Peter L. Berger
"Reality is of course ..... until further notice."
"define
formulas for a peaceful co-existence
of different religious tradiTions and Institutions within a society."
"Nothing should be taken so seriously
that it be allowed to
supercede one's capacity for laughter."
----- Peter l. berger
Peter L. Berger, one of world's most respected sociologists, is also,a Lutheran and a "godder," a student of the Sociology of Knowledge, Sociology of Religion, Social Change and Social Roles, and who advocates taking the best from the historic formulas of peace in order to achieve the political management of pluralism, globally and locally, doing so by combining individuals and political components, to successfully deal with religious and secular ideologies and utopianism.
Selected Books (comments are a work in progress)
- The Many Altars of Modernity: Toward a Paradigm for Religion in a Pluralist Age, Peter L. Berger, De Gruyter, Boston, 2014
- Adventures of an Accidental Sociologist: How to Explain the World Without Becoming a Bore
- The New Sociology of Knowledge: The Life and Work of Peter L. Berger, Michaela Pfadenjhauer, with selected essays by Peter L. Berger,, Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, NJ, 2013
- The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge, “Every human society is a human product of world building. …. Society is a dialectic phenomenon in that it is a human product, and nothing but a human product, and yet continuously acts back upon its producer."
- In Praise of Doubt: How Have Convictions Without Becoming A Fanatic, In other words, in developing a “worldview,” it is important that it “…Be Able To Present Itself As A Middle Position Between Relativism [Anything Goes] And Fundamentalism (Only One Way To Go].” [Think Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural] In other words, in developing a “worldview,” it is important that it “…Be Able To Present Itself As A Middle Position Between Relativism [Anything Goes] And Fundamentalism (Only One Way To Go). Thus: hold your convictions without becoming a fanatic.
- Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective: “Don’t break role.” “There is no activity, however important, that should be allowed to supersede the capacity for laughter.” (Habits and roles as Instinct Substitutes)
- Pyramids of Sacrifice: Political Ethics and Social Change, Calculus of Pain, Calculus of Meaning. The pros and cons of both capitalism and socialism.
- The Capitalist Revolution: Fifty Propositions About Prosperity, Equality, & Liberty. The “winner.” Even China & Russia are capitalist today. Next question: what kind of capitalism to have? Democratic? Social-Democratic? Crony? Authoritarian? Dictatorial? Religion?
- [More may be added]
Selected Articles
- Sociology and Freedom
- The Culture of Liberty: An Agenda
- Worldly Wisdom, Christian Foolishness
- Capitalism and the Disorders of Modernity
- Sociology: A Disinvitation
- Marriage and the Construction of Reality (PDF)
- Towards a Sociological Understanding of Pyschoanalysis
- The Eve of the Bluing of America
- [More may be added]
Application
Key Principles of Peter L. Berger: Vis a Vis Sociology of and the Sociology of Knowledge as they Relate to Social Roles, Social Stratification, Social Inequality, and Justice, Peter J. Jessen, Reader, 1993
- Calculus of Meaning” and “Calculus of Pain”
- Contestation of Ideas between between historically specific and historically non-specific conservatives
- More on “Historically Specific Conservatives” and “Historically Non-specific Conservatives”
- From “The Valley of the Fallen” To The “Mountain of the Risen
- Propositions from Berger’s "Capitalist Revolution"
- Getting results from a “contestation” between competing public policy idea sets
- Seeking a “Middle Ground” using both “experts” and non-“expert” citizens in the neighborhoods
- A Market Model for the Ananlysis of Ecumenicity
- A Soicological View of the Secularization of Theology
- A Call for Authority in the Christian Community
- Using Berger’s Policy approval vs. non-approval criteria of those evaluated as YESes and those as NOs
- Berger’s “of course-ness…" of the "Multiple Realities of the Everyday World" in the "Contestations" of Social World Building Which Last "...Until Further Notice"
- Berger Theory Applied to Race Relations and Inner City Development (Education, Jobs, Housing)
- Peter Jessen's Comments on Selected Berger Blog Posts
- Peter Jessen's personal list of advice for young people
- Peter Jessen on "Peace,"using Peter L. Berger's concept of "The Political Management of Pluralism" — "Golden Rule" Godly, and yet as if "God Didn't Exist"
- [More may be added]