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The Varieties of Religious Experience
by: William James






Average Rating:  out of 5 stars


Editorial Review:

Amazon.com Review:
"I am neither a theologian, nor a scholar learned in the history of religions, nor an anthropologist. Psychology is the only branch of learning in which I am particularly versed. To the psychologist the religious propensities of man must be at least as interesting as any other of the facts pertaining to his mental constitution. It would seem, therefore, as a psychologist, the natural thing for me would be to invite you to a descriptive survey of those religious propensities."

When William James went to the University of Edinburgh in 1901 to deliver a series of lectures on "natural religion," he defined religion as "the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine." Considering religion, then, not as it is defined by--or takes place in--the churches, but as it is felt in everyday life, he undertook a project that, upon completion, stands not only as one of the most important texts on psychology ever written, not only as a vitally serious contemplation of spirituality, but for many critics one of the best works of nonfiction written in the 20th century. Reading The Varieties of Religious Experience, it is easy to see why. Applying his analytic clarity to religious accounts from a variety of sources, James elaborates a pluralistic framework in which "the divine can mean no single quality, it must mean a group of qualities, by being champions of which in alternation, different men may all find worthy missions." It's an intellectual call for serious religious tolerance--indeed, respect--the vitality of which has not diminished through the subsequent decades.

Product Description:
Standing at the crossroads of psychology and religion, this catalyzing work applied the scientific method to a field abounding in abstract theory. William James believed that individual religious experiences, rather than the precepts of organized religions, were the backbone of the world's religious life. His discussions of conversion, repentance, mysticism and saintliness, and his observations on actual, personal religious experiences - all support this thesis. In his introduction, Martin E. Marty discusses how James' pluralistic view of religion led to his remarkable tolerance of extreme forms of religious behaviour, his challenging, highly original theories, and his welcome lack of pretension in all of his observations on the individual and the divine.



Related Items:

Binding: Paperback
EAN: 9780415278102
Edition: The Centenary Ed
ISBN: 0415278104
Label: Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Lt
Manufacturer: Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Lt
Number Of Pages: 480
Publisher: Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Lt
Studio: Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Lt

Customer Reviews

Varieties of Religious Experience 4 out of 5 stars
The book is presented in a difficult form to read because of large pages, many small type quotations, and a book that will not lie flat when opened. As to the contents, they are fine, especially since the book was written over 100 years ago.


 







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