Heretical Imperative

Berger, Peter L.

Religion & Spirituality

HarperCollins Distribution Ser

Pyramids of Sacrifice: Political Ethics and Social Change

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Pelican Books

A general and systematic account of the role of knowledge in society aimed to stimulate both critical discussion and empirical investigations. This book is concerned with the sociology of ‘everything that passes for knowledge in society’. It focuses particularly on that ‘common-sense knowledge’ which constitutes the reality of everyday life for the ordinary member of society. The authors are concerned to present an analysis of knowledge in everyday life in the context of a theory of society as a dialectical process between objective and subjective reality. Their development of a theory of institutions, legitimations and socializations has implications beyond the discipline of sociology, and their ‘humanistic’ approach has considerable relevance for other social scientists, historians, philosophers and anthropologists.

The Social Construction Of Reality: A Treatise In The Sociology Of Knowledge

Penguin??Books

Much discussed but poorly understood, globalization is praised as the answer to all the world's problems and blamed for everything from pollution to poverty. In Many Globalizations, Peter Berger and Samuel Huntington bring together an array of scholars from around the world, who paint a far subtler and more richly shaded portrait, showing both the power and the unexpected consequences of this great force. Here the stereotypes of globalization as American imperialism on the one hand or economic cure-all on the other fall apart under the close scrutiny of these leading scholars. Looking at globalization in countries such as Chile, Japan, South Africa, Germany, Turkey, Hungary, Taiwan, India, and the United States, they show that an emerging global culture does indeed exist, one that is heavily American in origin and content, but that is far from a centrally directed force like classic imperialism--nor is it simply a "metastasized Disneyland." They examine the currents that carry this culture, from a worldwide class of young professionals to nongovernmental organizations, and define globalization's many variations (ranging from Buddhist influences to Islamic modernism) as well as subglobalizations that bind regions together. The authors also draw attention to globalizing forces that have escaped media scrutiny, such as the role of evangelical Protestantism (which both adapts to local languages and cultures, and introduce distinctively American values) and Opus Dei, the conservative Catholic movement that originated in Spain. Analytical, incisive and stimulating, Many Globalizations offers rare insight into perhaps the central issue of modern times, one that is changing the West as much as the developing world.

Many Globalizations : Cultural Diversity in the Contemporary World

Huntington, Samuel P.

Oxford University Press

Normative conflicts center on fundamental disagreements over issues of public morality and the identity of a society. In thinking about normative conflicts on a global scale, two principal questions arise. First, are there common characteristics of such conflicts worldwide? Second, which institutions polarize such conflicts and which can serve to m

The Limits Of Social Cohesion: Conflict And Mediation In Pluralist Societies

Routledge

This lucid and lively book, punctuated with witty, incisive examples, is addressed both to the layman who wants to know what sociology is all about and to students and sociologists who are concerned about the larger implications and dimensions of their discipline. Professor Berger places sociology in the humanist tradition and recognizes it as a "peculiarly modern, peculiarly timely form of critical thought." Without underestimating the importance of scientific procedures in sociology, he points out its essential affinity with history and philosophy, and he shows how sociology in this sense can contribute to a fuller awareness of the human world. "Unlike puppets," he notes, "we have the possibility of stopping in our movements, looking up and perceiving the machinery by which we have been moved. In this act lies the first step towards freedom." Professor Berger discusses this consciousness in detail, in relation to one's own biography, to the operations of social institutions, and to the makeup of an individual as a product of this institutions. In each instance, he outlines the major contributions to sociology of such classical sociologists as Weber, Pareto, and Drukheim in Europe; Veblen, Cooley, and Mead in the United States; and some of the most important names in the field today.

Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective

Anchor

Written by one of the most revered sociologists of the of the 20th century, A Rumor of Angels gives readers a unique insight into the complicated relationship between religion and society. It is undeniable that religion has had a profound effect on civilization. Readers will learn just how religion and society affect one another, and how that relationship has changed in modern times, with the secularization of mainstream society. Questioning modern morality, Peter Berger offers one of the most thought provoking books on religion in the 20th century. Praise for Peter Berger “A book of great practical wisdom by authors who have profound insight into the intellectual dynamics governing contemporary life.”—Dallas Willard, author of Knowing Christ Today

A Rumor of Angels: Modern Society and the Rediscovery of the Supernatural

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

This absorbing and original examination brilliantly argues that religion is a product of the society from which it springs--that it is the "sacred canopy" which every human society builds over its world to give it meaning. In this book, Berger expands on theories of knowledge that he first explored (with Thomas Luckmann) in The Social Construction of Reality. With illustrations drawn from a variety of primitive, ancient, and contemporary religions.

The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion

How does one establish a reputation in sociology of religion? Berger;s Rumor of Angels and the present Heretical Imperative show the way to well-deserved prominent leadership in grounded, breakthrough insights into the social world of faith.

Heretical Imperative: Contemporary Possibilities of Religious Affirmation

DOUBLEDAY

Reassesses the sociological approach to the observation and interpretation of modern life, and looks at the problems of studying other cultures, the bonds of society, and social engineering

Sociology Reinterpreted: An Essay on Method and Vocation

Kellner, Hansfried

Anchor Books

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