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Danny Triesler ( BA ’ 14 ) said , “ Jane was and will always be such a bright light in my life for so many reasons . … She was so curious in the best of ways , making you feel loved at every turn . … Her love and ability to love is something I personally strive to achieve by showing those around me that same level as she delivered every day to so many people .”
wrote in 2001 , “ We note that her work in Swedenborgian studies is internationally recognized as evidenced by a continuing flow of invitations to speak and publish on Swedenborg .”
Jane also became involved with conferences connected with the Center for the Study of New Religious Movements ( CESNUR ); because of her involvement , Bryn Athyn hosted the conference in 1999 . To honor Jane ’ s contributions , CESNUR has decided to dedicate a lectureship in her name . The inauguration took place in June 2018 at Weixin College , Taiwan .
From connections made at this CESNUR conference , the University of Bordeaux in France invited Jane to serve as a visiting professor . Believing in the value of international connections for students , Jane played an essential role in establishing student exchange programs between the College and this French university , and also helped set up an exchange with Osnabrück in Germany .
Jane left no stone unturned in her research . For example , in order to better understand Swedenborg ’ s Swedish background , she learned to speak Swedish and
buried herself in historic material from Swedish archives . Erland Brock , Ph . D ., director of research and development at the College noted in his annual report 1995 , “[ Jane ] has acquired literacy in Swedish enabling her to delve into books , articles and archival documents in that language .”
Jane then spent a sabbatical and many summers in Sweden , making scholarly contacts throughout Scandinavia , presenting papers ( sometimes in Swedish ), and working on a new biography of Swedenborg . In 2003 , Gregory Baker wrote in his annual report that Jane ’ s biography “ promises to be a significant contribution to scholarship on Swedenborg .” Jane ’ s dear friends Suzy and Alan Laidlaw are now working to bring this colossal book to completion . Suzy said , “ Working on this project , I feel Jane ’ s presence closely .”
Throughout the final decade of her life , Jane continued to boldly pursue ways to expand the dialogue around Swedenborg . For example , she proposed that a celebratory symposium about Swedenborg be held at the Royal Academy of Sciences , of which Swedenborg had once been a member . The Secretary General of the Royal Academy approved the idea and asked Jane to serve on the planning committee . Jane wrote , “ This represented a significant move for the Swedish Academic establishment .” The conference took place in 2010 ; the proceedings were published in 2013 , with essays by 20 Swedenborgian scholars .
Over the course of her teaching , Jane frequently described the College as a place where Swedenborg scholars could research and present their studies . One of Jane ’ s greatest accomplishments in this arena occurred after she submitted a paper to the journal Nova Religio for its special edition on Religion and the Arts . As a result of this paper , the issue ’ s guest editor , Massimo Introvigne , contacted Jane , asking if she ’ d be interested in holding a conference in Bryn Athyn , and noting that “ a serious study of Swedenborg and the arts is 100 years overdue .” Jane enthusiastically embraced the idea . The conference , which took place in June 2017 , proved wildly successful , helping bring new worldwide awareness to not only Swedenborg , but to the artistic and academic efforts of the College .
Less than a week before her passing , Jane completed her pro-
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