I wouldn’t be a Christian

[Belacqua]

I read Varieties some time last year.

Then you no doubt recall it better than I do! I think it's been, um, twenty years... I remember being surprised to find the Zen-like stuff.

But I'd argue he makes room for religious experiences that aren't very Zen-like at all (ie. intense Christian mysticism).

That must be so. It's kind of a survey course, right? So it covers both the see-our-truth-through-nature elements as well as the more transcendent approaches. 

As far as theistic philosophers go, I've toyed with sharing some of his notions here. He makes some pretty good arguments. And one of his greatest strengths is that he completely sympathizes with the skeptic's mindset. Sometimes, that makes all the difference, y'know?

Again, it's been a while, but I recall having a lot of respect for him. He really was open-minded and respectful of the different views, including that of the skeptic. As I remember it he even mentions the name of a young up-and-comer named Freud, who turned out to have a lot to say about things, in the next generation.

I suspect James is underrated. He would be worth a lot more attention. 

(I remember carrying around Varieties with me for several weeks while I was reading it. At one point I was out in the forest and came to a steep slope that I needed both hands to get down, holding on to bamboo stalks. I set the book on the trail and tried to remember to come up the slope again at the same point so I could find it. But somehow I got off track and ended up spending an hour searching for the Varieties of Religious Experience. At the time it seemed awfully symbolic!)