Varieties of Religion Today: William James Revisited (Institute for Human Sciences Vienna Lecture Series)

A hundred years after William James delivered the celebrated lectures that became The Varieties of Religious Experience, one of the foremost thinkers in the English-speaking world returns to the questions posed in James's masterpiece to clarify the circumstances and conditions of religion in our day. An elegant mix of the philosophy and sociology of religion, Charles Taylor's powerful book maintains a clear perspective on James's work in its historical and cultural contexts, while casting a new and revealing light upon the present. Lucid, readable, and dense with ideas that promise to transform current debates about religion and secularism, Varieties of Religion Today is much more than a revisiting of James's classic. Rather, it places James's analysis of religious experience and the dilemmas of doubt and belief in an unfamiliar but illuminating context, namely the social horizon in which questions of religion come to be presented to individuals in the first place. Taylor begins with questions about the way in which James conceives his subject, and shows how these questions arise out of different ways of understanding religion that confronted one another in James's time and continue to do so today. Evaluating James's treatment of the ethics of belief, he goes on to develop an innovative and provocative reading of the public and cultural conditions in which questions of belief or unbelief are perceived to be individual questions. What emerges is a remarkable and penetrating view of the relation between religion and social order and, ultimately, of what "religion" means. (20020128)

a Hundred Years After William James Delivered The Celebrated Lectures That Became the Varieties Of Religious Experience, One Of The Foremost Thinkers In The English-speaking World Returns To The Questions Posed In James's Masterpiece To Clarify The Circumstances And Conditions Of Religion In Our Day. An Elegant Mix Of The Philosophy And Sociology Of Religion, Charles Taylor's Powerful Book Maintains A Clear Perspective On James's Work In Its Historical And Cultural Contexts, While Casting A New And Revealing Light Upon The Present.

lucid, Readable, And Dense With Ideas That Promise To Transform Current Debates About Religion And Secularism, varieties Of Religion Today Is Much More Than A Revisiting Of James's Classic. Rather, It Places James's Analysis Of Religious Experience And The Dilemmas Of Doubt And Belief In An Unfamiliar But Illuminating Context, Namely The Social Horizon In Which Questions Of Religion Come To Be Presented To Individuals In The First Place.

taylor Begins With Questions About The Way In Which James Conceives His Subject, And Shows How These Questions Arise Out Of Different Ways Of Understanding Religion That Confronted One Another In James's Time And Continue To Do So Today. Evaluating James's Treatment Of The Ethics Of Belief, He Goes On To Develop An Innovative And Provocative Reading Of The Public And Cultural Conditions In Which Questions Of Belief Or Unbelief Are Perceived To Be Individual Questions. What Emerges Is A Remarkable And Penetrating View Of The Relation Between Religion And Social Order And, Ultimately, Of What Religion Means.

publishers Weekly

in The Early 20th Century, Harvard Sociologist William James Delivered A Series Of Lectures In Edinburgh That Were Eventually Put Together In Book Form As The Varieties Of Religious Experience, Still In Print Today. A Century Later, Philosophy Professor Charles Taylor Spoke For The Same Lecture Series, Revisiting James's Work For A Postmodern Audience. His Varieties Of Religion Today Is A Provocative, Witty And Worthy Conversation With James's Timeless Work. (mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publisher's description: A hundred years after William James delivered the celebrated lectures that became The Varieties of Religious Experience, one of the foremost thinkers in the English-speaking world returns to the questions posed in James's masterpiece to clarify the circumstances and conditions of religion in our day. An elegant mix of the philosophy and sociology of religion, Charles Taylor's powerful book maintains a clear perspective on James's work in its historical and cultural contexts, while casting a new and revealing light upon the present. Lucid, readable, and dense with ideas that promise to transform current debates about religion and secularism, Varieties of Religion Today is much more than a revisiting of James's classic. Rather, it places James's analysis of religious experience and the dilemmas of doubt and belief in an unfamiliar but illuminating context, namely the social horizon in which questions of religion come to be presented to individuals in the first place. Taylor begins with questions about the way in which James conceives his subject, and shows how these questions arise out of different ways of understanding religion that confronted one another in James's time and continue to do so today. Evaluating James's treatment of the ethics of belief, he goes on to develop an innovative and provocative reading of the public and cultural conditions in which questions of belief or unbelief are perceived to be individual questions. What emerges is a remarkable and penetrating view of the relation between religion and social order and, ultimately, of what "religion" means "A hundred years after William James delivered the celebrated lectures that became The Varieties of Religious Experience, one of the foremost thinkers in the English-speaking world returns to the questions posed in James's masterpiece to clarify the circumstances and conditions of religion in our day. An elegant mix of the philosophy and sociology of religion, Charles Taylor's powerful book maintains a clear perspective on James's work in its historical and cultural contexts, while casting a new and revealing light upon the present.". "Lucid, readable, and dense with ideas that promise to transform current debates about religion and secularism, Varieties of Religion Today is much more than a revisiting of James's classic. Rather, it places James's analysis of religious experience and the dilemmas of doubt and belief in an unfamiliar but illuminating context, namely the social horizon in which questions of religion come to be presented to individuals in the first place.". "Taylor begins with questions about the way in which James conceives his subject, and shows how these questions arise out of different ways of understanding religion that confronted one another in James's time and continue to do so today. Evaluating James's treatment of the ethics of belief, he goes on to develop an innovative and provocative reading of the public and cultural conditions in which questions of belief or unbelief are perceived to be individual questions. What emerges is a remarkable and penetrating view of the relation between religion and social order and, ultimately, of what "religion" means."--BOOK JACKET. A hundred years after William James delivered the celebratedlectures that became The Varieties of ReligiousExperience, one of the foremost thinkers in theEnglish-speaking world returns to the questions posed in James'smasterpiece to clarify the circumstances and conditions of religionin our day. An elegant mix of the philosophy and sociology ofreligion, Charles Taylor's powerful book maintains a clearperspective on James's work in its historical and culturalcontexts, while casting a new and revealing light upon the present.Lucid, readable, and dense with ideas that promise to transformcurrent debates about religion and secularism, Varieties ofReligion Today is much more than a revisiting of James'sclassic. Rather, it places James's analysis of religious experienceand the dilemmas of doubt and belief in an unfamiliar butilluminating context, namely the social horizon in which questionsof religion come to be presented to individuals in the first place.Taylor begins with questions about the way in which James conceiveshis subject, and shows how these questions arise out of differentways of understanding religion that confronted one another inJames's time and continue to do so today. Evaluating James'streatment of the ethics of belief, he goes on to develop aninnovative and provocative reading of the public and culturalconditions in which questions of belief or unbelief are perceivedto be individual questions. What emerges is a remarkable andpenetrating view of the relation between religion and social orderand, ultimately, of what "religion" means