Peter L. Berger and the sociology of religion

Abstract

) was one of the most influential sociologists of the last century. In the sociology of religion his status is uncontested. Since the publication of Berger's now classicThe Sacred Canopy (1967) it has been almost impossible not to cite Berger in discussions of secularisation and, later, desecularisation. The idea of a 'sacred canopy' has itself been a key metaphor for the sociology of religion for more than fifty years now. When Berger recently passed away, mainstream media ran obituaries discussing the many facets of his scholarly contributions -evidence of his influence beyond a small circle of professional sociologists.This article examines Berger's main contributions to the sociology of religion. It is not a systematic review of Berger's sizable oeuvre, and sidesteps his theological work entirely.Rather, the focus is on the ideas presented in The Sacred Canopy, namely the theorisations of religion and secularisation, and his later espousal of 'desecularisation'. After an exposition and assessment of these key themes, the article looks at Berger's influence in the sociology of religion, and, finally, offers an 'internal critique' of his work: I argue that the reception of The Sacred Canopy has been a missed opportunity in terms of a genuinely constructionist approach to the sociology of religion and, most importantly, that the source of this is Berger's inconsistent application of his own constructionist ideas to his work on religion.

Anthropology of Religion: Sighting the dynamics of sacredness

“…Peter Berger ha planteado que "la religión es la empresa humana por la cual se establece un cosmos sagrado" (Hjelm, 2024).…”

Questioning the Secularization Theleology: Zalmoxianism and the Re-Enchantment of the World

“…Philosophers, sociologists and other scholars are becoming increasingly interested in how secular alternatives to religions are understood and materialized in contemporary society (Pollack 2015;Stenmark 2021). Beyond the dominant theoretical tone of this article-which conceptualizes the religious as diametrically opposed to the secular-, one needs to emphasize that humans manage to live in both "secular" and "religious" worlds, switching back and forth between different sacred and/or secular ontologies (Bullivant 2012;Berger 2014;Hjelm 2018). An individual's (re)interpretation of existing religious or secular traditions is not necessarily an easy-going process; it can also be a disruptive force (Eidhamar 2021) as it involves both a re-evaluation and a reconciliation of competing worldviews in an already fragmented, individualistic, non-cohesive and unjust society.…”

Realitas Keagamaan dan Problematika Keilmuan Islamic-Studies

“…Saat ini Berger bisa dikatakan sosiolog agama yang berpengaruh dan telah berkontributif terhadap eksemplar sosiologi agama (Woodhead & et al, 2001). Tetapi di satu sisi, seperti yang dideskripsikan riset Hjelm, walaupun gagasan Berger dan metafora "The Sacred Canopy" sangat berpengaruh tapi tidak pernah melahirkan sosiologi agama yang konstruksionis (Hjelm, 2018).…”