The Evening and The Morning, by James Spilling

This may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But if you enjoy nineteenth century literature, here is one of my favorite classic didactic novels. It is a semi-autobiographical account of a skeptic who found faith through the spiritual teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg:

The Evening and The Morning: A Narrative, by James Spilling

This engaging 1877 novel offers light to the spiritual skeptic. As its hero struggles to bridge the gap between his own rational atheism and his fiancé’s Christian faith, he finds help from an old friend and former mentor, who opens his eyes to new worlds of spiritual thought.

This book is especially for people who have rejected God on scientific and rational grounds. It offers a spiritual perspective that is both rationally satisfying and spiritually penetrating.

James Spilling (1825 –1897) was born and raised in Ipswich, England. He had a career as a bookseller, newspaper editor, writer, and publisher.

As a young man, Spilling was a political radical and a religious skeptic, inspired by the writings of Voltaire, Thomas Paine, and others. He co-founded a local freethinking association called the Ipswich Utilitarian Society. With a strong mind and a spirit for aggressive debating, he was only gradually won over to a full acceptance of the Christian philosophy of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 –1772). Putting his well-honed verbal skills to good use, he then became an effective exponent of that spiritual perspective.

From this personal experience, Spilling outlined the narrative of The Evening and The Morning.

If you would like to purchase The Evening and The Morning, please click on any of its title links, or on the cover image above.

About Lee

Lee Woofenden is an ordained minister, writer, editor, translator, and teacher. He enjoys taking spiritual insights from the Bible and the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg and putting them into plain English as guides for everyday life.