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The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in human nature; Being the Gifford Lectures on natural religion delivered at Edinburgh in 1901-1902
by William James
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Modern Library (1978-10-12)
ISBN: 0394604636
EAN: 9780394604633
Hardcover: 526 pages
Release Date: 1978-10-12
SKU: T070823-5962
Condition: Very Good
Comments: Very good overall condition. No writing, very tight binding. A small piece of bottom corner of dust cover has been torn off. Ships same day or next in a bubble mailer. Enjoy.
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
"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. The book was an immediate bestseller upon its publication in June 1902. Reflecting the pluralistic views of psychologist-turned-philosopher William James, it posits that individual religious experiences, rather than the tenets of organized religions, form the backbone of religious life. James's discussion of conversion, repentance, mysticism, and hope of reward and fears of punishment in the hereafter--as well as his observations on the religious experiences of such diverse thinkers as Voltaire, Whitman, Emerson, Luther, Tolstoy, and others--all support his thesis. "James's characteristic humor, his ability to put down the pretentious and to be unpretentious, and his willingness to take some risks in his choices of ancedotal data or provocative theories are all apparent in the book," noted Professor Martin E. Marty. "A reader will come away with more reasons to raise new questions than to feel that old ones have been resolved."
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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.
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Customer Reviews
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thick but worth the effort
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-10-30
I agree with some commentators about how difficult is to read this book. Yes, there are numerous quotations that are tedious and after the first reading I have not read again but, there is a treasure of quotes that would be difficult to find nowadays that shed enourmous light to the subject at hand and are worth reading and rereading. In his conclusion he writes: " Although the religious question is primarily a question of life, of living or not living in the higher union which opens itself to us as a gift, yet the spiritual excitement in which the gift appears a real one will often fail to be aroused in an individual until certain particular intellectual beliefs or ideas are touched. These ideas will thus be essential to that individula's religion". What Mr. James did to me in this book is to arouse some very deep spiritual ideas that has completely transformed my way of thinking. These ideas came clad in his psycholoical interpretations. It has taken over a year of working with this book combined with an array of other books to find "my truth" but this book was the key to all. If you hated this book, as a few people have, it is ok, his truth was not for you and you need to find it in some other books. But if this book grabs you do not let go of it. Mark it, highlight it and keep coming back to it until you finally grasp some of its deeper meanings.
By the way, the copy of the book I own is from Barnes and Noble Classics and only costs $7.95 at the store or cheaper online at their site.
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As promised
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-08-04
0 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
It arrived on time and in the condition described. I would not hesitate to use this vendor again. Bravo!
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A must-read for anyone interested in spirituality and real religion
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-07-28
It is often said of classics that one is meant to know about but not actually read them. How many believers in evolution have actually waded through Darwin's dry tome? Well, this book is certainly an exception to that rule, and will leave most readers with changed views both on what religion really means as well as its significance to the individual. I'd seen the book quoted so many times by other authors that finally I decided to see what it was all about, and I'm glad I did. The many quotes I'd read from the book at various times were no substitite for the real thing. Don't be put off by what may appear from the outside as one of those dry comparative religion books. This is not about ecclesiastics, ceremonials, or creeds, but focuses on the common religious experience underlying mankind's various religions and philosophies. It shows that the religious experience and its effect on the individual is a process not limited to any religion or belief, but a phenomenon underlying the human experience. As it is such a powerful personal experience, it has led to the formation of many religions, but these have generally had the effect of stifling spiritual growth. No-one has a monopoly on spirituality, however much some religions try to promote such a misconception.
Interesting is his distinction between 'once-born' and 'twice-born' people (not to be confused with the Christian concept of 'born-again' - not all born-again Christians are twice-born, while not all twice-borns are born-again Christians, which for many just means an acceptance of the Christian creeds, a belief that Christ died for one's salvation). The twice-born person has gone through a period of intense spiritual suffering, their 'long dark night of the soul', and come out at the other end a new individual, with new spiritual insights and a new perpective on life and its challenges. Some born-again Christians do fit this description, but not many. One could reject one's Christianity, but one could never revert from twice to once-born.
We all know people who've never given a thought about spirituality, life or death. Generally, but not always, they are people who quickly found a comfortable place in society, and have not had a major spiritual crisis to shake them up a bit, or lack the sensibility to be affected by them when they do occur. These are the once-born individuals referred to by James. Until genuine spiritual growth occurs in such people they are likely to remain uninterested in anything but the physical, or remain unthinkingly devout to the religion which they were, quite by chance, born into, and if they had to review a book like this, would be unlikely to award more than a single star.
I cannot recommend reading this book more strongly. Its one of those books that you'll never forget because in some undefinable way it leaves your a changed person. Having read many other more modern books on a similar theme, I can only say it more than favourably compares to many of them. The English is clearly early twentieth century, but still lucid and very readable, with few of the horrible literary devices with which many of the learned both then and now try to make their works more 'academic'.
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Always providing further insight
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-07-06
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
This 1902 publication still takes pride of place as a landmark study and remains one of the most influential books ever on psychology and spirituality. The style is accessible and engaging, consistently interesting with well-reasoned arguments. Religions are not compared; the study is restricted to the experiences of the individual.
James considers the feelings, actions and experiences of people insofar as they understand themselves to be in a relationship with whatever they consider the Divine. It has nothing to do with churches, doctrine or dogma, concerning itself only with the religious experiences of everyday life.
He emphasizes the passionate aspect of religion and its power of adding enchantment to life. Dealing objectively with a wide spectrum of observed and personally related religious experiences, James also quotes from the autobiographical writings of famous authors, theologians and mystics from many traditions including Whitman, Luther, Voltaire, Emerson, Tolstoy and many others.
The terrain of study is clearly identified and circumscribed. Chapter titles include Religion & Neurology, the Reality of the Unseen, the Religion of Healthy-Mindedness, the Sick Soul, the Divided Self & the Process of Unification, Conversion, Saintliness, Mysticism and Philosophy.
In his own words: "Both thought and feeling are determinants of conduct, and the same conduct may be determined either by feeling or thought. When we survey the whole field of religion, we find a great variety in the thoughts that have prevailed there; but the feelings on the one hand and the conduct on the other are almost always the same, for Stoic, Christian and Buddhist saints are practically indistinguishable in their lives. The theories which religion generates, being thus variable, are secondary. If you wish to grasp its essence, you must look to the feelings and the conduct as being the more constant elements."
This book offers a treasure trove of insights, revelation, wisdom and points to ponder that contributes substantially to the reader's understanding of consciousness, psychological processes, mystic states, thought & emotion, and the relationship to the Eternal Divine.
Although it is not a difficult text to grasp, patience is called for since every sentence is loaded with so many layers of meaning that one often has to reread a previous paragraph in order to fully comprehend and properly process the insights and information. A mindful, meditative study of the text will richly reward the reader.
Other works on religion and/or spirituality that I have found illuminating, inspiring or thought-provoking are Bible Mystery and Bible Meaning & The Creative Process in the Individual by Thomas Troward, Religion in the Making by Alfred North Whitehead, The Hidden Power of the Bible by Ernest Holmes, Alter Your Life by Emmet Fox, Cracking the Bible Code by Jeffrey Satinover, The Thirteen Petalled Rose by Adin Steinsaltz and One Cosmos Under God by Robert Godwin.
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Worthless and empty headed
Rating  (1)
Date: 2008-06-30
0 out of 24 customers found this reveiw helpful
Yet peiople actually gave this trash 5 stars
Goes to show how few people have any religious experience in order to see that James is all blabbering.
Maybe 100 yrs ago James could manage to tickle ears , folks who wanted to hear more than the sunday preacher.
But as we see 100 yrs later its all worthless and empty.
There is so much erroneous babbling comming out of James, it would have been best if James had kept mought shut, as he shows he has no spiritual experience himself.
Avoid like the plague
Paul
June 30,2008
Fot some reason Amazon sensorship has rejected my addition of a new edit.
I wanted to point out how HJ brings up Mohammed as a spiritual sper star, when in fact if you read the bio on Mohammed, the guy was a filthy scoundrel
And HJ brings in Mohammed as a case of authentic spirtuality
HJ's book is loaded with inconsistencies and falsehoods.
TRASH
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