The New Church is based on the Bible, and on the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Swedenborg was a scientist, philosopher and theologian who lived from 1688 to 1772. We believe that he had spiritual experiences, and that the books he wrote because of those experiences are a revelation, just like the Gospels, or Genesis and Exodus. He was given this work by God, just as the prophets were in the Old Testament, and John, who wrote the book of revelation, was in the New Testament.
Swedenborg published all of his books at his own expense (thirty-two volumes). Most of them were published anonymously. He put his name on the last ones because by that time people had figured out who was writing them anyway. He was offering what he believed was revealed truth from God, and he saw himself simply as a "servant of God."
He did not start a church. Several years after his death, readers of his books founded a church. Today, New Church organizations, although small, have congregations in many cities in America, and on six continents.
Completely apart from his theological works, Swedenborg was a remarkable person. He was one of the best known scientific figures of his day. He revolutionized the smelting process in Europe (the process of purifying metal ores). He was the first to offer a thesis that there are many galaxies of stars. His discoveries founded the science of crystallography. His path breaking work on the brain was centuries ahead of its time. In his spare time he designed a glider that actually flew, and a submarine that worked. He drew on his scientific training to report on spiritual matters.
Some of the ideas you have read in this article are commonly believed today. For instance, many people accept that God is a God of pure love, and that people from many faiths can be saved if they are good people. These are common sense ideas. What is so remarkable about Swedenborg's theological writings is that he wrote them over 200 years ago. If you were to study the religious history of the 18th century, you would probably say that there was not a lot of common sense in evidence then. Swedenborg was a man well ahead of his time.
Some people have commented that Swedenborg's work has an Eastern flavor - many ideas are similar to Eastern religious thought. This is true. It is also extraordinary since no writings from Eastern thought were translated into Western languages until after Swedenborg died.
It is interesting to know something about Swedenborg. But in the final analysis, Swedenborg as a person is not important. What really matter are the ideas. Now that you have seen some of the ideas he presented you can consider what they might offer you. Can they help you become a better person?