The Varieties of Religious Experience, A Study in Human Nature, By William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature is a book by Harvard University psychologist and philosopher William James. It comprises his edited Gifford Lectures on natural theology, which were delivered at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in 1901 and 1902. These lectures concerned the nature of religion and the neglect of science, in James' view, in the academic study of religion. Soon after its publication, the book entered the canon of psychology and philosophy and has remained in print for over a century. James went on to develop his philosophy of pragmatism. There are many overlapping ideas in Varieties and his 1907 book, Pragmatism.