The Varieties of Religious Experience
A Study in Human Nature

William James' Gifford Lectures of 1901–2, published in book form in 1902, explore the theme of personal religious experience.

William James (Author)

9781108040877, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 1 December 2011

554 pages
21.6 x 14 x 3.1 cm, 0.7 kg

The Gifford Lectures were established in 1885 at the universities of St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh to promote the discussion of 'Natural Theology in the widest sense of the term - in other words, the knowledge of God', and some of the world's most influential thinkers have delivered them. The 1901–2 lectures given in Edinburgh by American philosopher William James (1842–1910) are considered by many to be the greatest in the series. The lectures were published in book form in 1902 and have been reprinted many times. James, who was educated in the United States and Europe, and spent much of his career teaching philosophy at Harvard, was very influential in the development of modern psychology, and in these twenty lectures he explores the personal experience of religion. Some of the topics include religion and neurology, 'the sick soul', saintliness, and mysticism.

Preface
1. Religion and neurology
2. Circumscription of the topic
3. The reality of the unseen
4. and 5. The religion of healthy-mindedness
6. and 7. The sick soul
8. The divided self, and the process of its unification
9. Conversion
10. Conversion, concluded
11., 12., and 13. Saintliness
14. and 15. The value of saintliness
16. and 17. Mysticism
18. Philosophy
19. Other characteristics
20. Conclusions
Postscript
Index.

Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]