The Varieties of Religious Experience

Explore 4 quotes from The Varieties of Religious Experience

A genuine first-hand religious experience... Is bound to be a heterodoxy to its witnesses, the prophet appearing as a mere lonely madman. If his doctrine prove contagious enough to spread to any others, it becomes a definite and labeled heresy. But if it then still prove contagious enough to triumph over persecution, it becomes itself an orthodoxy, its day of inwardness is over: the spring is dry; the faithful live at second hand exclusively and stone the prophets in their turn.

William James

The Varieties of Religious Experience

More information about this quote

Topic

Religion

Author

William James

Source

The Varieties of Religious Experience

Genre

Psychological literature

Language

English

Time

1902 1900s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

James, William. "The Value of Saintliness." Gifford Lecture. c. 1902, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. Lecture.

Current Citation

James, William. "The Value of Saintliness." The Varieties of Religious Experience, edited by Martin E. Marty. Penguin Classics, 1982.

The God whom science recognizes must be a God of universal laws exclusively, a God who does a wholesale, not a retail business. He cannot accommodate his processes to the convenience of individuals.

William James

The Varieties of Religious Experience

Read Conclusions at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Nature of God

Author

William James

Source

The Varieties of Religious Experience

Genre

Psychological literature

Language

English

Time

1902 1900s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

James, William. "Conclusions." Gifford Lecture. c. 1902, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. Lecture.

Current Citation

James, William. "Conclusions." The Varieties of Religious Experience, edited by Martin E. Marty. Penguin Classics, 1982.

Our normal waking consciousness, rational consciousness as we call it, is but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted from it by the filmiest of screens, there lie potential forms of consciousness entirely different. We may go through life without suspecting their existence; but apply the requisite stimulus, and at a touch they are there in all their completeness, definite types of mentality which probably somewhere have their field of application and adaptation.

William James

The Varieties of Religious Experience

Read Mysticism at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Consciousness

Author

William James

Source

The Varieties of Religious Experience

Genre

Psychological literature

Language

English

Time

1902 1900s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

James, William. "Mysticism." Gifford Lecture. c. 1902, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. Lecture.

Current Citation

James, William. "Mysticism." The Varieties of Religious Experience, edited by Martin E. Marty. Penguin Classics, 1982.

We can act as if there were a God; feel as if we were free; consider Nature as if she were full of special designs; lay plans as if we were to be immortal; and we find then that these words do make a genuine difference in our moral life.

William James

The Varieties of Religious Experience

Read The Reality of the Unseen at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Power of thought Beliefs

Author

William James

Source

The Varieties of Religious Experience

Genre

Psychological literature

Language

English

Time

1902 1900s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

James, William. "The Reality of the Unseen." Gifford Lecture. c. 1902, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. Lecture.

Current Citation

James, William. "The Reality of the Unseen." The Varieties of Religious Experience, edited by Martin E. Marty. Penguin Classics, 1982.