The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Nature (1902) by William James is a philosophical examination of how religious revelations function in individuals’ lives and minds. This renowned work applies James’s theoretical framework of pragmatism to the study of the functionality of religion. James utilizes radical empiricism to examine both the subjective and objective experiences of religion. James argues that individual experiences, not major religious institutions, form the spiritual shape of the world. He challenges his audience to set aside biases and to consider the plurality of religious revelations, rendering The Varieties of Religious Experience notable for its equalized and pluralistic view of religious institutions.

William James is recognized as a leading figure in the development of 19th-century pragmatism and modern psychology, influencing figures like W. E. B. Du Bois and Bertrand Russell. The Varieties of Religious Experience is a groundbreaking work which challenged ideas about religion, science, and human experience.

This guide uses the 1982 paperback printing by Viking Penguin, Inc.

Summary

In The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Nature, William James explores the role and functionality of individual religious experiences. The work is divided into lectures delivered by William James at the University of Edinburgh’s Gifford Lectures in 1901 and 1902.

Rather than examining religious institutions, James asserts that individualized experiences offer insight into the world’s relationship to spirituality and the basic processes of the human mind. James argues that personal religion serves a function: It has a practical impact on a person’s life, often contributing to happiness, morality, and a sense of purpose. In the work, the psychologist outlines several distinct commonalities across a wide range of religions. The Varieties of Religious Experience explores three major themes: Pluralism and Universal Experience, Radical Empiricism and Belief, and The Functional Value of Religion.

To expand on his points, James studies a wide range of texts from individuals who experience revelations, categorized as either spiritual or secular. He embraces Christianity, Buddhism, philosophy, science, nature, paganism, and any other form of divinity or abstract concept which is perceived as real by the individual. Readings from historical records and personalized accounts support his claims with qualitative evidence. The psychologist suggests that giving equal weight to each experience offers profound insight into the workings of the mind.

Lectures 1-5 outline the perimeters of James’s study by defining religion and distinguishing it from morality. James asserts that anything that evokes a feeling of relationship with the divine is religion. Like his definition of religion, James’s definition of divinity is broad in scope, encompassing anything that gives the individual a sense of primal truth. James examines the Mind-Cure Movement, also called New Thought, and reveals it to be a form of religious revelation. The psychologist dismisses modes of thought which suggest that anything that is not experienced through the senses lacks a concrete reality.

In Lectures 6-10, James elaborates on healthy-mindedness and its counterpart morbid-mindedness. The latter category of person experiences a divided soul. Morbid-minded individuals are unable to reconcile their existence with their perception of evil in the world. Unlike the healthy-minded, who turn away from anything that is not good, morbid-minded people are continuously aware of the darker elements of life. Conversion, gradual or sudden, unifies the soul toward a singular aim. James outlines several practical functions of religious conversion, including affirmation, peace, security, and purpose. He theorizes that religious experience may be a way for the mind to achieve an equilibrium and proposes that religious experience connects the field of consciousness to the subconscious regions of the mind.

Lectures 11-15 define saintliness as the collective name for the fruits of religion. James proposes that religious conversion helps people achieve an emotional equilibrium and unifies their divided spirits. Religion causes people to achieve senses of conviction, self-surrender, and happiness. James proposes that an examination of the functional value of religion is far more important and more scientific than a study of the validity of religious beliefs or institutions. Instead, he suggests that religions offer tangible benefits to individuals’ lives. However, these benefits can be taken to the extreme based upon the person’s tendency toward emotional excitability.

In Lectures 16-20, James examines religion through the lenses of both mysticism and philosophy. He asserts that neither provides a comprehensive picture of how religion functions for the individual. Religion lives within two realms: objective and subjective. Scientists hope to limit study to the objective, but James argues that the two cannot be separated. He introduces the term “pragmatism” and argues that the validity of religion is found in its functionality. Prayer, sacrifice, aesthetics, and confession all play a role in how humans perceive and navigate their religious experiences.