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 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.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.