Hearing Voices in The Varieties of Religious Experience
Journal of Speculative Philosophy April 1, 2025 Megan Craig
William James's The Varieties of Religious Experience uses testimony not merely as evidence but as a pedagogical tool that transforms readers. The article argues that the book's style and structure are performative, multivocal, and creative, making it an experiment in teaching. This approach aligns Varieties with later liberatory educators like Paulo Freire and bell hooks, who similarly prioritize dialogic, transformative learning. The text suggests that James's method engages readers actively, inviting them into a process of personal reflection and growth rather than passive absorption of doctrine.