# Lectures XIV and XV: The Value of Saintliness explained — The Varieties of Religious Experience > Chapter companion for The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James. ## What happens In this chapter, William James shifts from describing religious experiences to evaluating their fruits, proposing a 'Critique of Pure Saintliness.' He acknowledges the limitations of the empirical method, which lacks the neat definitions of scholastic theology, and instead relies on piecemeal judgments guided by common sense and philosophical prejudices. James examines the practical value of saintly virtues—such as charity, purity, and asceticism—while cautioning against their excesses, which can lead to fanaticism and withdrawal from the world. He contrasts the saintly ideal with Nietzsche's celebration of the warrior type, arguing that saints appeal to a different faculty of admiration. Ultimately, James insists that saints must be judged by their total function in their environment, not in isolation, and that the essential saintly impulses should be distinguished from their historical accidents. ## Themes in this chapter ### Saintliness and Practical Fruits James evaluates the practical fruits of saintliness, such as charity and purity, while acknowledging their potential excesses. ### Pathology and Genius in Religion The chapter examines how saintly virtues can become pathological when carried to extremes, such as in the case of Saint Louis of Gonzaga. ### Pluralism and Diversity of Religious Types James contrasts the saintly type with the warrior type, illustrating the diversity of human ideals and the need to judge each in context. ## Character check-ins ### William James Author and lecturer, proposing an empirical evaluation of saintliness. ### Friedrich Nietzsche Critic of saintly impulses, contrasting them with the warrior ideal. ### Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Example of excessive purity, renouncing all worldly relations. ### Martin Luther Praised for sweeping away the notion of a debit-credit account with God. ### Saint Francis of Assisi Mentioned as a saint who would adapt to modern times, not necessarily in retirement. ### Saint Bernard Mentioned alongside Saint Francis as a saint who would lead consecrated lives today. ## Key lines > Were I to parody Kant, I should say that a 'Critique of pure Saintliness' must be our theme. James humorously suggests that his task is akin to Kant's critique, but applied to saintliness. _This sets the stage for a philosophical evaluation of saintly virtues._ > The most inimical critic of the saintly impulses whom I know is Nietzsche. James identifies Nietzsche as the strongest opponent of saintly values. _This introduces the contrast between saintly and warrior ideals._ > Compared with these beaked and taloned graspers of the world, saints are herbivorous animals, tame and harmless barnyard poultry. James uses a metaphor to contrast the aggressive warrior type with the gentle saint. _This illustrates the perceived weakness of saints in the eyes of Nietzschean critics._ > When Luther, in his immense manly way, swept off by a stroke of his hand the very notion of a debit and credit account kept with individuals by the Almighty, he stretched the soul's imagination and saved theology from puerility. James praises Luther for rejecting the idea of God keeping a ledger of merits, which he sees as a liberating theological move. _This highlights James's appreciation for Luther's reformative insight._ > The lives of saints are a history of successive renunciations of complication, one form of contact with the outer life being dropped after another, to save the purity of inner tone. James observes that saints often progressively withdraw from worldly engagements to maintain inner purity. _This points to a potential excess of purity, as exemplified by Saint Louis of Gonzaga._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_varieties_of_religious_experience_se/chapters/lectures-xiv-and-xv-the-value-of-saintliness - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_varieties_of_religious_experience_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_varieties_of_religious_experience_se/chapters