Rethinking the theoretical base of Peter L. Berger's sociology of religion: Social construction, power, and discourse

Peter L. Berger (1929-2017) was one of the most influential sociologists of the last sixty years. In the sociology of religion, his publications are among the key works of the discipline. This paper is a "positive critique" of three aspects of Berger's theoretical work in the sociolog...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Critical research on religion
Main Author: Hjelm, Titus 1974- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage [2019]
In: Critical research on religion
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Berger, Peter L. 1929-2017 / Religious sociology
RelBib Classification:AD Sociology of religion; religious policy
Further subjects:B Peter L. Berger
B Discourse
B Social Construction
B sociology of religion
B Power
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Summary:Peter L. Berger (1929-2017) was one of the most influential sociologists of the last sixty years. In the sociology of religion, his publications are among the key works of the discipline. This paper is a "positive critique" of three aspects of Berger's theoretical work in the sociology of religion: (1) an inconsistent application of the idea of social construction, (2) a lack of focus on power and ideology, and (3) an insufficient operationalization of language as a vehicle of world-construction. Augmenting Berger's field-defining work with insights from contemporary theories of ideology and discourse, the article provides an outline for a critical constructionist approach to the sociology of religion.
ISSN:2050-3040
Contains:Enthalten in: Critical research on religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/2050303219874392