Stausberg/Theories, 3. Berger: The Sacred Canopy (1967)

The Sacred Canopy (1967) was one of the most successful books ever published in the sociology of religion, remaining in print today. The book shows several striking similarities to Luckmann’s The Invisible Religion, but Berger dismisses Luckmann’s functionalist understanding of religion because he suggests it misses the specificity of religion. Berger sees the origin of religion as an outgrowth of the nature of humanity. Humans encounter culture and society as an objective reality, beyond the control of their own consciousness, even though this reality ultimately is of their own making.