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/lit/ - Literature

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20216919 No.20216919 [Reply] [Original]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/William_James_The_Varieties_of_Religious_Experience.pdf

Thank me in the morning /lit/.

>"I am neither a theologian, nor a scholar learned in the history of religions, nor an anthropologist. Psychology is the only branch of learning in which I am particularly versed. To the psychologist the religious propensities of man must be at least as interesting as any other of the facts pertaining to his mental constitution. It would seem, therefore, as a psychologist, the natural thing for me would be to invite you to a descriptive survey of those religious propensities."

>When William James went to the University of Edinburgh in 1901 to deliver a series of lectures on "natural religion," he defined religion as "the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine." Considering religion, then, not as it is defined by--or takes place in--the churches, but as it is felt in everyday life, he undertook a project that, upon completion, stands not only as one of the most important texts on psychology ever written, not only as a vitally serious contemplation of spirituality, but for many critics one of the best works of nonfiction written in the 20th century. Reading The Varieties of Religious Experience, it is easy to see why. Applying his analytic clarity to religious accounts from a variety of sources, James elaborates a pluralistic framework in which "the divine can mean no single quality, it must mean a group of qualities, by being champions of which in alternation, different men may all find worthy missions." It's an intellectual call for serious religious tolerance--indeed, respect--the vitality of which has not diminished through the subsequent decades.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28820.The_Varieties_of_Religious_Experience

>> No.20217196

>>20216919
Seems interesting, I just picked up Paul Tillich and Heideggers Phenomenology of Religious Life
Kinda want to get into philosophy of religion after reading some basic Durkheim and introductions/general books on phil of anthropology

>> No.20217231

>>20216919
He has that anti “medical materialism” section up there which I’ve begun to like since I went from atheist to agnostic. I want to believe in a god. James illustrates why that’s chill and I can do what I want. I’d still ultimately be agnostic, just one believing in some higher power. What a belief is becomes kinda confusing at that point, but mine is just praying. Need to double down on that prayer shit. I like the part of the book where he talks about taking chloroform to get a spiritual experience or some shit. He doesn’t seem to believe in a god from
the bits I remember but he doesn’t see any reason why it matters if you do or don’t. More just seems to be saying “leave questions of philosophy of religion and proving god behind.”

>> No.20217565
File: 24 KB, 331x500, Vico.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
20217565

>>20217231
Read Vico to understand what belief and religiousity as a faculty of mind is. Then read Cassirer on mythology and symbolic forms.

>> No.20217575

>>20216919
>Thank me in the morning /lit/
you are aware that this title has a relitively common history of being discussed here, correct?

>> No.20217607

>>20217575
Nope. I'm from /int/.

>> No.20217622

>>20217607
ah. well, glad you found some interesting historical texts. I recommend librivox for finding new publications from around this time on audiobook since they are out of copywrite.

but yes, it is a very interesting book. I would also recommend Japan: an attempt at interpretation by Hearn. Its likewise a very engaging almosot sociological book that is also very lucid in its delivery. Still one of the best introductions to the jap mindset 100 years later even if there are some anachronisms. highly recommend.

>> No.20217638

>>20216919
Read this last Summer. It's a good book. Wish it went further though. One critique of James' idea of God that it might be too internalized, like a personal psychological God. He's himself open between that interpretation and a more objective God we all tap into, but it still feels more like a collective unconscious at that point. His God is a God of experience which is nice because its accessible, but not much of a God that does miracles beyond anything psychologically transformative. I really like that he's focused on taking personal religious experiences seriously though, most theologians are only focused on philosophizing about God's inaccessible essence and proving he exists with a priori arguments that don't work for me, even though I'm a Theist, and then they're silent on religious experiences or miracles.

>> No.20217647

>>20216919
Great book anon and underrated. All the Jordan Peterson posters should just read this instead.

>> No.20217648

>>20217622
I thank you very much, my good sir.
May God bless your path!

>> No.20218068

>>20216919
If there's one think I can fault it for, it's focusing largely on Abrahamic religious revelation, and only mentioning the possible differences between that and other cultures in passing.