Philosopher/Theologian Edward F. Sylvia, M.T.S. attended the School of Visual Arts in New York and received his Master of Theological Studies at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA and a Certificate of Swedenborgian Studies from the Swedenborgian House of Studies. He is a member of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (C.T.N.S.) and the Swedenborg Scientific Association (S.S.A.).
Author of Sermon From the Compost Pile: Seven Steps Toward Creating An Inner Garden, his next book, Proving God, will fulfill a continuing vision that God’s fingerprints of love can be found everywhere in the manifest universe.
Mr. Sylvia has been a student of the ideas of both Emanuel Swedenborg and George I. Gurdjieff for more than thirty years. Read more about TheGodGuy, his books and his ideas at http://www.staircasepress.com.
May 13, 2008 at 3:14 am |
Thanks for stopping by my blog a while back. You left a very insightful comment on a post I did about quantum physics and universal consciousness. I did not understand what you were all about then (and I do not fully grasp it now), but it is becoming clearer as I learn more. Best of luck to you and your righteous endeavor.
May 14, 2008 at 4:38 pm |
Thanks for reciprocating. I try to add new “wrinkles” to the discussions I find dear to my heart on various blogs. Unfortunately, I am currently working on a most difficult book project and have precious little time to continue these conversations.
I am attempting to unify science and religion by showing that LOVE is the ultimate formative substance in the universe (substance is propensity and endeavor) and can lead us to an exact science. My two major strategies are to demonstrate that physical laws and forces are actually spiritual laws and forces constrained by what exists in time and space, and, that important elements of the New Physics are derived from the “layered” architecture of the narratives in Holy Scripture.
We have to change many of our assumptions about both physics and religion. These new ideas are what are represented by the descent of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. The “End Days” represent a radically new cosmic paradigm shift. This is what is meant by the Lord’s words that “all things will be made anew.” These ideas are what will be revealed by the Lord’s Second Coming – which is slowly taking place, to one person at a time, right now!
May 30, 2008 at 4:19 am |
How about the doctrine of God? i.e. the nature of God? And is not God triune?
May 31, 2008 at 12:11 pm |
Thanks for your response. You need not be concerned. I will not only address issues concerning the nature of God and Trinitarian doctrine in my upcoming book “Proving God,” these topics have also been explored from various angles in several of my previous posts. Posts entitled “Jesus is Jehovah,” and “The Divine Rope-A-Dope” quickly come to mind. You bring up important issues because Trinitarian doctrine is a source of great confusion in the Christian Church.
June 4, 2008 at 9:54 pm |
There is really no confusion at all about the Trinity, only profound mystery! I believe like the Eastern Orthodox, that the first seven Ecumenical Councils are the Churches best teaching with both Scripture and a Living Tradition. Forgive me, but being honest, your Swedenborg position would be a false path for me! If we really want to know the basis for the Trinitarian nature of God, we simply must hear and follow the First Council of Nicaea. The beauty of God can really only be approached in the expession of dogmatic theology!
Fr. Robert
D. Phil.,Th.D.
June 5, 2008 at 4:24 am |
Dear Fr. Robert,
With all due respect, how do you clear up confusion with a mystery? Since this is such an important topic, I would like to continue our discussion. May I direct you to my most recent post, entitled, “Three Gods or One God?” This will be a more appropriate place to continue our healthy exchange of ideas.
June 5, 2008 at 5:20 pm |
Mr. Sylvia,
To have read the Oecumenical Council of Nicaea I once or even back in seminary is nice, but hardly classifies as someone who can make a very critical effort or judgment. For as we who follow and understand, at least something of this profound theological document. We know that it is a living tradition! And it comes from a living and Apostolic Church. Of which, as your presuppositions show you do not accept, respect nor believe. So from this standpoint, you are simply but quite surely in heterodoxy (one to think in one’s own opinions, etc.) rather than the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church!
Therefore it would be fruitless to make further discussion, unless you were to read some of the Eastern Fathers, and some modern Orthodox theologians, on this “their” great and First and most important Ecumenical Council. That does teach this most profound doctrine of the Trinity of God – Who is both three and one (triune). The Father is the regal, or the cause or origin of the Godhead, from whom the Son is begotten eternally and also from whom the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally. The Holy Trinity is three, distinct, divine persons (hypostases), without overlap or modality among them, who share one divine essence (ousia) – uncreated, immateral, and eternal.
And in discussing God’s realtionship to his creation, Orthodoxy uses the concept of a distinction between God’s eternal essence which is totally transcendent and His “uncreated energies” which is how he reaches us. It is also necessary to understand that this is an artifical distinction, not a real one. The God who is transcendent and the God who touches us are one and the same. Here again is more of your “mystery” which is so obvious and real to both the Judeo people (Jews) and the Christian Church and community.
“Let a man so account of us, as ministers of Christ and stewards of the MYSTERIES OF GOD.” (1 Cor.4:1)
Sincerely In Christ,
Fr. Robert
June 5, 2008 at 7:05 pm |
Dear Fr. Robert
What are you doing back on this page? I made an extra effort to create a post JUST FOR YOU in order to continue this important discussion. Not only have you made it more difficult for my readers to follow the flow of our discussion, you have also chosen to fire off your parting shot at me on my biography page. Shame on you!
I accept your intelligence and passion but not your un-Christian tactics.
You have taken advantage of my goodwill. I will be forced to delete any further correspondence unless you send your responses to the appropriate page.
September 7, 2008 at 3:33 am |
Great bio! Congratulations!
September 7, 2008 at 2:39 pm |
Dear enreal,
I hope this blog will lead to sparking your interest in my next book, “Proving God.” I hope to make it available in a few months.
In this century, theology and science will not only interface, but be unified through new revelations.
Spiritually yours,
TheGodGuy
November 15, 2008 at 6:03 am |
ok i was here and whatcha doin? cant wait to read that book. a great admire-er hurry up
November 15, 2008 at 1:01 pm |
Dear Carla,
My next book “Proving God” will be available early ‘09. Appreciate the interest.
Spiritually yours,
TheGodGuy
November 21, 2008 at 4:33 pm |
Sir Ed,
I’m always glad to find people on the web who engage in integrating good science with solid theology. My question: will you be addressing the issue of the second coming in your forthcoming book?
I think that this is a crucial issue for theology. I believe that the second coming, inaugurating the Kingdom of G, needs to be understood as a future event (rather than as something that has already happened, or happens to everybody when they die, or as a mere symbol) in order to be relevant to Christian life and hope.
I see the greatest difficulty of conceptualizing the second coming today, not so much in the “freeze or fry” scenarios of contemporary predictions from cosmology, but rather in the enormously different timescales of human history on the one hand, and of the cosmos on the other: the second coming has traditionally been understood as the fulfillment of human history AND the history of the universe. Now that we know with a high degree of certainty that the age of the cosmos is some 14 bio. years and that it can be expected to exist for much longer, the “AND” between history of man-history of the universe becomes a serious conceptual problem. In other words, if the Lord came soon, i.e. at some point on the human timescale, say within the next centuries or millennia (which I hope), what would then become of the cosmos?
Now I’m not advocating giving in to “unyielding despair” in the face of cosmic future, as Bertrand Russell stupidly suggested. I believe there is something like an “absolute future” for people, and for creation, in Jesus Xp.
Personally, one thing that strengthens my hope that the Kingdom is coming are the numerous apparitions of BV Mary in the last century. Now I know that this may sound wacky, but after having read extensively (including sceptical literature), I think that these apparitions are not susceptible to debunking. I’m thinking especially of those in Zeitun, Egypt, or e.g. Fatima and Knock etc.
What do you think? How can we relate cosmology and the history of salvation? Thanks,
Daniel
November 21, 2008 at 6:07 pm |
Dear Daniel,
My next book will spend a whole chapter on the discussion of the Second Coming. Simply put, the Lord’s return will not be a physical event. Therefore, cosmology is unaffected by salvation.
The idea that the Lord will create a “new heaven” and a “new earth” actually refers to a change in our inner spiritual and outwardly worldly lives – after receiving deeper revelations contained within the literal description of the eschatological events of Scripture.
See my post entitled, “Does Faith Threaten Cosmology?” That would be the best place for us to both continue this discussion, if you so choose.
Thanks for your questions.
Spiritually yours,
TheGodGuy
December 16, 2008 at 9:45 pm |
Hi- I have some questions about yourself. In your post, Help God Send Someone to Hell today. You said at the end, “Hell is not a physical place.” “Rather it is a state of mind.” Are you saying that there is no such place where God sends people that do not receive his son? A place where you do not feel, smell, hear, and taste? Do you not believe in the actual lake of fire Jesus mentions? Is your post of Sexual Intercourse in Heaven from your thoughts, or did you receive this revelation from God? Are you saying that married couples now when they die separate and be with their own soulmates, or are you saying that you are still married to your earthly spouse, but it is just under a different spiritual order. You would probably find Sid Roth’s television show it’s supernatural interesting on Utube.
Sincerely, Kirstie Please write back if you have the time
December 16, 2008 at 10:38 pm |
Dear Kirstie,
Thank you for your response but I wish you had asked your questions at the appropriate posts.
People in the spiritual world have spiritual bodies consisting of spiritual substances. Since the human mind and all its thoughts, ideas. and belief systems are also made of spiritual substances, after death, one finds oneself in a topological environment that mirrors all the qualities of one’s heart and mind. Evil becomes its own punishment and good becomes its own reward. What people feel, smell, see, hear and taste in the life beyond this earthly realm are the realities of their own life choices (which is their spirit).
There is no lake of PHYSICAL fire in a non-physical hell. The Holy Word contains deeper psycho-spiritual meanings which traditional Christianity is mostly unaware of.
Jesus is Jehovah – so your comment concerning God sending people to a “bad” place who do not receive His Son comes from faulty Christian doctrine.
Married partners in heaven can be those who were married on earth or who found each other after the death of the physical body. In the spiritual world, where people can more easily perceive each other’s true inner quality, compatibility is more easily discerned. All hidden agendas are exposed for everyone to examine.
My concepts come from the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, who received revelations from the Lord God.
If you have additional questions, please enter them on the post containing the appropriate topic.
Spiritually yours,
TheGodGuy
December 19, 2008 at 11:12 pm |
Dear God Guy- Where is the appropriate post spot?
December 20, 2008 at 3:15 am |
Dear Kirstie,
At the bottom of every post topic you can simply “click” on the words “no comments.” If the topic already has other comments simply click on “six comments” or however many there are. Or enter the title of the post and when it appears keep scrolling down until you find a reply box. I prefer that people make their comments below the actual post they are responding to.
Spiritually yours,
TheGodGuy
September 20, 2009 at 12:52 pm |
Dear Good Guy,
I believe God has orchestrated “blogs” like this as his ultimate means to save all mankind and to bring us all to the knowledge of the truth as per 1Timothy 2:4.
It is inevitable that those who read and comment on such blogs will be of various degrees of enlightenment about God and his eternal will. Some may not understand what is being said and be fearful that their cherished belief systems may be challenged and overturned leaving them “shipwrecked” in their faith. In other blogs I have commented into, I have been dismissed as an heretic with my belief and revealed knowledge that it is God’ s will that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
You have no doubt addressed this issue but I feel it important that people who may be fearful are constantly reassured that God’ s will for every man is that every man will experience God’ s kingdom salvation. I believe God loves all mankind because all mankind are created in his image and therefore have his seed in them which is Christ Jesus.
I await you comments.
In His Majesty’ s Secret Service
September 20, 2009 at 1:40 pm |
Dear david,
Thank you for your positive response. However, while God’s eternal will seeks to save all humankind not all humans reciprocate with divine love. This conversation can best be explored if we move it from this home page to my post entitled “Hell is awash in God’s love.”
Spiritually yours,
TheGodGuy
http://www.staircasepress.com