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.