See review on my blog: Religion and its practical consequences (2006/07/15). ( )

William James presented the "Gifford Lectures on Natural Theology" at the University of Edinburgh as 10 lectures each in 1901 and 1902, and later published his edited lecture notes as this book. James presents a psychology, a philosophy, and a science of religion, aspects of which are both remarkably modern and out-dated.

His use of first-person narratives (many quoted from E.D. Starbuck's 1899 "The Psychology of Religion" -- full text available at books.google.com) provides a database which he then uses to build his thesis. Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and most directly Carl Sagan ("Varieties of Scientific Experience") all build on this foundation.

The clearly (and stated) Anglo-Protestant perspective which James takes dates this work, but the read is still more than worthwhile.

The first 15 lectures (or so) present his "psychological" data, while the remaining lectures provide his philosophical and "scientific" conclusions.

Now on to "The Varieties of Religious Experience: Centenary Essays" by Michel Ferrari and "William James and a Science of Religions: Reexperiencing The Varieties of Religious Experience" by Wayne Proudfoot. [Proudfoot edited the B&N version of "Varieties" and provides a good introductory chapter.] ( )

Despite its title, The Varieties of Religious Experience does not seek to compare or explain the world’s many organized religions. Instead, it is psychologist William James’ detailed exploration of what many today would term personal spirituality. For James, it is the individual’s direct relationship with or experience of the divine that is primary. The rituals, philosophies, and dogma of organized religions are imitative: they provide roadmaps for the masses who have not had the direct experience. As a result of this focus on the individual, James formulates a theory of religious experience that is relatively tolerant and inclusive. James describes radically different examples of religious experience, from faith healing to bodily mortification, and explains how they each benefit persons of different temperaments. He judges these experiences based on their immediate, practical effects on the individual and the community, taking an agnostic stance towards the actual source. As a result, Varieties strikes an interesting balance between materialistic skepticism and respect for the spiritually inclined.

Varieties has some definite flaws, especially for the modern reader. James’ personal bias as a 19th Century, well-educated Protestant is glaringly evident, and he assumes that his audience shares his background (the essays were originally given as a series of academic lectures). While his theories generally encourage or imply tolerance and religious diversity, these themes are often undermined by James’ condescending or even contemptuous tone when describing religious practices he finds alien. He also tends to rely primarily on Christian examples, with very limited forays into other faiths. His writing style is also somewhat dry, tedious, and long-winded. I admit that I often enjoyed reading the first-hand accounts that James quotes as examples more than I enjoyed reading James himself.

Nevertheless, Varieties remains a classic in the field, and a fascinating compendium of many different accounts of personal spiritual revelation. I recommend the much-anthologized chapter “Mysticism” to those who are curious about these ideas, but do not wish to tackle the entire 400+ page tome. ( )

First published in 1902.

Compiled in 1901 from a series of lectures its author gave at the University of Edinburgh, The Varieties of Religious Experience is a seminal book in the study of comparative religions. It may have been a classic in its time, but it has not aged well, ironically due in part to the advances in the study of comparative religions that it helped to shepherd in.

Whether it be his belief in the superiority of Christianity over non-Christian belief systems (of which even the author admits he knows little), the superiority of Protestantism over Roman Catholicism, or his adherence to the socioeconomic, political, and gender biases of the early 20th century, James's prejudices shine like beacons throughout the text. The technical aspects of his writing (noting of sources, research methods, and the like) are also antiquated. James relies heavily on personal conjecture to build his case, often using select quotations and anecdotes to shore up his arguments instead of the other way around.

That said, there are some true gems of insight in this volume, which are made more stunning in light of the fact that James was so obviously not working from a position of rigorous scholarly objectivity. A good volume on comparative religions this sure ain't, but it is certainly still of interest as a relic of contemporary religious thought and interpretation.