My rating:

add to my books

read book

The Varieties of Religious Experience

by William James

4.06 · rating details · 1,796 ratings · 133 reviews

The Varieties of Religious Experience came about as the result of William James's legendary lecture series at The University of Edinburgh. It consisted of 20 Lectures, 2 courses of 10 lectures each. In this series, James examines in detail the nature of religion, expanding on pragmatism in the process. As part of the canon of modern philosophy and psychology, these lecture...more

Paperback, 452 pages

Published September 16th 2008 by Megalodon Entertainment LLC. (first published 1902)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,975)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jul 06, 2011

Paul marked it as to-read-nonfiction · review of another edition

I had an unusually long conversation with my daughter Georgia (also now a Goodreader) once when she was seven years old (she's now 14) and the matter of eschatology came up, so I asked her directly - well, what does happen when you die? So she laid out what she thinks happens, and I was so taken by the stuff she came out with that I wrote it down. As it's a variety of religious experience I thought it appropriate to include here.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIE

Heaven has diffe...moreI had an unusually long conversation with my daughter Georgia (also now a Goodreader) once when she was seven years old (she's now 14) and the matter of eschatology came up, so I asked her directly - well, what does happen when you die? So she laid out what she thinks happens, and I was so taken by the stuff she came out with that I wrote it down. As it's a variety of religious experience I thought it appropriate to include here.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIE

Heaven has different parts to it. In one part there are monsters, but they're good. In another part they're like orcs but they're good. In the third part there are dinosaurs, and they're bad.
Jesus is not in heaven. He is above heaven. He was a normal man but he went on the cross and died and he became magic. He was alive again and turned into an angel. Now he can listen to anyone on the earth just by thinking of their name.
When people die they all go to heaven. It could be the good part or the bad part. When you die you turn into a zombie, but then quite quickly you turn into a skeleton and that's when you go to heaven. The
skeletons in heaven can't see the Earth at all, but to the good orcs Earth appears like the brightest star in the sky. But they have to look down to see it, because they are all upside down.
If you are cremated your ashes float up and turn into your soul. It goes up into a purple porthole. It meets a sorter who asks you what age you want to be and that's what you stay at from then on. In this world everything is slightly see-through. You only spend 1000 years here and then you go to the graveyard and sleep. But one day in each 10 years you come alive again. But this world is not heaven so jesus is not there. The bad people who die become good. For five years out of 1000 they are punished in a house sized prison cell by having to eat all the food they really hate and listen to all the music they really hate.
There is a feather of truth and a catch up course, but I can't remember what they are for.
People have gone into space in rockets but they haven't seen heaven because it is very small.
When animals die, if it's on concrete they fade away and become invisible. If it's on soil, they sink bit by bit into the earth and they become animal zombies. Our hamster Lucy became an animal zombie, but all animal zombies are good, not bad.

Note : don't blame me for any of this, I never allowed her to watch any zombie films intil she was 12! I don't know where she's got any of this stuff apart from orcs.(less)

like 17 likes

· see review

May 27, 2010

Abailart rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: psychology, spirit, re-reading

A classic of course, still potent and assured. I return to it for its look at the realism of the 'sick soul'. It comforts me.

It is not religion that is the concern here. Human emotions and feelings are the focus. How these influence a personality could as equally underlay their political orientation, their philosophical orientation, and they do in fact represent how a person actually is in the world: how they relate, how they feel, in short their character. There is an existential ed...more

like 5 likes

· see review

Feb 23, 2009

Stephen rated it

· review of another edition

"I fear that my general philosophic position received so scant a statement as to hardly be intelligible"

That about sums up this text for me. Although the language is beautiful, I never really got a understanding of what the author was trying to prove.

A more apt title for this book is probably "The Varieties of Anglo-American Protestant Religious Experience". There was slight mention of other belief systems (Islam, Sufi-ism, and Hinduism, had small ...more"I fear that my general philosophic position received so scant a statement as to hardly be intelligible"

That about sums up this text for me. Although the language is beautiful, I never really got a understanding of what the author was trying to prove.

A more apt title for this book is probably "The Varieties of Anglo-American Protestant Religious Experience". There was slight mention of other belief systems (Islam, Sufi-ism, and Hinduism, had small cameos). Even the more interesting Protestant sects like the Quakers, Anabaptists, Christian Scientists, and Mormons did not get much ink. So, if you are looking for a survey of different religious beliefs like the title implies, you should look elsewhere. Instead you get kind of a description of different emotional elements that the author supposes are common to all religious experience. He speaks of Healthy-mindedness, which sort of relates to modern new age and heuristic practices, but he is speaking in the 1890's so his examples are of New England style transcendentalism like Emerson or Whitman. "The Sick Soul" deals with excessive negative dwelling on sin or hell-fire. He talks about the quest to find yourself and the powerful conversion experiences that can happen when you do. Then Asceticism (or "Saintliness") and Mysticism are explored. Remember, all of these things are covered with very old-fashioned terms and references making the modern reader wince, so the book sounds better than it actually is. Finally he comes to his conclusions and his suggestion for a science of religion that will find the truths that exist in religiosity in all of its forms and discard the introduced falsehoods. A fine sentiment it is, too bad he didn't spend more time elaborating on that and less time on excessive quotations from questionable sources like letters from an anonymous friend.

This is the second straight non-fiction clunker I have read that was published in the 1890's or early 1900's. I got to thinking that all old non-fiction must be bad. It is all filled with overly flowering prose, bad references, excessive quotations of bad references, and a lack of any strong point or theory behind the writing (good narrative, but for what?) Then I thought about how much I enjoyed "A History of the English Speaking People", or "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", or "A Study of History" and I banished those thoughts from my head. Bad non-fiction is just bad non-fiction regardless of the date of publication. Now that is not to say that William James is a poor writer, because there are beautiful passages here. It is just that modern readers kind of expect a strong statement of a hypothesis and then a gallant effort at backing it up with credible sources and not the meandering (beautiful meandering) and weak sources you get.

(less)

like 4 likes

· see review

Jun 05, 2011

Erik Graff rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Erik by: no one

Shelves: psychology

Being derived from public lectures, The Varieties of Religious Experience is neither a particularly deep nor demanding book. It is, however, both beautifully written and clearly expressed--hallmarks of James' style. Informally unsystematic, the painless effort of going through it will likely present the reader with useful insights, apt examples and challenging arguments.

I was particularly challenged by the idea that some people, what he calls healthy souls, are constitutionally hap...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jun 16, 2011

Paul rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, religion, spirituality

This classic on the experiential aspects of religion is as fresh, relevant, and authoritative as when it was published in 1902.

The qualities of James's mind made him superbly well equipped to write a book such as this, for as a thinker he was penetrating, perceptive, objective, skeptical, candid, courageous, and open-minded. He was also deeply read in philosophy and science, and expressed himself with clarity and humor.

The book is composed of a series of talks James gave ...moreThis classic on the experiential aspects of religion is as fresh, relevant, and authoritative as when it was published in 1902.

The qualities of James's mind made him superbly well equipped to write a book such as this, for as a thinker he was penetrating, perceptive, objective, skeptical, candid, courageous, and open-minded. He was also deeply read in philosophy and science, and expressed himself with clarity and humor.

The book is composed of a series of talks James gave as Gifford Lecturer on Natural Religion at the University of Edinburgh, and covers the key experiences and attitudes that we tend to call religious: the sense of the "reality of the unseen", for example, and the feelings of sin and beatitude, as well as conversion, saintliness, mysticism, and the relationship of philosophy to religion.

James treats all these phenomena with interest and respect. His attitude is scientific and impartial, and from these lectures it is not possible to tell where his own spiritual convictions lie.

In all, James demonstrates with a wide range of striking examples and case studies the breadth, depth, and power of the human experience of religion in its widest sense, and shows why scientific and philosophical critiques of "religion" invariably miss their target and never succeed. The experience of religious feeling is a distinct and powerful class of human emotions, and efforts to rationalize this away are never convincing, certainly not to those who have experienced the emotions. Rudolf Otto, in his landmark book The Idea of the Holy, even as he patronizes James as a "rationalist" and a "pragmatist", nonetheless leans on him for support in his own argument that the experience of the sacred is a unique and all-important aspect of human life.

This is one of the best books on religion or spirituality ever written, and it is all the better for not being written by a cleric, mystic, practitioner, or other apologist for any branded faith. One of the most important books of the 20th century.(less)

· see review

Feb 23, 2011

Bob Nichols rated it

· review of another edition

Given his reputation as a thinker and writer, this is a disappointing book on substance and style.

James delves into the wide variety of transcendent (the "Reality of the Unseen") experiences and provides many anecdotal accounts to illustrate them. Given James' background in psychology, and the likely influence of Darwinian theory on philosophical pragmatism ("Truth" is what best works), it is surprising that James accepts these accounts at face value without ques...moreGiven his reputation as a thinker and writer, this is a disappointing book on substance and style.

James delves into the wide variety of transcendent (the "Reality of the Unseen") experiences and provides many anecdotal accounts to illustrate them. Given James' background in psychology, and the likely influence of Darwinian theory on philosophical pragmatism ("Truth" is what best works), it is surprising that James accepts these accounts at face value without questioning whether other underlying factors may be at work. Does the transcendent exist, or do we create it because of internal need? Is it the transcendent that is experienced, or is it the product of our extended, ontological imagination? Is religious devotion an allegiance to an alpha archetype figure that is an extension of our allegiance to our earth-based leaders? Why is self-sacrifice and asceticism anything other than displaying one's extreme devotion to the alpha (protective, all-powerful) leader and thus, an assurance of one's place in eternity?

James doesn't ask these questions. In fact, he goes the other way and argues that those who do not have transcendent experiences have some version of a "world sick soul." In that camp he puts the Stoics and Epicureans. While he has a point with the Stoics, the Epicureans perhaps figured out how to enjoy this life, healthily, without the transcendent, saintly, mystical trappings that James argues constitute a healthy soul. James does not budge on this point. Secular man in his view does not touch the experiences of the twice born. The twice born have certain, higher-level characteristics, including a feeling of compassion and love for life that the earth-bound do not have. Yet, given the problems on this earth, it is valid to question whether the single minded, meditative, cloistered devotion to the "one" is selfishness (e.g., "I am o.k. for I am with the Father."). Compassion for or with God may very well be a different species than compassion for our species, or all species, on this earth.

James appears (to be fair, it's not so clear) to put himself in the twice-born enlightened category. He believes in "refined and universalistic supernaturalism" and here he covers all the bases. "Refined" means some sort of transcendent presence without any divine intervention in daily life. "Universalistic naturalism" means he remains true to his scientific roots and natural law, and this concept also allows his pragmatic theology to remain grounded in practical utility. "Super" means that there's more than naturalism and he stays in touch with that part of (super) reality through "prayerful communion." While it could be that James is communing with himself, nowhere in this very long book does he raise that as a possibility.

On the style issue, a better book would have been to focus on these types of questions and issues rather than his many well-turned sentences. While we know from this book that James knows German, Latin, Greek and French, more than a few key points were lost because there was no translation. Over and over again, James apologies for having to be so brief, yet more brevity may have offered more focus and clarity. (less)

like 1 like

· see review

Feb 22, 2011

Urban 53 rated it

· review of another edition

Many years after first reading this philosopical/psychological classic by William James, it remains so very timely in its major endeavor to respect, describe, and (inadequately) categorize religious experience. This work comprises his compiled Gifford Lectures from 1901-02, and still stands as one of the most cogent presentations against scientism (the belief that all that can be validly known is by the sensory-based, empirical method) as well as a door-opening, psychological acknowledgement of...more

like 1 like

· see review

Oct 29, 2009

Trevor rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, psychology, social-theory, religion

I have heard of this book for years and have meant to look into it for about as long – but earlier this year I read a book called Ghost Hunters William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death and that made me more curious about James and his philosophy. I had read some of his philosophy at University, but not really a lot.

I had no idea this would be quite so long. I also had no idea this was based on a series of twenty lectures he gave at the University of Ed...more

like 10 likes

· see review

Dec 17, 2010

Robert rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, psychology

This book was a catalyst for further research on this subject. The climax of the book, I think, is the chapter on mysticism. Although all spiritual and aesthetic experiences are grounded in mystical states of consciousness, it is the mystical experience itself that James claims to be of paramount importance. He describes the common characteristics:

1. Ineffability - The structure of language seems to be completely unable to communicate the experience. They seem to transcend creeds ...more

· see review

May 05, 2010

FiveBooks added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fivebooks-on-reason

American novelist and professor of philosophy Rebecca Newberger Goldstein has chosen to discuss William James’s The Varieties of Religious Experience on FiveBooks as one of the top five on her subject - Reason and its Limitations, saying that:

“…This is all about the phenomenology of religion, what it feels like from the inside. You get the feeling with James that he would love to have one of these extraordinary religious experiences. The things he describes are frankly quite mad. These...more

· see review

Jun 21, 2007

Leonard Houx rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: shitheads

i read this book because i felt i was supposed to. i don't think this is a bad reason to read a book, but in this case i was wrong. the book is, for the most part, stupid and overrated. certain thinkers believe that once they have achieved a certain stature, they can say anything they want. at no point does the book adress the problem that these 'religious experiences' are *based* on delusional beliefs.

like 1 like

· see review

Aug 05, 2011

Patrick rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. James' book is a psychological study in what constitutes a religious experience. For James, personal spirituality is at the heart of religion. And since religion is spiritually individualistic, in America, it has to be pluralistic. In his defense of pluralism, he echoes St. Paul's assertion that "we are many parts with different functions but all one body in Christ." He also states that understanding religious doctrine is not the same thing as experiencing it and thus one cannot prove...more

· see review

Oct 27, 2011

David rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, nonfiction, religion, read-in-2011

This book was okay, there were some interesting parts but it was sometimes hard to finish because it was often just quote after quote and lots of anecdote examples of religious experience. This was okay and interesting at first but it sometimes became a chore to continue. I'd be willing to bet that almost half of this book is nothing more than direct quotes from people who had a so called religious experiences and almost everyone of these quotes were from Christians (I can only remember one no...more

· see review

Jan 27, 2009

Rika added it · review of another edition

Shelves: agama, bahasa-inggris, non-fiksi, belum-selesai

Sudah lama aku mendengar buku ini karena aku pernah kuliah di fakultas psikologi. Sewaktu perusahaan penerbitan tempatku dulu pernah bekerja memberiku tugas untuk menyuntingnya, dengan penuh semangat aku mengerjakannya. Tapi...apa boleh buat, aku tak pernah berhasil menyelesaikan tugasku karena aku keburu pindah kota, pindah kantor. Lagipula, ini buku yang teramat sulit. Bahasa yang digunakan adalah bahasa jadul, tahun..mmm berapa ya..1800-an atau 1900-an awal. Tambahan lagi, kalo tidak salah in...more

· see review

Aug 20, 2011

Martha added it · review of another edition

Shelves: f-philosophy, l-american, read-2011-12

Reading this book, I fluctuated between various reactions. Total absorption, because the whole set-up of the book is new and eye-opening. I have never seen religion examined from a purely pragmatic perspective, nor have I ever read anything that focused exclusively on the individual relationship of one human to the divine, sans all the traditional trappings, nor have I seen characteristics of religious experience connected to a range of other phenomena (drunkenness, ghostly visions, optimism, di...more

· see review

Mar 19, 2009

Gary rated it

· review of another edition

Through a series of lectures, Psychologist William James identifies various types of religious experiences, and tries to get at the bottom of where these experiences emanate, and what importance they are to human beings. In this study, he is more interested in the psychology and philosophy behind the religious experience, and the various ways that people have experienced God or some divine presence, than organized religion per se. He tends to focus more on religious experience from a phenomenal ...more

· see review

Sep 21, 2011

Pamela rated it

· review of another edition

Fascinating. James aims to describe and classify the various types of mystical religious experiences that have been reported over the centuries by those who experienced them. He points out near-universals in these experiences and concludes that there are other types of reality that we are not normally conscious of and that mystical states give us some hint of. I appreciate James's perspective--which is that of a person who doesn't experience these states himself but has respect for them and is n...more

· see review

Aug 07, 2011

Todd added it · review of another edition

A superior work. No small surprise that it has been in print since it's first publication. The 'Varieties' is not just an examination, it is a search for the validity of religion, the truth, and the unity. It is not a promotion nor a tearing-down, it does not walk with a particular faith. It is a scientific and philosophic look at religion and one that does not simply dismiss faith as foolish primitive hogwash. In fact, it extols the virtues of the saintly people and examines the incredible effe...more

· see review

Oct 17, 2011

Judith rated it

· review of another edition

This is a series of lectures given by William James in 1901 at the University of Edinburgh where he was a visiting professor. I was delighted to learn that he was the brother of the famous author, Henry James, and the book sounded intriguing. I wanted to read something by a believer that was intelligent, and this fit the bill. Unfortunately, the language was stilted and archaic and I couldn't get through it. It reminded me of falling asleep during boring sermons in the distant past. I think...more

· see review

Mar 21, 2011

David rated it

· review of another edition

James' masterwork, The Varieties of Religious Experience, is an interesting and groundbreaking work.

The book is structured as lectures on a large theme - mysticism, healthy-mindedness, etc, and somewhere in the neighborhood of half of the words are direct quotes from people whose personal experience exemplifies the characteristic in question. In building the book in this manner, James allows for the systematic comparison and contrast for these radically different types of experien...moreJames' masterwork, The Varieties of Religious Experience, is an interesting and groundbreaking work.

The book is structured as lectures on a large theme - mysticism, healthy-mindedness, etc, and somewhere in the neighborhood of half of the words are direct quotes from people whose personal experience exemplifies the characteristic in question. In building the book in this manner, James allows for the systematic comparison and contrast for these radically different types of experience, and he uses the method he will later define as the pragmatic method to evaluate them - that is, he looks for the difference in behavior that the belief brings, and writes off completely any ideological differences which do not result in behavioral differences.

I had heard from many people that this was a book I should read, so I suggested it for the nascent Shabbat philosophy book club. Of the seven of us, only two finished the book (I was one of them), but we all agreed that one substantial flaw in James' work is that he does not recognize how much of a Christian worldview he has - that is, the Jewish worldview is entirely missing from his examples.

An example of a classically Jewish experience which he ignores is the idea of mitzvah (commandment) - the idea that by fulfilling a specific command given by God, one becomes a partner in creation with the Creator. This type of experience is well described in traditional Jewish literature, including in those sources which were known outside of Jewish spheres (i.e. Maimonides, Hirsch).

For another example, he says that human experience is all the richer for the presence of the Devil in it, so long as we keep our foot on his neck. Now, this is an interesting and thoughtful comment, but it is not fully developed, and again he misses the Jewish viewpoint - in Jewish thinking, the Satan (adversary) is God's prosecuting attorney - the one whose job it is to bring up all of the person's faults on Judgement day - and thus one who has a necessary but unpleasant task. This is altogether different from the Devil that James describes, who is much more an independent force in the universe, or is analogized to the tempter who seduces humans away from the good and right. Judaism does not need a tempter, because it presumes that the force of temptation is inherent in humanity, as part of the design of God.

However, even with this lack, I think that the book is quite good - James notices several commonalities across the experiences, and well-generalizes them to the human condition. He discusses how theology is generally the after-thought of the religious experience, and I think he is correct: the inchoate religious feeling submits to later analysis, and from this union comes theology. He discusses how different types of experiences appeal to those of different temperaments - that the optimist and the pessimist will naturally dress their religious experiences in different garb - but the power that each experiences is comparable.

I would have liked to have seen what he would have done with Godel's theory - that is, the destruction of rationalism as a possible source of absolute harmony and truth - I believe that he would have seen Godel as having proven, or at least concurring with, some of what he was trying to say in his concluding lecture.(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Jan 20, 2011

Mr. Brammer rated it

· review of another edition

_The Varieties of Religious Experience_ builds to the climax of James explaining his philosophy of Pragmatism. What I think is important here to the religion vs. rationalism debate is that James has no time for established religion, dogma, or theology. Rather, he focuses on the mystical, individual life-changing experiences people have in sensing the presence of a higher power. These experiences are as real as falling in love - they are a psychological phenomenon that, according to James, bub...more

· see review

Mar 16, 2010

Jeremy added it · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, sociological

This is probably one of the most adult books I've read about religion itself. James clears out a lot of fundamentalist/empiricist bullshit and really gives these phenomena the generous, humane analysis which they deserve. He recognizes that these behaviors not seeming to add up either in coolly rational or ecstatically mystical terms is precisely what makes them worthy of our attention and consideration.
Also: "So long as we deal with the cosmic and the general, we deal only with the ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jul 30, 2011

Jermajesty Slosky rated it

· review of another edition

I started to read this book in 2005, and struggled to finish it ever since. It is S-L-O-W.
It has really interesting sections, like the ones on Melancholia and "The Sick Soul" (which gave me pause). James to his great credit predicted a lot of the mass psychological movements of his forthcoming century, especially in how he detailed the connection between drugs and the mystical experience. The 60's in a nutshell! I was impressed at how far-seeing James was.
Yet the huge downsid...more

· see review

Oct 12, 2009

Barry rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: spirituality, best-of-my-2009-reading, philosophy

10/22: Upon completion:

Well it took me almost this entire year to read (off-on-img amongst the other 40 books I've read thus far), and these last few lectures were quite the pay-off. The one on Mysticism was amazing, and the Philosophy one was quite profound. I guess by the time it gets to his conclusions its pretty settled in to saying everything you'd think it was saying (maybe it was the old-timeyness but I sorta saw the whole pro-religion angle coming, no surprise) (and I pretty ...more

· see review

Nov 05, 2008

Mari rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Mari by: Mike

Shelves: religion-spirituality

I finally finished this volume! I started it almost 7 months ago, I think and have been reading it off and on for quite some time. It's not a book you can rush. (Thanks again, to Mike for recommending this - sorry it took ~so~ long to finish it!)

The analysis of the benefits, structure, neurology and psychology of religion is not to be taken lightly - or superficially. This series of lectures applies a semblence of the scientific method to religion, which does not yield itself easily ...more

· see review

Feb 13, 2008

Johnny rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: psychology

Having struggled through about 3/4 of James' Principles of Psychology in 2007, I was constantly struck by how far he was ahead of his time and how he combined the power of descriptive observation with that of existing experimental research to suggest breakthrough ideas. That was the work in which he coined the phrase "stream of consciousness" to describe the dynamic nature of human mental processes.

Varieties of Religious Experience offers less in terms of experimental results...more

· see review

Aug 28, 2007

Dave Nagdeman rated it

· review of another edition

William James' primary contribution to religious studies in this work is his elucidation of categories through which to understand mystical religious experience. These categories (ineffability, noetic nature, transience, and passivity), while not invincible, still remain the standard starting point for any serious discussion of mysticism. This emphasis points out a major flaw in the work; James dispatches entirely with the historical, institutional, and intellectual components of religious pra...moreWilliam James' primary contribution to religious studies in this work is his elucidation of categories through which to understand mystical religious experience. These categories (ineffability, noetic nature, transience, and passivity), while not invincible, still remain the standard starting point for any serious discussion of mysticism. This emphasis points out a major flaw in the work; James dispatches entirely with the historical, institutional, and intellectual components of religious praxis. While it could be said that these components were anterior to his psychological concern, the manner in which they are done away with demonstrates a narrow purview of what religion is.

The Varieties of Religious Experience is composed from the Gifford Lecture Series which James delivered at the University of Edinburgh in 1901. This lecture series focused (and continues to focus) on "Natural Theology;" that is, it attempts to reconcile religious thought with scientific thought. In contradistinction to Freud, James attempts a harmonious interplay between the two. The first lecture, "Religion and Neurology," is actually devoted to belittled those sorry little people who think that the coincidence of a physical symptom and an intellectual or emotional belief implies a causal relation. E.g. "William's melancholy about the universe is due to bad digestion--probably his liver is torpid. Elize's delight in her church is a symptom of her hysterical constitution. Peter would be less troubled about his soul if he would take more exercise in the open air, etc." (9 in the Torchstone edition).

Despite this admirable desire for reconciliation, James leaves the reader uncertain of what direction to take it. No matter what his convictions, systematic theology will never voluntarily submit itself to the methodological considerations of empirical science, nor vice versa. Perhaps only in the past decades has the zeal for disproving religion subsided enough to allow researchers like Andrew Newberg (Why God Won't Go Away, Why We Believe What We Believe) and B. Alan Wallace (The Taboo of Subjectivity) to make meaningful steps in dialogue between the disciplines. Of course, hateful hacks like Richard Dawkins (The Selfish Gene, The God Delusion) and Daniel Dennett (Darwin's Dangerous Idea) will continue in the spirit of Voltaire and Freud to disparage anything they don't comprehend, but hey, at least James has provided more durable roots for the possibility of peace between the camps to grow.(less)

· see review

Aug 30, 2011

Tom rated it

· review of another edition

I Read this book as part of a research project on "12 step" recovery programs that are based on the principles of acceptance and belief in a "higher power.I was pointed in this direction by a close friend who is a member of AA, who told me that Varieties was the cornerstone used in formulating the spiritual bent of the AA 12 step program. I found the book to be an unusually enjoyable read, and can well understand the impact it would have had on the early pioneers of substance abu...more

· see review

Mar 05, 2011

John rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy-theory

I'm tempted to say that William James was a better writer than his brother Henry, but I suppose the comparison isn't fair since they worked in such completely different fields. Nevertheless, this is THE classic work on the psychology of religion, as James mines hundreds of narrative accounts of religious experience to explain phenomena such as conversion, mysticism, and asceticism. James sets it as his task to evaluate whether religion is good as a social force (bracketing theology altogether), ...more

· see review

Sep 15, 2009

Oscar rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: religion-mythology-spirituality, philosophy

A true classic of religious scholarship and psychology that is both relevant and readable. James explores many psychological and philosophical characteristics of the religious experience, and shows at least some of its variety in terms of its extreme and benign forms.

This leaves us with an essential account of what religion truly means and the way in which it is or can be intertwined with social, political and other factors. It lets us unravel such threads in an effective way, and sh...more

like 2 likes

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 132 133 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Word size	2	15	Jun 19, 2010 04:29pm

combine
Other Editions (144)

More editions...

Genres

Philosophy

115 users

Religion

115 users

Psychology

88 users

Non Fiction

56 users

Spirituality

22 users

Classics

13 users

Religion > Theology

7 users

Science

6 users

History

6 users

Academic > College

5 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About William James

There is more than one author by this name on Goodreads.

More about William James...

Books by William James

Writings 1902-1910: The Varieties of Religious Experience/Pragmatism/A Pluralistic Universe/The Meaning of Truth/Some Problems of Philosophy/Essays

The Will to Believe and Human Immortality

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About The Varieties of ...

1 trivia question

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Varieties of Relig...

“Knowledge about life is one thing; effective occupation of a place in life, with its dynamic currents passing through your being, is another.” — 14 people liked it

“Good-humor is a philosophic state of mind; it seems to say to Nature that we take her no more seriously than she takes us. I maintain that one should always talk of philosophy with a smile.” — 9 people liked it

More quotes…

Groups That Shelved The Varieties of ...

Philosophy

969 members

last activity Feb 09, 2012 07:29am

shelf: read

title link	preview: The Varieties of Religious Experience
avg rating	preview: The Varieties of Religious Experience Goodreads rating: 4.06 (1796 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5215664-the-varieties-of-religious-experience?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267355560m/5215664.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5215664-the-varieties-of-religious-experience?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James[/url]

The Varieties of Religious Experience

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website