RT Article
T1 Rethinking the theoretical base of Peter L. Berger's sociology of religion: Social construction, power, and discourse
JF Critical research on religion
VO 7
IS 3
SP 223
OP 236
A1 Hjelm, Titus 1974-
LA English
PB Sage
YR 2019
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1690033258
AB 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.
K1 Peter L. Berger
K1 Discourse
K1 Power
K1 Social Construction
K1 sociology of religion
DO 10.1177/2050303219874392