William James' Revolution : A New Perspective on the Varieties of Religious Experience

When it was first published in 1902, The Varieties of Religious Experience caused a revolution, a quantum leap, a paradigm shift. James opened the door to the scientific study of religious experience, probing the relationship between religion and psychology. It is obvious no one can have a religious experience without brain activity. The salient question is whether this brain activity is the mediator or creator of the experience. This classic text by William James should be required reading for anyone wanting to study religion. But years of college teaching convinced the author that this is a daunting read for most undergraduate students, and even for some older adults. Ron parsed sections of James' text and provides commentary and insight on each one throughout this must-read book, thus opening the world of James like never before.