William James's 1901 and 1902 Gifford Lectures, later published as The Varieties of Religious Experience, are examined as separate performances. Comparing newspaper reports from The Scotsman with James's own correspondence shows that both sources strongly agree: the 1901 lectures were better received than those in 1902. The accounts also reveal a complex interplay between James and his audience, shaped by competing expectations and worldviews. Viewing the lectures as performance events within their personal and historical contexts deepens understanding of James, each lecture, and the resulting book.
William James's two classic works, The Principles of Psychology (1890) and The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902), are usually treated as separate, but this article argues that The Principles provides the psychological foundation for The Varieties. The authors identify ten conceptual connections between the texts, showing that James applied his principles on the brain, habit, stream of consciousness, subconscious, self, attention, association, and emotions to religious topics such as conversion experiences, mystical experiences, and saintliness. Some principles were also broadened through contact with religious data. Placing the texts in conversation yields a deeper understanding of James's psychology of religion.