and English immigrants who had embraced religious Nonconformity in their homeland. They maintained strong family and faith connections to their “Bible Christian” neighbors, the English vegetarian and teetotaling Swedenborgians who arrived in Philadelphia about the same time. The congregation developed deep roots in its neighborhood but also was engaged, and often influential, in many city-wide and national issues. It made its mark not only on religious affairs but also on local business and industry; art, literature, and music; science and medicine; social and political reform; and even communication technology. McCormick uses a wide variety of sources to highlight a special community of faith, whose historic trajectory reflects that of the neighborhood it sought to influence and inspire.

Reviews

A feat of research revealing fascinating textures of life, faith, and the building of community in 19th century America, this first volume of McCormick’s historical study focuses on the establishment and growth of the New Church—inspired by the teaching of Swedish theologian/philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg Swedenborgians—of Frankford, a village just north of Philadelphia. As McCormick’s title suggests, the denomination emphasized good works, and her narrative of the church’s development mirrors that of Frankford (and what we now think of as greater Philadelphia) itself. From the start, public spirited Swedenborgians of the New Jerusalem Society of Frankford, many of them immigrants from England, involved themselves in charitable efforts, relief organizations, and the societies, associations, and businesses that shaped the still-young nation.

McCormick’s telling, covering the better part of a century, boasts both sweep and depth. Early Frankford Swedenborgians like Maskell Carll, the first minister of The First New Jerusalem Church in the City of Philadelphia, and “humble instruments” like Thomas Seddon found success preaching “Swedenborg’s doctrines to working-class people,” forging “an independent religious path, born of diversity and imbued with an ecumenical vision” and emphasizing a spiritual sense of scripture as well as “local activism to generate ‘happiness’ and community betterment.” McCormick notes that the faith was often misunderstood, and accounts of theological controversies, schisms, and occasional outside pushback will fascinate scholars of American faith.

The story of the Swedenborgians reflects the story of the nation itself, as McCormick’s rich chapters, each covering a half decade or so, explore local impacts of national news and politics, as well as local and community issues. The narrative draws deeply on local publications, digging into customs, the practicalities of community-building, news events like fires and new businesses, and reports on controversies and the Society’s responses, like Rev. B. F. Barrett’s 1866 sermon in support of desegregating Philadelphia streetcars. The level of detail is likely too granular for readers of pop histories, but McCormick offers a feast of insights, connections, and revelations.

Takeaway: Richly detailed history of Swedenborgian Christians near 18th century Philadelphia.

Comparable Titles: Marguerite Block’s The New Church in the New World, Harry C. Silcox and Frank W. Hollingsworth’s Northeast Philadelphia.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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