Overview

Anna Keyser Baker's diary offers a reflective, vivid account of 19th-century Philadelphia life, faith, and personal observation. Written during the final years of her life, the diary of Anna Keyser Baker (1821–1877), offers a rare, eloquent window into everyday life, faith, and spiritual reflection in late-19th-century Philadelphia. A third-generation Philadelphia Swedenborgian, avid reader, dedicated friend, and Sunday School teacher, Anna documented sermons, conversations, community charity work, and personal introspection. Her diary entries bring to life parlor visits, mountain and beach vacations, church gatherings, and walks through a transforming Philadelphia, including her impressions of the Centennial Exposition of 1876. This work takes its title from a fleeting, but poignant account recorded in Anna's diary: a houseleek plant growing on the roof of her home, traditionally considered to be a sign of protection. Its removal-after being mistaken for an ill omen by a housekeeper-is noted with bemusement, but it coincides with a farewell visit from one of Anna's cherished Sunday School students, whom she would never see again as they set off for schooling in Europe. This captures a central theme of the diary: the impulse to find meaning in the mundaneness of everyday life. The proof of any interpretations, however, can only be seen with reflection. Richly annotated and carefully edited by Swedenborgian historian Christopher Augustus Barber, this edition guides readers through Anna's world. Blending accessible theological insight, gentle poetry, social observation, and personal candor, Anna's diary offers both devotional depth and a vivid portrait of Philadelphia and humanity that will appeal to readers of all backgrounds. 23 b/w illustrations

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9781955041683

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Reviews

""Anna Keyser Baker's diary (1874-1876) provides fascinating glimpses into the private world of a Swedenborgian woman in her 50s, unmarried, devoted to friends and family, wealthy enough not to write about money concerns, and spiritual enough to celebrate life beyond materialism. Baker is head over heels in love with the natural world, seeing it as an exquisite and ongoing expression of God's love and wisdom. Some of the most powerful moments are those when Baker stands in awe before mountains or woods or water. She both carries sustenance home with her and conveys it to us. Many of her entries suggest the wisdom of the Transcendentalists, the Romantic poets, and Swedenborgian teachings about correspondences. For someone who witnessed the surge of industrialization and the growth of the abolitionist movement, and then a Civil War, Emancipation, Reconstruction, and its sudden unraveling, Baker has curiously little to say about her war-torn country or about federal, state, local, or even denominational strife. Her diary focuses instead on what is humble and near at hand. She writes for and from her own spirit, leaving out much that wider audiences might be curious about. Chris Barber does a masterful job filling gaps and providing names along with social, historical, and theological contexts. He speculates in fruitful ways while also acknowledging things we cannot or do not know. In some ways, what is left unknown is part of the power of Anna Baker's diary, reminding us of how much remains beyond our grasp regarding another life or another time, and how grateful we are when moments ring true, blessing us with a shared sense of humanity across time.""--Kristin King, author of The Gardens of Heaven and Earth

Author Information

Christopher Augustus Barber is an ordained minister of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, a religion teacher, and president of the Swedenborg Foundation. He holds master’s degrees in theology from Bryn Athyn College and in education from Widener University. Dedicated to making Swedenborgian thought accessible and relevant, Barber combines research, theological insight, and deep empathy in his work. He is especially passionate about reviving the stories of overlooked historical figures.

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