Swedenborgian

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the mystical theology of the Swedish philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg ; a person who adheres to the religious teachings of Swedenborg
2. Connected with the spiritual doctrines and visionary writings of Emanuel Swedenborg ; an adherent of the church founded on his religious ideas
3. Pertaining to the religious system devised by the Swedish mystic Swedenborg ; one who believes in and follows his theological principles

Etymology: Emanuel Swedenborg was a Swedish scientist, engineer and mystic whose later theological writings claimed that he had been granted visions of the spiritual world. Followers of his teachings took his surname as the basis for a name for themselves, and "Swedenborgian" is the adjective and noun formed by adding the suffix "-ian" to "Swedenborg". The suffix, borrowed through Latin from Greek, is a common way of marking a person or thing associated with a named figure, as in "Darwinian" or "Lutherian". The base is simply the surname, so the word needs no further unpacking. Its meaning stays tied to the man and his doctrines: it describes both the followers of his religious system and the ideas or institutions that derive from it.