--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Religion, therefore, as I now ask you…" description: "\"Religion, therefore, as I now ask you arbitrarily to take it, shall mean for us the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/982/william-james-228_asks_religion-therefore-as-i-now-ask-you-arbi_1167256.jpg" --- # Religion, therefore, as I now ask you arbitrarily to take… ![“Religion, therefore, as I now ask you arbitrarily to take it, shall mean for us the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine. Since the relation may be either moral…” quote by William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/982/william-james-228_asks_religion-therefore-as-i-now-ask-you-arbi_1167256.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/982/william-james-228_asks_religion-therefore-as-i-now-ask-you-arbi_1167256.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/982/william-james-228_asks_religion-therefore-as-i-now-ask-you-arbi_1167256.jpg) > “Religion, therefore, as I now ask you arbitrarily to take it, shall mean for us the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine. Since the relation may be either moral, physical, or ritual, it is evident that out of religion in the sense in which we take it, theologies, philosophies, and ecclesiastical organizations may secondarily grow.” [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion is personal experience of the divine, shaped by individual perception and context. **In simple terms:** Religion is personal feeling about the divine. Key Takeaway Recognize the personal nature of belief. Themes spirituality individualism philosophy Mood contemplative introspective Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - personal meditation - interfaith dialogue - psychotherapy - academic study Key Concepts theology subjectivity existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What does “divine” mean to you? - How do rituals shape your belief? A Different Perspective Personal experience may be influenced by cultural bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Ritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ritual/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) [Theology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theology/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not interested in being an intellectual or in being traditional, conventional. I'm not interested in having great wisdom. 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