265. Radically Personal – William James on Religious Experience

265. Radically Personal – William James on Religious Experience

Author: Jerry L. Martin January 8, 2026 Duration: 18:18

Questions? Comments? Text Us!

In this episode of Radically Personal, Jerry L. Martin turns to the work of American philosopher and psychologist William James to explore how divine reality is encountered in lived experience. Drawing from The Varieties of Religious Experience, Jerry reflects on James’s influence on the philosophy of religion and his claim that religion begins not with doctrines or institutions, but with personal experience—with what happens in the depths of a human life.

This conversation examines how experience functions as a window onto reality, why feelings and intuitions matter for discernment, and how religious and spiritual experience may reveal divine presence not as an object we perceive, but as a reality we participate in. Jerry explores prayer as relationship, the limits of abstract theory, and the importance of remaining open to fleeting, partial, and even unsystematic glimpses of meaning.

Radically Personal invites listeners into a seeker-centered approach to spirituality—one that trusts experience, honors personal vocation, and explores how God may still speak within the drama of everyday life.

_______________

Other Series:

The podcast began with the Dramatic Adaptation of the book and now has several series:

_______________

Stay Connected

Share your thoughts or questions:

Get the books: 

Share Your Story | Site | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube


Imagine a philosopher, a dedicated scholar who spent his life in the realm of ideas without a trace of faith, suddenly finding himself in a dialogue he never sought. GOD: An Autobiography, As Told to a Philosopher-The Podcast is the unfolding account of Dr. Jerry L. Martin, a lifelong agnostic and former head of the National Endowment for the Humanities, who one day offered a prayer and received a clear, verbal response. This isn't a theoretical exercise or a sermon; it's a personal chronicle of what happened next, as a trained thinker with deep skepticism began asking the big questions about existence, purpose, and human nature, and recorded the answers he received. Each episode moves this extraordinary narrative forward, blending the disciplines of philosophy, spirituality, and raw personal experience. You'll hear Dr. Martin's thoughtful reflections on these conversations, which span topics from the nature of the divine to the practical challenges of living an ethical life, all grounded in his academic background. This podcast invites you into a story that challenges preconceptions, not to persuade but to present a profound and documented experience. It's for anyone curious about the intersection of intellect and the ineffable, where a philosopher's quest for truth took an utterly unexpected turn. The journey detailed here resonates across categories of religion, culture, and society, offering a unique perspective that is both deeply human and mysteriously transcendent.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 278

GOD: An Autobiography, As Told to a Philosopher - The Podcast
Podcast Episodes