He was working out a way to think rationally about irrational, or supra-rational, experiences. The Varieties of Religious Experience: Books - Amazon.ca. It has been a great pleasure to be in the company of such a rational, good-willed and articulate thinker for nearly 500 pages. James is one of those rare thinkers who values the subjective more highly than the objective: "The world of our experience consists at all times of two parts, an objective an. [I have read several books on this subject which in my opinion are more informative than James' book because they include results from recent scientific findings. It is all too easy (for an angsty teen like I was or otherwise) in our time to buy into the idea that science can dismiss religion, even though it can say very little about the non-material; and further, it’s even easier to dismiss it because of preposterous claims that vary one faith to the next. Please see surrounding reviews for feedback on the exceptional quality of ideas found within. It is, however, both beautifully written and clearly expressed--hallmarks of James' style. Varieties Of Religious Experience By John Updike 1474 Words | 6 Pages. Rather than basing the work on anthropological data collected personally, he used personal documents of individuals who had recorded their own experiences. But this word simply means “to change,” and isn’t only an occurrence for those who go to church. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902) is William James's classic survey of religious belief in its most personal, and often its most heterodox, aspects. Amazon manages delivery by using preferred couriers/agents. Directed by Purpose: How to Focus on Work That Matters, Ignore Distractions and Man... Bible Journal: 180 Daily Bible Verses About How to Deal with Anxiety and Stress. Amazon Kobo Goodreads. Yet at the same time it's almost as if part of the goal of his writing is to show how real yet how fleeting this area of reality becomes when we attempt to pin it down into dogma and psychological/scientific explanation. Mental Models: 30 Thinking Tools that Separate the Average From the Exceptional. You have to be in love with religion, philos-ophias to understand that we, humans, have problems with our self, understanding what is FAITH. Download one of the Free Kindle apps to start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, and computer. James is one of those rare thinkers who values the subjective more highly than the objective: "The world of our experience consists at all times of two parts, an objective and a subjective part, of which the former may be incalculably more extensive than the latter, and yet the latter can never be omitted or suppressed." A classic from a very important thinker, as fresh today as when it was written. There's value in his discarding of terminology in favor of symbolism and the universality of psychological experiences in the religious life as this too shows the absurdity of dogma and intolerance between religions and even the non-religious. I was a young man fleeing the rigid, fundamentalist evangelicalism I had been raised in, and searching for a more rational expression of faith. Varieties of Religious Experience. A shame, because I completely approve of the idea. James is evidently intelligent and well-read, and he's capable of writing excellent prose. The Varieties of Religious Experience (1901) is a lecture series that American philosopher and psychologist William James offered at the University of Edinburgh in 1901-1902. Previous page of related Sponsored Products, Classic Description of the personal religious experiences. But don't trust my memory. The Varieties of Religious Experience eBook: William James: Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store. © 2008-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. “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. It’s not just any change though, but the movement of energy from one set of beliefs to another. Unable to add item to Wish List. Only those readers who are ready to think and to learn need apply here. A masterpiece of oratorical theological philosophy. However, I would argue that this book's real significance lies in James' respect for our conscious experiences of things as the origin of real truth, insight, and significance. It's impressive how well this book has withstood the passage of time. Lame Goodreads tells me I'm "reading this for the 2nd time". by Adamant Media Corporation, The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature. James refers to this part of ourselves as “the habi… It's transcendent, science doesn't work to explain it but it does enter into life through the psyche so this will be the first point of scientific contact. Testimonials belong inside a comic book and offer nothing but anecdotal curiosities for those who already believe without sufficient reason or for those who like to pretend to know things they don’t really know. William James is speaking as a psychologist in these lectures so his focus is on examples of human feelings and behavior in response to religious experiences. Also, in the present American popular-intellectual climate of religious/spiritual pabulum versus asshole scientism, it's hella ref. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Books Hello, Sign in. "The Varieties of Religious Experience was an immediate bestseller upon its publication in June 1902. 8 The Varieties of Religious Experience them first separately, and then adding them together. This from one of the inventors of modern psychology. In fact, he's one of the few thinkers I've encountered (Freud, Marx, Beauvoir, Deleuze, Spinoza, and Said being a few others) whose intellect is strikingly original enough to pierce through the reader's own perspective. ― William James, quote from The Varieties of Religious Experience “how infinitely passionate a thing religion at its highest flights can be. “The Varieties of Religious Experience” by William James – Nemo's Library “The Varieties of Religious Experience” by William James Posted on August 2, 2016; Last updated on April 5, 2018 William James anticipated modern debate on the relationship between science and religion, and provided practical reasons to take religion seriously. mind. It consisted of 20 Lectures, 2 courses of 10 lectures each. One of these items ships sooner than the other. Goodreads has really gone to the dogs with all these newfangled tracking options. A shame, because I completely approve of the idea. William James is speaking as a psychologist in these lectures so his focus is on examples of human feelings and behavior in response to religious experiences. He is the author of a number of articles and essays on literature and religion, including "Religion and the Canon" for Oxford Handbook of Victorian, The Undiscovered Self: The Dilemma of the Individual in Modern Society, Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe. An important publication by one of the founding members of psychology usefully republished in our own time. Most people seem to think this book is important for the light it sheds on religion, or perhaps as an advancement in the field of religious studies. Skip to main content.ca. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2019. However, I would argue that this book's real significance lies in James' respect for our conscious experiences of things as the origin of real truth, insight, and significance. William James would say that which was lost is the completeness of a human being, which is both body and spirit (union—or, in Sanskrit, yoga). William James, writing around the end of the 19th century, sets out to take a cool look at how people experience religious feeling, basing his investigation on state-of-the-art psychological theory. Every religious phenomenon has its history and its derivation from natural antecedents. For the first two or three chapters, I enjoyed it and thought it was going in a good. Thirty-four years after the publication of her dystopian classic, The Handmaid's Tale, Atwood returns to continue the story of Offred. We all develop within us a set of ideas that dominates our inner minds. I thought it was excellent considering where the field of psychology was at the time, but I was disappointed in how James's analysis stayed in the realm of the subjective and anechdotal. My 'to read' shelf is simply part of my 'read' shelves because I don't want Amazon monitoring my upcoming reading choices. Niebuhr’s religious attitude may also be closer. Both are respected scholars but I'm wondering if anyone can recommend either one or the other? Please try your request again later. ( There's still a great deal of both around. Also, in the present American popular-intellectual climate of religious/spiritual pabulum versus asshole scientism, it's hella refreshing to find a cogent viewpoint that manages to negate both of those. Stop adding bells-and-whistles to everything! Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 4, 2020, A classic if you’re lit reviewing for your research, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2020, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2018, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2014. In the matter of religions it is particularly easy to distinguish the two orders of question. As it's a variety of religious experience I thought it appropriate to include here. We work hard to protect your security and privacy. But this is to look at religion on its surface instead of prying into the deeper, more personal elements of it—to use our rational center (so dominant in our culture) instead of our feeling center. I was a drunken student. Buy The Varieties of Religious Experience by James, William (ISBN: 9781539007326) from Amazon's Book Store. The book was an immediate bestseller upon its publication in June 1902. The Varieties of Religous Experience, by William James, [1902], full text etext at sacred-texts.com. 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. Given his reputation as a thinker and writer, this is a disappointing book on substance and style. I still haven't read this cover to cover but it's a work of art. Duh. I wanted to like this classic book, but I can't do it: too many things are wrong. Of course, religious experience is radically individual and subjective, so it makes sense that much of his work would discuss individual experiences as such. James associates religious experience with the feelings and actions of individuals in a relationship with what they believe to be the Divine. Soooooo ridiculously ahead of his time. Looking at religious experience not in a proscriptive way, but descriptively -- how great religious thinkers think. I go back and forth on giving this book 4 stars or 5. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. I wanted to like this classic book, but I can't do it: too many things are wrong. But interesting for those trying to explore their own spirituality or to understanding how religion has evolved over time. James digs deep into the psychological underpinnings of religious experience; he is less concerned with studying religious institutions and theology. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. He connects these accounts with his own commentary and uses this range of examples to identify commonalities shared by different religious traditions. Leave things alone! The fruits or results of a "religious" experience are part of it as are the passions goals and desires religion incites in the psyche. You will not wait for me to remind you that William James is a great writer, a man in absolute possession of the art of expressing ideas. The fruits or results of a "religious" experience are part of it as are the passions goals and desires religion incites in the psyche. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature is a book by Harvard University psychologist and philosopher William James.It comprises his edited Gifford Lectures on natural theology, which were delivered at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland between 1901 and 1902.The lectures concerned the psychological study of individual private religious … You will not wait for me to remind you that William James is a great professor, a scholar and an influencing thinker who contributed to founding an important school of thought. Investigating private experiences of religion and mysticism to identify commonalities across all traditions. Varieties has become a classic work in a number of fields, … We’d love your help. Niebuhr’s religious attitude may also be closer to that of James. The Varieties of Religious Experience was an immediate bestseller upon its publication in June 1902. It embraces the breadth of our experience, and encourages us to follow our own peculiar combination of quests and impulses. User Review - Goodreads. But I digress. It is old, and therefore copyright free, so beware. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by Project Gutenberg. Soooooo ridiculously ahead of his time. The Varieties of Religious Experience consists of William James’ Gifford Lectures on natural theology, which he delivered at the University of Edinburgh during the first three years of the 20th century.There were originally twenty of them, but the book has a few chapters less than that number since it groups those which explored similar topics. I was very much looking forward to reading this book- only to find it was formatted so poorly that it was unreadable, with a bizarre obviously unlicensed printed format. Much of the text consists of quoting from previously published accounts and his own data collection of these experiences. Being the Gifford lectures on natural religion delivered at Edinburgh in 1901-1902 by James, William, 1842-1910. "The Varieties of Religious Experience is certainly the most notable of all books in the field of the psychology of religion and probably destined to be the most influential [one] written on religion in the twentieth century," said Walter Houston Clark in Psychology Today. Again, a profound influence on Bill’s thinking. Unfortunately, it rapidly started going off the rails in several ways. Refresh and try again. Review: The Varieties of Religious Experience. I maintain that one should always talk of philosophy with a smile.”, “Knowledge about life is one thing; effective occupation of a place in life, with its dynamic currents passing through your being, is another.”. ", The Varieties of Religious Experience: Complete and Unabridged (Illustrated), The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature by William James, William James: Writings 1902-1910 (LOA #38): The Varieties of Religious Experience / Pragmatism / A Pluralistic Universe / The Meaning of Truth / Some Problems of Philosophy / Essays, The Principles of Psychology (Volume 1 of 2), The Book of Secret Wisdom: The Prophetic Record of Human Destiny and Evolution. The varieties of religious experience by William James, 1982, Penguin Books edition, in English The work is neither a theological treatise nor a history of … In these lectures, James explores the phenomenon of religion from a psychological perspective. Learn the important quotes in The Varieties of Religious Experience and the chapters they're from, including why they're important and what they mean in the context of the book. I was greatly impressed with this book at that time, and in that condition, so when I added it here on Goodreads that memory of how it had impressed me moved me to rate it five stars.