Compiled in 1901 from a series of lectures its author gave at the University of Edinburgh, The Varieties of Religious Experience is a seminal book in the study of comparative religions. It may have been a classic in its time, but it has not aged well, ironically due in part to the advances in the study of comparative religions that it helped to shepherd in.

Whether it be his belief in the superiority of Christianity over non-Christian belief systems (of which even the author admits he knows little), the superiority of Protestantism over Roman Catholicism, or his adherence to the socioeconomic, political, and gender biases of the early 20th century, James's prejudices shine like beacons throughout the text. The technical aspects of his writing (noting of sources, research methods, and the like) are also antiquated. James relies heavily on personal conjecture to build his case, often using select quotations and anecdotes to shore up his arguments instead first examining the evidence and then drawing appropriate conclusions from it.

That said, there are some true gems of insight in this volume, which are made more stunning in light of the fact that James was so obviously not working from a position of rigorous scholarly objectivity. A good volume on comparative religions this sure ain't, but it is certainly still of interest as a relic of contemporary religious thought and interpretation.

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