How did Henry James Sr.'s religious and philosophical interests shape William James's childhood?

Henry James Sr.’s religious and philosophical interests profoundly shaped William James’s childhood by establishing the permanent intellectual atmosphere of his home life. The elder James, a philosophical theologian who rejected orthodox Protestantism in favor of the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg, constructed a unique system of thought that served as a vision of spiritual life.12

This intellectual environment helped compensate for the "undisciplined irregularity" of William’s schooling, which was frequently interrupted by his father’s restless travels across Europe and the United States. The habit of engaging with his father’s idiosyncratic views during family meals fostered the "extraordinarily sympathetic yet critical manner" that William later displayed when evaluating the ideas of others. By rejecting institutional ecclesiasticism and emphasizing a personal, reasoned approach to spiritual truth, Henry James Sr. provided a foundation that influenced William’s lifelong development as a philosopher and psychologist.12