The Varieties of Religious Experience

William James's 1902 work examines the psychology of religious faith, drawing on personal accounts of revelation, devotion, and mystical experience to argue that spiritual life is a profound and valuable aspect of human existence. The book helped establish the psychological study of religion and influenced later thinkers including Jung and Freud. This Routledge Classics edition includes new introductions on the work's historical and contemporary significance.

Study at a glance

Abstract

'Is life worth living? Yes, a thousand times yes when the world still holds such spirits as Professor James.' - Gertrude Stein A classic of American thought, William James’ The Varieties of Religious Experience is an extraordinary study of human spirituality in all its forms and one of the most profound works of Psychology ever written. When the book was published in 1902 the study of the human mind was a thrillingly new field of scientific enquiry: James was one of the first to seriously examine the psychology of religious faith and where he led, both Jung and Freud would follow. Yet for all its historical significance, this is a book full of humanity, wit and some deeply personal stories of revelation, religious devotion and mystical experience. The Routledge Classics edition of The Varieties of Religious Experience makes available in paperback for the first time the Centenary Edition published by Routledge in 2002 with new introductions on the historical and contemporary significance of James’ work and a foreword by the author’s grandson, Micky James.