The Varieties of Religious Experience

William James
Edited by Matthew Bradley

Oxford World's Classics

The most critically up-to-date and inclusive edition of this classic survey of religious belief, embracing the interdisciplinary nature of a work that fuses philosophy, psychology, religion, and literary studies, and emphasizing its wide appeal.
James's work is more relevant than ever in its consideration of the effect of religious ideas on daily life, and atheists who attack religion with 'religious zeal'.
Introduction stresses the book's significance in the relationship between religion and culture, instituting a new approach to religious belief, discusses its ideas and their contemporary interest, as well as contextualizing the book within James's biographical, intellectual, and literary background.
Explanatory notes identify key figures and contexts, and provides links with James's other work.
Includes a completely updated index, expanded and corrected from the original index provided by Joyce in 1902.

The Varieties of Religious Experience

William James
Edited by Matthew Bradley

Description

The Varieties of Religious Experience is William James's classic survey of religious belief. With psychological insight and philosophical rigor, James wrote a truly foundational text for modern belief. Matthew Bradley's wide-ranging new edition--the most critically up-to-date and inclusive edition of James's masterpiece available in paperback--showcases ideas that continue to fuel modern debates on atheism and faith. His introduction stresses the book's significance in the relationship between religion and culture, discusses its ideas and their contemporary interest, and places the book within James's biographical, intellectual, and literary background. The explanatory notes identify key figures and contexts, and provide links with James's other work.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

The Varieties of Religious Experience

William James
Edited by Matthew Bradley

Oxford World's Classics

Author Information

Matthew Bradley is Lecturer in English Literature at Pembroke College, Oxford University.

The Varieties of Religious Experience

William James
Edited by Matthew Bradley

Oxford World's Classics

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Religion versus science...

Intellectual debates which command rock-star levels of mass appeal are rare, to say the least - but 'religion versus science' can still pull in the crowds like the best of the old stadium bands. It goes without saying that an Oxford debate between the Archbishop of Canterbury and Richard Dawkins in February this year was packed out on the day, but it's now also currently near 30,000 hits on YouTube.

Posted on July 11, 2012

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