The Idea of Religious Experience of W. James in Russian Religious Studies: Religious Thought of the First Third of XX Century

A discussion of William James's book "The Varieties of Religious Experience" helped shape Russian philosophy and psychology of religion in the early 20th century and among Russian emigrants. The author reviews Russian reception of James's ideas, focusing on debates in periodicals such as "Questions of Philosophy and Psychology," "Logos," "The Russian Thought," "Theological Review," and "Faith and Reason." Although the reception was largely philosophical, representatives of theological academies began developing a psychology of religion "in James's spirit." This framework fostered the growth of the psychology of religion as a distinct field and promoted psychologism—a cognitive interest in religion as psychological experience—which gradually became central to the psychological study of religion.

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Abstract

The article examines the role which a discussion around the book of the American philosopher and psychologist W. James «The Varieties of Religious Experience» played in the development of the Russian philosophy and psychology of religion. The author carries out an analytical review of the Russian reception of James’s philosophy and psychology of religion inasmuch as they are connected with the concept of religious experience. The main attention is paid to the reception of the ideas of the American philosopher in the beginning of the 20th century and to its continuation among Russian emigrants. The author presents short summaries of debates concerning James’s ideas in the principal Russian philosophical and theological periodicals: «Questions of Philosophy and Psychology», «Logos», «The Russian Thought», «Theological Review», «Faith and Reason» — and then points out those authors who presented their understanding of the ideas of the American philosopher outside these periodicals. Despite the fact that the reception as a whole had philosophical character (it was mostly representatives of theological academies who were ready to develop the psychology of religion «in James’s spirit»), one can say that in its framework the growth of the psychology of religion as a special field of research was outlined. And what is even more important — there emerged psychologism as a special form of cognitive interest in the field of religious studies. Not only philosophers and psychologists, but theologians as well learned to look on religion as a psychological phenomenon, «experience». And this concept step by step moved forward into the centre of the psychological study of religion as its own specifi c subject.