Lecter series - unified analysis - part 17: More on who the dragon represents

CATEGORY: MOVIES

Emanuel Swedenborg's Apocalypse Revealed adds somewhat to what we have already learned, as far as who it is that is represented by the biblical book of Revelation's great red dragon.

And behold, a great red dragon, signifies those in the church of the Reformed who make God three,[a] and the Lord two, and separate charity from faith, and who make faith saving but not charity together with it. These are here meant, and in what follows, by "the dragon;" for they are against the two essentials of the New Church, which are, that God is one in Essence and in Person, in whom there is a Trinity, and that the Lord is that God; also that charity and faith are one like an essence and its form; and that no others have charity and faith, but they who live according to the commandments of the Decalogue, which are that evils are not be done; and so far as anyone does not do evils, shunning them as sins against God, in the same proportion he does the goods which are of charity, and believes the truths which are of faith. (--from A.R. n. 537.)

It is evident from reading over Swedenborg's Brief Exposition ('B.E.'), that it is Protestants (as opposed to Catholics) who separate faith from charity:

I. The churches which by the Reformation separated themselves from the Roman Catholic Church, differ in various things; but they all agree in the articles concerning a Trinity of Persons in the Divinity, original sin from Adam, imputation of the merit of Christ, and justification by faith alone. (--from B.E. n. 17.)

BRIEF ANALYSIS. The churches which by the Reformation separated themselves from the Roman Catholic Church, are from those who call themselves Evangelical and Reformed, likewise Protestants, or from the names of their leaders, Lutherans and Calvinists, among which the church of England holds the middle place. We shall say nothing here of the Greek church, which long ago separated from the Roman Catholic church. That the Protestant churches differ in various things, particularly concerning the Holy Supper, Baptism, election, and the Person of Christ, is known to many; but that they all agree in the articles of a Trinity of Persons in the Divinity, original sin, imputation of the merit of Christ, and justification by faith alone, is not universally known. The reason of this is, because few study into the differences of dogmas among the churches, and consequently the agreements. It is only the clergy that study the dogmas of their church, while the laity rarely enter deeply into them, and consequently into their differences. That nevertheless they agree in the four articles above mentioned, both in their general principles, and in most of the particulars, will appear evident to anyone if he will consult their books, or attend to their sermons. (--from B.E. n. 18.)

Swedenborg also states,

"It is to be known, that all Protestants, both the Evangelical and the Reformed, teach in like manner justification by faith alone..." (--from B.E. n. 80.)


a. Swedenborg used "Reformed Church" and "church of the Reformed" to refer to Protestantism.

To skip over the remainder of the Swedenborgian analysis of the Hannibal Lecter movies, click here.

The works of Emanuel Swedenborg from the Internet Sacred Texts Archive
Apocalypse Revealed, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1766], tr. by John Whitehead [1912], at sacred-texts.com. Web. 12 Jun. 2010.
Brief Exposition, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1769], tr. by John Whitehead [1892] at sacred-texts.com. Web. 12 Jun. 2010.