The Varieties of Religious Experience
Ranked #7 in History Of Religion, Ranked #35 in Mysticism — see more rankings.
First published in 1905, The Varieties of Religious Experience is a collection of lectures given at the University of Edinburgh in 1901 and 1902. William James was a psychologist, and as such, his interest in religion was not that of a theologian but of a scientist. In these twenty lectures, he discusses the nature and origin of religious belief. The average believer is one who has inherited his religion, but this will not do for James's inquiry. He must find those believers who have a voracious religious faith, because these people have also often experienced a number of peculiar... more
Reviews and Recommendations
We've comprehensively compiled reviews of The Varieties of Religious Experience from the world's leading experts.
Mark Zuckerberg Founder/FacebookRecommends this book
Lewis Wolpert It’s not precisely a science book, but James is trying to understand religion in a scientific sort of way. (Source)
Jules Evans Still the best book on the subject, a century after it was published. James was a genius. (Source)
Rankings by Category
The Varieties of Religious Experience is ranked in the following categories:
- #54 in Developmental Psychology
- #93 in God
- #41 in Religion
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