"Heaven's Champion: William James's Philosophy of Religion is an excellent introduction to James's views on religion and presents important insights and arguments for those already familiar with it as well." —Journal of Speculative Philosophy". . . this volume . . . is a deeply religious book that offers an extended argument for the importance of religious belief grounded in the insights that James offers us. It is thus not primarily an attempt to understand James better; it is rather, an attempt to use his ideas to defend the legitimacy of our religious beliefs . . . Heaven's Champion is a fine volume that demonstrates our ongoing need to counteract the acids produced by our spirit of scientific rationality, lest this spirit eat away further at the luster on the mysteries of living." — Metaphilosophy"It is no surprise that William James's philosophy continues to draw creative and critical interpretations. Ellen Kappy Suckiel's is another such reading, but one that is neither narrowly analytic nor obtusely continental in its philosophical approach. It is fair-minded, well-documented, and sprinkled with important insights and connections to other current philosophical approaches to religion." —The Journal of Religion"This study of James's philosophy of religion is clear, focused and straightforward . . . combining Suckiel's own argumentation with consistently sound exegesis of what is one of the most complex aspects of James's thought." —Transactions of the Charles S. Pierce Society"[A] masterful and penetrating work on James's philosophy of religion . . ." —The Review of Metaphysics"Ellen Suckiel's . . . book is an articulate and, on the whole, persuasive account of William James's philosophy of religion . . . Those previously unacquainted with the breadth, variety and depth of James's writings on religion will find a helpful and, on the whole, balanced introduction. Those familiar with James will profit from the book's many fresh insights." —Religious Studies"[W]ell-argued and engaging throughout. Suckiel clearly highlights James's ambivalence towards the way of looking at religious beliefs. Are they objectively true? Or do they only have human values? She offers . . . new and interesting discussions of some of James's ideas. Her book offers a lot to ponder for those interested in James's philosophy of religion." —Philosophy in Review
