James Henry Leuba | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 9, 1868 Motiers, Neuchatel, Switzerland |
| Died | December 8, 1946 (aged 78) |
| Spouse | Bertha Aline Schopher |
| Children | 7 |
| Era | 19th/20th century philosophy |
| Region | Western Philosophy and Psychology |
| School | Naturalism |
| Academic advisors | G. Stanley Hall |
Main interests | Naturalism, psychology, psychology of religion, mysticism |
James Henry Leuba (April 9, 1868 – December 8, 1946) was an American psychologist best known for his contributions to the psychology of religion. His son Clarence James Leuba was also a psychologist and taught at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio.[1]
Leuba was born in Neuchâtel Switzerland, and later moved to America. He took his Ph.D. at Clark University under G. Stanley Hall.[1] His work was marked by a tendency to explain mysticism and other religious experiences in psychological terms. Philosophically, his position may be described as naturalism.[2] His work points to similarities between religious mysticism and yoga or drug-induced mysticism; he does accept differences between these in terms of moral motivation and to what uses mysticism is put.[3] His psychological study of religion aroused opposition from churchmen.[1] He argued for a naturalistic treatment of religion, which he considered to be necessary if religious psychology was to be looked at scientifically. He was an atheist.[4]
