James H. (James Henry) Leuba

Born in 1868 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, James H. Leuba became an American psychologist and a major early voice in the psychology of religion. He taught at Bryn Mawr College for many years and wrote widely on the origins, meaning, and future of religious belief.

Leuba is best remembered for examining religion through psychology rather than theology. In works such as A Psychological Study of Religion and The Belief in God and Immortality, he looked closely at conversion, mysticism, prayer, and belief, and he became known for surveys of scientists' religious views.

His writing could be bold and controversial, but it was driven by a serious effort to understand how religious ideas take shape in human life. He died in 1946, leaving behind work that still interests readers studying the meeting point of faith, doubt, and modern psychology.