The Varieties of Religious Experience A Study in Human Nature

This book, first delivered as the Gifford Lectures in Edinburgh in 1901-1902, examines the feelings, acts, and experiences of individuals in relation to what they consider divine.

James uses case histories from various sources to discuss topics such as the religion of healthy-mindedness, the sick soul, conversion, saintliness, and mysticism.

The work is revolutionary in its view of religious life as centered within the individual rather than the church and has had significant influences on fields such as psychology of religion, Alcoholics Anonymous, and pastoral counseling.