Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
The Varieties of Religious Experience (A Touchstone book)
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside another edition of this book

The Varieties of Religious Experience (A Touchstone book) (Mass Market Paperback)

by William James (Author) "IT is with no small amount of trepidation that I take my place behind this desk, and face this learned audience ..." (more)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


6 used from £4.36
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (2) £21.99 £20.89 22 used & new from £8.44
Paperback (New Ed) £9.99 £6.97 43 used & new from £4.59
Mass Market Paperback 6 used & new from £2.39
Leather Bound Order it used
Unbound Order it used
Unknown Binding (26th impression) Order it used

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
   Christian Books at CBD opens new browser window
www.christianbook.com  -  Buy your favorite books, bibles and more at Christianbook.com today! 
   Christian Books opens new browser window
www.WesleyOwen.com/Christian_Books  -  Buy from a Christian Charity Free Delivery 
   Search on Ask opens new browser window
Ask.com  -  Find the Best Results for Varieties Of Religious Experiences 
  
 

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Idea of the Holy (Galaxy Books)

The Idea of the Holy (Galaxy Books)

by R. Otto
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £6.48
The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy

The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy

by William James
£7.60
The Principles of Psychology: Volume 1

The Principles of Psychology: Volume 1

by William James
£10.44
Principles of Psychology: v. 2

Principles of Psychology: v. 2

by William James
£11.15
Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind

Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind

by Richard Maurice Bucke
4.4 out of 5 stars (5)  £6.95
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition (1 Jan 1997)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0684842971
  • ISBN-13: 978-0684842974
  • Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 10.7 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,586,131 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

  • See Complete Table of Contents

Product Description

Product Description

First published in 1902, this centenary edition, includes a new preface, introductions on the book's history, philosophical influence and modern relevance, and new indexing to commemorate the 100th anniversary of this landmark text. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
IT is with no small amount of trepidation that I take my place behind this desk, and face this learned audience. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
religious studies
psychology

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Varieties of Religious Experience (A Touchstone book)
94% buy the item featured on this page:
The Varieties of Religious Experience (A Touchstone book) 5.0 out of 5 stars (6)
The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion
2% buy
The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion 4.2 out of 5 stars (6)
£6.59
The Idea of the Holy (Galaxy Books)
1% buy
The Idea of the Holy (Galaxy Books) 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£6.48
The Principles of Psychology: Volume 1
1% buy
The Principles of Psychology: Volume 1
£10.44
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Worthy of the Word, 7 Jun 2003
By Peter Reeve (Thousand Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
This review is from: The Varieties of Religious Experience (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
A hundred years after its first publication, James' "Varieties of Religious Experience" is still probably the best place to start a study of the psychology of religion. Based on lectures delivered at Edinburgh in 1901-2, it is supplemented with an astonishing wealth of extracts from religious writings. Although understandably biased toward Western, specifically Christian traditions, it is breathtaking in its scope. Nowhere else will you find such a wide ranging and thorough survey of all those experiences and attitudes - mystical, emotional, ethical, visionary - that we term 'religious'. You will never get around to reading all of the authors quoted in this book, so this is the place to sample them.

Some readers will approach this work as believers seeking clarification, others as sceptics seeking to understand. Their viewpoint may be philosophical or theological or psychological. All will be rewarded. Critics voted this among the best 100 books of the twentieth century. If you want insight into humanity's religious dimension, it should be your number one choice.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars a book that will change your life, 10 Sep 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The Varieties of Religious Experience (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
Don't let the title of this serious looking book put you off- this book could change your life. William James is a hypnotic writer, his thought-provoking words truly enter the heart and soul of the reader. His psychological descriptions of events such as an alcoholic's 'moment of clarity' are truly poignant without sentimentality. James does not force the reader to chose between the religious or psychological explanations for the mysteries of life, but simply explains how our experiences shape our views. Essential reading for the thinker - this book will stay with you forever.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
22 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Treasure trove of insights & wisdom, 8 Sep 2002
By Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: The Varieties of Religious Experience (Works of William James) (Hardcover)
It has been said that Henry James wrote his novels as philosophical treatises while his brother William wrote his philosophical works as novels. This 1902 publication is justifiably considered as one of the 20th century’s most influential books on psychology and spirituality.

James considers the feelings, actions and experiences of individuals, insofar as they understand themselves to be in a relationship with whatever they consuider the divine. It is thus about the religion of everyday life and has nothing to do with churches and dogma.

He writes objectively about a wide spectrum of religious experiences and quotes from the autobiographical writings of famous mystics from many traditions and of people like Whitman, Luther, Voltaire, Emerson, Tolstoy and many others. No religions are compared, only the experiences of the individual, and his arguments are well-reasoned.

In his own words: “Both thought and feeling are determinants of conduct, and the same conduct may be determined either by feeling or thought. When we survey the whole field of religion, we find a great variety in the thoughts that have prevailed there; but the feelings on the one hand and the conduct on the other are almost always the same, for Stoic, Christian and Buddhist saints are practically indistinguishable in their lives. The theories which religion generates, being thus variable, are secondary. If you wish to grasp its essence, you must look to the feelings and the conduct as being the more constant elements.”

This book is a treasure trove of insights and collected wisdom that simultaneously serves as a trenchant plea for religious tolerance. And yes, it does sometimes read like a gripping novel, especially the chapters on the religion of healthy-mindedness, the sick soul, and mysticism.

The reader should be patient though. Although it is not a difficult text to grasp, every sentence is loaded with so much meaning that one has to return regularly to previous paragraphs in order to fully understand and process the arguments and insights. A thorough, patient study of the text will richly reward the reader.

An even more rewarding experience can be had by studying Richard Maurice Bucke’s “Cosmic Consciousness” and Stephan A. Hoeller’s “The Gnostic Jung and the Seven Sermons to the Dead” at the same time. These three classic works complement one another in a most marvelous way.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Rewarding read and valuable reference work
This landmark work remains one of the most influential books ever on psychology and spirituality. The style is accessible and engaging, consistently interesting with well-reasoned... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Pieter

5.0 out of 5 stars Always providing further insight
This 1902 publication still takes pride of place as a landmark study and remains one of the most influential books ever on psychology and spirituality. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Pieter

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterwork of Psychology and Spirituality
It has been said that Henry James wrote his novels as philosophical treatises while his brother William wrote his philosophical works as novels. Read more
Published on 21 May 2003 by Pieter

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject












i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.