Understanding Religious Experience and the Sacred

In James' lecture XX "Conclusions" he summarizes the different characteristics of Religious life. The characteristics James believes to be are as follows "The first is that the visible world is part of a more spiritual universe from which it draws its chief significance. Next, the union or harmonious relation with the higher universe is our true end. Lastly, that prayer or inner communion with the spirit thereof be that the spirit "God" or "law" is a process wherein work is really done, and spiritual energy flows in and produces effects, psychological or material, within the phenomenal world" (James). With this James believes that Religion includes psychological characteristic also being " A new zest which adds itself like a gift to life, and takes the form either of lyrical enchantment or of appeal to earnestness and heroism and an assurance of safety and a temper of peace, and in relation to others, a preponderance of loving affections" (James). With both characteristic of religious life and the psychological characteristics connected to religion James felt the need that he need to defend himself so that he the reader would not question his extreme testimonies to religion. In which he states his explanation in the next paragraph. James brings a question to the table by asking if the existence of so many religious types, sects and creeds regrettable? In which he then answers "no" he believes that it is impossible to have humans of different positions and powers to have the same functions and duties. With the question being brought up and then answered I would have to agree with James I feel that it is not possible. To prove my agreement with James I pose this example of a devote Catholic and a Priest. Both may attend church on a daily basis and believe in the same beliefs but their objectives of why they are there are different. The devote Catholic goes to pray and learn about God while the Priest job is to teach the community of people about God and they ways to live a holy and happy life. The devote Catholic and the Priest may both experience a similar religious experience but the experience may impact one more than the other being that these are two humans that have the same belief system but they both have different functions and duties in life that make it where there is o way for them to be identical. James uses the example of Emerson being forced to be a Wesley with him stating that this would make the consciousness of the divine suffers. James says that " the divine can mean no single quality, it must mean a group of qualities" (James).With this being said James has made what he stated earlier in his lecture to be true and the point that the Divine is not made up of one thing it has to be made up on many different ideas and qualities. From the characteristics of religious experience to the divine James has proven his beliefs to be true and actuate.

James, William, Lecture XX Conclusions, 1902

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