<![CDATA[This article examines the concept of religious happiness in William James’s thought by exploring the characteristics of religious maturity presented in his theory. It begins with Jung’s critique of modern psychoanalytic and behaviorist psychology, which neglects the soul and positive human potentials, including the purpose and meaning of life, goodness, happiness, and religious morality. By analyzing James’s concept of religious maturity, this study contributes to restoring psychology as a science concerned with the soul and the positive potentials that can lead humans toward happiness. This article employs a literature review and a psychology of religion approach to examine James’s concept of religious happiness. According to James, religious happiness can be attained through four characteristics of religious maturity and their distinctive practical consequences: awareness of the existence and presence of God through asceticism; a connection with God that engenders self-surrender through strength of soul; self-surrender to God that produces freedom, happiness, and the disappearance of the ego through purity; and the transformation of emotions into love and harmony through charity. These characteristics collectively lead to religious happiness. For James, therefore, true religion is one that enables its adherents to attain religious happines.]]>
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