by VorJack
Here’s a little ditty I learned back in the days of Vacation Bible School:
The Lord is good to me,
And so I thank the Lord,
For giving me
the things I need,
The sun and rain and an apple seed.
The Lord is good to me.
I suspect that many of you are baffled, particularly those of you from outside the US. This is supposedly the prayer of Johnny Appleseed, an early American missionary who traveled the frontier, planting small patches of apple trees along the way.
The song was featured in a short Disney film that was inflicted on boys of my generation. It depicted Johnny as a simple man, his only possessions a bible, a pouch of apple seeds and a tin pot which he carried on his head. Since it’s a Disney cartoon, Johnny pauses to cavort with the woodland creatures at every opportunity.
The Swedenborg Collective
Pullquote: I have often talked with angels on this subject, and they have invariably declared that in heaven they are unable to divide the Divine into three, because they know and perceive that the Divine is One and this One is in the Lord.
This is one of those cases where the reality is more complicated than Disney could handle. The man who inspired the legend was named John Chapman, a curator of apple nurseries in Ohio in the early 19th century. He was indeed a traveling evangelist, but not the sort that Disney imagines. Chapman was a actually a traveling Swedenborgian.
The Swedenborgian Church is an offshoot of Christianity, based on the writings of an 18th century Swedish visionary named Emanuel Swedenborg. Like many religious visionaries, Swedenborg believed that Christianity had been obscured by centuries of misunderstanding, and that he was receiving revelations of the pure religion directly from God. His new religion was mystical and difficult to grasp, but he clearly rejected the doctrine of the Trinity. He also rejected the simplistic interpretation of Sola Fide (faith alone), and insisted that faith is only a guide to the true path to salvation, which included works of charity.
The Swedenborgian “New Church” became moderately popular in England, then spread to the US in the early 19th century. In America, which they called the “New Jerusalem,” Swedenborg’s writings were influential if not exactly popular. It’s hard to say how many members the church had, but it did directly influence the Transcendentalists. Swedenborg’s concept of a three-tiered heaven may have influenced Joseph Smith’s emerging Church of Latter Days Saints.
Johnny Appleseed’s Religion
Pullquote: “This man for years past has been in the employment of bringing into cultivation, in numberless places in the wilderness, small patches (two or three acres) of ground, and then sowing apple seeds and rearing nurseries.”
John Chapman was a star player, from the early days of the American church until his death in 1845. Consider this extract from a meeting of the English branch of the New Church, shortly after the American branch was founded:
There is in the western country a very extraordinary missionary of the New Jerusalem. A man has appeared who seems to be almost independent of corporeal wants and sufferings. He goes barefooted, can sleep anywhere, in a house or out of a house, and live upon the coarsest and most scanty of fare. He has actually thawed ice with his bare feet. He procures what books he can of the New Church Swedenborg, travels into the remote settlements, and lends them wherever he can find readers [...] This man for years past has been in the employment of bringing into cultivation, in numberless places in the wilderness, small patches (two or three acres) of ground, and then sowing apple seeds and rearing nurseries. (quoted in Occult America, 39-41)
No word on whether or not he danced with raccoons.
Some years back, the historian Mike Wallace coined the term “Mickey Mouse History” to describe the sanitized, streamlined history that frequently gets produced in America. This is the sort of commemorative history that is informed more by nostalgia or ideology than historical principles. The Disney image of Johnny Appleseed is a perfect example of this, but the problem goes deeper.
The period where Chapman was active is known as the Second Great Awakening. It’s usually depicted as the triumph of Evangelical Christianity as it spread through the land, driven by tent revivals and itinerant preachers. Stories like Chapman’s remind us that the reality was far more complex than that. Religion in America has always been heterodox and complicated, from the founding to today.
I found this really interesting — didn’t know much about the religious history of Johnny Appleseed (other than what people said was obviously a myth). Thanks vorjack!
“a short Disney film that was inflicted on boys of my generation”
Heh :-) Love the choice of words, having some pretty negative feelings about Disney myself :-)
I hear accounts of mythologized history like this, only a few generations past, and then wonder how anyone can accept the stories in the gospels as truth.
“Emanuel Swedenborg (help·info) (born Emanuel Swedberg; January 29, 1688[1]–March 29, 1772) was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, Christian mystic,[2][3] and theologian”
A Swedish mystic is hardly swiss as you so gallantly portray him.
Vorjack…thanks for the detour into the mystics although Swedenborg is a strange and perplexing character all his own (pot calling kettle, ha) and I’m not too sure that the title of “Mystic” is deserving of him in the typical sense given his obsession with the sciences of the day, close ties to royalty, etc. He was not by any means a recluse, rather quite the public figure from all I can gather. I possess a number of his published (and currently out of print) works myself. And while I find little in common with him, I do tend to agree with him regarding the trinity, that the Lord is One (in nature, in every way). It was also recorded that He predicted (prophesied?) correctly the very day of his passing.
Anyway, thanks for the (welcomed) detour, I appreciate it very much. Would love to hear your thoughts on some of the others like Jacob Boehme (Behmen in German), Madame Guyon, etc.
All the very best.
I’m almost afraid for asking, but here goes…
Why is there even a debate about the trinity and whether God is one thing or three? I mean, who cares? He’s one, he’s three, he’s an infinite number of things…. so what?
Back when I was a believer, I always figured it was just different ways of looking at the same thing. Is this really an issue any more among Christians?
Unfortunately, yes many believers still tend to major on the minors, get caught up in matters of doctrinal disputes, etc. These are signs of immaturity, focusing on many things (like Martha who represents the soul) instead of focusing on the One Thing (like Mary who represents the spirit). All the best.
The Trinity doctrine resolved (if you could call it that) a couple of christological and theological issues that made themselves apparent around the turn of the 4th century and became points of contention for several decades. It was an outgrowth of the condemnation of Arianism — which had been a christological issue — which was expanded so as also to condemn the Macedonians (the heretical group, not the ethnic Macedonians or the people who lived in Macedonia). The Trinity was later adapted to condemn other heresies, such as Nestorianism, Monophysitism, etc.
In other words, the Trinity was a dynamic construct, an arbitrary concoction which promoted the cause of one partisan wing of the early Church at the expense of others. It shouldn’t be surprising that it’s irrational and nonsensical on its face and difficult to pin down. This in turn has led to a number of alternate (and also condemned as “heretical”) ways of making sense of the Trinity, such as what the Onenness Pentecostalists profess.
None of Swedenborg’s books are out of print. Check out http://www.swedenborg.com and http://www.newchurch.org
We used to sing this song for a meal-prayer in kindergarten before snack time. So did every kindergartener in every Lutheran school in America, I bet. We never watched the movie, however.
Seems like a pretty cool guy. I like the idea that faith isn’t a free ride into heaven. It seems like most people have forgotten that God requires good deeds in addition to belief. I’m glad I can still think of Johnny Appleseed as a neat fellow who helped out around the country.
“Faith without works is like a screen door on a submarine” Rich Mullins (posthumously).
Um…. How did Rich Mullins provide a soundbite after he was dead?
It’s amazing what Christians can get out of those palm readers when you pay them money…
Ah! Yours is better- ignore mine.
Rich Mullins a palm reader? Poor analogy there D. He spent his last years after much commercial “success” living on indian reservations with the poor and destitute, often sleeping on the ground, loving and caring for those less fortunate than he.
I dont see any palm readers doing any such thing, not hardly.
You missed the joke John. It’s okay though. BTW, I really liked the song “Our God is an Awesome God”… the first couple hundred times I heard it. ;)
I’m with you there. Good music, waaaaaaaay overplayed, very quickly becomes bad music.
Through the awesome power of The Lord, of course!
My bad, obviously did not intend it to be read that way…only that he has passed on (tragically, accidentally) and his words fitting the topic of faith vs works.
I heartily beggeth thy mercies dearest Custador, wont thou forgiveth me for mine great and grievous error? :)
Yeah, ‘k. I’m in a good mood.
I agree!
And even though he was “religious” as was everyone back then, he comes across very much a humanist to me.
And it’s not THAT far off from the Disney version, they just eliminated the more overtly religious aspects of his character. But his contemporaries still portrayed him as the traveling barefoot apple orchard starter.
BY this he meant donating money to the church, my stepfather practices the swedenborgian religion… so does his two sons, they have very strange beliefs, and a rather cult-like atmosphere around them… they have a book of “numbers” the swedenborg wrote about his experiences, and i will also mention that they were opium induced…they all go to a private “new church” school…instead of the public system, and they are urged to marry straight out of high school and have as many kids as they can… if anyone wants any more info just let me know
YOU give us “more info?” I am a life long Swedenborgian. Every detail you give about the source of the teachings and the practices is incorrect. Is your point to provoke a reaction? Well, I have a principle I live by: I don’t argue about doctrine. But I want the readers to know that you are factually incorrect.
lol
Now I don’t know if I should made up some more swedenborgian practices…
or please, could you explain us something about that doctrine?
Starting thinking “God is Love.” Then read for yourself about Swedenborg on wikipedia, or visit the publisher at swedenborg.com (although I think newchurch.org is better at introducing his ideas).
see here:
http://www3.telus.net/trbrooks/swedenborg.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedenborgianism
and…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8a4NYrXMQA
and i get the info right from the source
When I was a kid our Sunday school paper did a cartoon series on Johhny Appleseed that i presumere told the Disney story. I read an article on cider a few weeks ago. The author noted that the common use of apples in Chapman’s day was to make hard cider, and that the fungelical Xtians supporting his use as a role model are largely anti alcohol use. Most of the apple trees he planted would produce apples that are almost uneatable, but would produce fine cider more akin to wine than to the apple juice we call cider today. Wikipedia points out that rather than planting orchards for future settlers to enjoy, (as portrayed in the Sunday school paper) he established nurseries with local farmers who were his agents, and he would travel between these nurseries over a two year cycle to tend to the stock and collect his fees.
I remember the stories of Johnny Appleseed, the Disney version, as a kid. All though I think I get that cartoon confused with the Paul Bunyan/Blue Ox cartoon. Don’t know why. Weird eh?
Anyway, timing is everything! We just finished comparing the Great Awakening with the Second Great Awakening in my history class (we just started the section on Democrats and Whigs this week). And since it has now been brought up…. :)
It is amazing to me how many religions sprouted up during both awakenings. Especially during the Second when there was more of an infrastructure via roads, steamboats, and canals that allowed for traveling revivals. And it kind of reminded me of the shows I have seen on the Discovery channel talking about early Christianity. Basically, in the middle east, so many different sects of Christianity arose, some based around different apostles, and different interpretations of the bible, until Rome basically “won out” to an extent. That struck me as very similar to what happened during the Second Great Awakening here. Since the US was one of the few countries of the time that allowed religious freedom and didn’t have a forced religion by the government, it was kind of history repeating itself. New land, new government, new ideas…..
People once again started rethinking the bible and what was important, and again, the sects fought it out until only the stronger of the factions were left standing. Basically, I found it fascinating that so many of the churches seem steeped in ancient ceremony and beliefs, some of which most of us would call archaic, and yet their foundations lay less than a century or two in the past.
Ok, maybe this is just rambling, but I am also really digging my history class, so I thought I would share some of what we have been discussing :)
Great post.
Two quick edits – Joseph Smith, not John Smith; and 1845, not 1945.
Fixed.
Still is, my son’s religious kindergarten teacher loved to show this because she could use it as a loophole for bringing religion into the (public school) classroom.
I also read an article on John chapman a while back (wish I could recall where). But also mentioned that chapman possibly had a child bride. Also scrubbed out of the Disney and religious accounts
This is an interesting article, but it’s riddled with basic factual errors:
Emmanual Swedenborg was not Swiss, he was Swedish
The founder of the Church of Latter Day Saints was Joseph Smith, not John Smith
John Chapman was born in 1774 and died in 1845, not 1945.
Such silly errors severly undermines any pretense to scholarship.
“Such silly errors severly undermines any pretense to scholarship”.
Gee wiz man, give’em a break would ya? This is just a forum for friendly discussion, it’s not like Daniel or Vorjack are gonna pass out pop quizzes or anything.
…because everyone knows there are no typos in RealScholarship™
Ignore him, he’s not a Real Scholar!
I find the lack of detailed footnotes and extensive excursus shockingly inappropriate and utterly unbecoming Real Internet Scholarship(tm)! And where are the pie charts? I demand my pie charts! Dreadnought–if that is your real name–should sue you for conduct unbecoming a Real Internet Scholar, Daniel (if that is your real name)!
Apple pie charts of course. Would you like that a la mode? You can have vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. I’ve got both in the freezer.
Aauugh! I know that tune! It’s going around in my head!
Never saw any cartoon about him though. Watch for the sequel, “Dances With Raccoons”.
Ahhhhhhhhahahahahahaha! That does sound familiar…. John Smith, Swedenborg, the more frothing-at-the-mouth fundies on this blog……..
Two women teaching a nonfiction writers’ course in Alaska used a phrase “the Bambification of nature”. The “Disneyfication” would come pretty close too.
Thanks, vorjack! That was very interesting, and fun to read.
I first read that as “Unlike many religious visionaries, Swedenborg believed that Christianity had been obscured by centuries of misunderstanding, and that he was receiving revelations of the pure religion directly from God”, which is some Grade-A sarcasm.
All those apple trees were for making liquor. Most apple trees planted from seed are indedible.
See Michael Pollan’s Botany of Desire.
Did anybody on this thread attempt to wrote “Resistance is futile!” in a Swedish accent yet? And if not, why not?
There’s something else he did- he gave out apple seeds to farmers but under the express consent that they not partake in grafting. Something like 90% of naturally grown apple trees don’t produce apples that you could ever sell but with trees it turns out it’s not a very complicated procedure to cut the branch off of one and grow it off of another tree.
All the fruit grown on that branch have the genetics of the tree it came from and will basically produce exactly that quality of fruit and using these techniques you can eventually turn one good tree into a whole orchard of them. Ole Chapman viewed this as an abomination where people were “playing God,” but like viewing rock and roll as the music of the devil we eventually pretty well got over it and now nobody bats an eyelash at plant grafts (though admittedly the general public forgot about it as soon as it wasn’t controversial anymore.)
There’s a message about GM foods in this but I probably don’t need to actually type it out for this audience.