A classical sociologist can be defined as someone whose "works occupied a central position among the sociological ideas and notions of an era." Following this criterion, Michaela Pfadenhauer demonstrates the relevance of Peter L. Berger's work to the sociology of knowledge. Pfadenhauer shows that Berger is not only a sociologist of religion, but one whose works are characterized by a sociology-of-knowledge perspective.
Berger stands out among his fellow social scientists both quantitatively and qualitatively. He has written numerous books, which have been translated into many languages, and a multitude of essays in scholarly journals and popular magazines. For decades, he has played a role in shaping both public debate and social scientific discourse in America and far beyond.
As a sociologist of knowledge, Berger has played three roles: he has been a theoretician of modern life, an analyst of modern religiosity, and an empiricist of global economic culture. In all areas, the focus on processes rather than status quo is characteristic of Berger's thinking. This book provides an in-depth view on the critical thinking of one of the most important sociologists that present times has to offer. It includes four written essays by Berger.
Table of Contents:
1: Beginnings of the New Sociology of Knowledge: Influences, Teachers, and Collaborators; Reflections on the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of The Social Construction of Reality; 2: Modernity and Pluralism; Pluralism, Protestantization, and the Voluntary Principle; 3: Religion and Desecularization; The Desecularization of the World: A Global Overview; 4: Culture and Socioeconomic Change; Our Economic Culture; 5: Knowledge and Reality; Identity as a Problem in the Sociology of Knowledge; 6: Reception and Impact of the New Sociology of Knowledge
About the Author :
Michaela Pfadenhauer is the head of the department of sociology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany. She is a member of the council of the German Society for Sociology, as well as a member of the advisory board of the journal Sociology of Social Interaction. Peter L. Berger is university professor of religion and sociology and director of the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture at Boston University, USA.
Review :
-Michaela Pfadenhauer convincingly shows how Peter Berger contributed to the reformation of the sociology of knowledge into a paradigmatic theoretical approach often referred to as 'social constructivism.' Her clearly written depiction of Berger's prominent analyses of the societal role of personal identity, culture, and religion is supplemented in a congenial way by several essays by Peter Berger, demonstrating powerfully the relevance of the sociology of knowledge approach, not only to the specialized sociological discussions, but to a deeper understanding of our pluralist, globalized knowledge society.-
--Hubert Knoblauch, professor, Institute for Sociology, Technical University of Berlin, Germany
-The book demonstrates what the 'grand theory' of the classic sociologist Peter L. Berger is all about. [It explores] the life and work of Berger . . . in an informative and insightful way. Short original texts by Berger are placed between the interpretative chapters as supporting evidence. After having read the book, one either has a superb understanding of Berger's contributions to sociology--or one will never grasp his ideas.-
--Manfred Prisching, professor, Institute for Sociology, University of Graz, Austria
-This enriched English-language version of the German original is an exquisite book. [T]he reader is provided chapter by chapter with a careful and comprehensible analysis of his sociological reasoning and research on religion, modernity and pluralism, economic culture and change, and knowledge and reality in modern societies. Pfadenhauer's reconstruction will be invaluable for everyone who seeks to understand the history and development of transatlantic bonds in the sociology of knowledge. Together with Berger's recent autobiographical Adventures of an Accidental Sociologist, Pfadenhauer's New Sociology of Knowledge reveals the history and the actors behind the ongoing task of erecting bridges between European and North American approaches to sociology. This book is . . . simply a 'must' for all students of sociology.-
--Bernt Schnettler, professor of sociology, University of Bayreuth, Germany
-In this volume Berger is revealed not only as a competent social theorist and a valiant sociologist of knowledge and religion, but also as a singer of the praises of doubt, a true Christian, an analyst of change, and a critic of postmodernism who has always claimed dual citizenship: as a sociologist and a politically engaged believer. ... The reader will be surprised and highly satisfied to find so much sociological knowledge embedded in this illustrative presentation of Peter L. Berger's life and work.-
--Hermann Strasser, professor emeritus of sociology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
"Michaela Pfadenhauer convincingly shows how Peter Berger contributed to the reformation of the sociology of knowledge into a paradigmatic theoretical approach often referred to as 'social constructivism.' Her clearly written depiction of Berger's prominent analyses of the societal role of personal identity, culture, and religion is supplemented in a congenial way by several essays by Peter Berger, demonstrating powerfully the relevance of the sociology of knowledge approach, not only to the specialized sociological discussions, but to a deeper understanding of our pluralist, globalized knowledge society."
--Hubert Knoblauch, professor, Institute for Sociology, Technical University of Berlin, Germany
"The book demonstrates what the 'grand theory' of the classic sociologist Peter L. Berger is all about. [It explores] the life and work of Berger . . . in an informative and insightful way. Short original texts by Berger are placed between the interpretative chapters as supporting evidence. After having read the book, one either has a superb understanding of Berger's contributions to sociology--or one will never grasp his ideas."
--Manfred Prisching, professor, Institute for Sociology, University of Graz, Austria
"This enriched English-language version of the German original is an exquisite book. [T]he reader is provided chapter by chapter with a careful and comprehensible analysis of his sociological reasoning and research on religion, modernity and pluralism, economic culture and change, and knowledge and reality in modern societies. Pfadenhauer's reconstruction will be invaluable for everyone who seeks to understand the history and development of transatlantic bonds in the sociology of knowledge. Together with Berger's recent autobiographical Adventures of an Accidental Sociologist, Pfadenhauer's New Sociology of Knowledge reveals the history and the actors behind the ongoing task of erecting bridges between European and North American approaches to sociology. This book is . . . simply a 'must' for all students of sociology."
--Bernt Schnettler, professor of sociology, University of Bayreuth, Germany
"In this volume Berger is revealed not only as a competent social theorist and a valiant sociologist of knowledge and religion, but also as a singer of the praises of doubt, a true Christian, an analyst of change, and a critic of postmodernism who has always claimed dual citizenship: as a sociologist and a politically engaged believer. ... The reader will be surprised and highly satisfied to find so much sociological knowledge embedded in this illustrative presentation of Peter L. Berger's life and work."
--Hermann Strasser, professor emeritus of sociology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
"Michaela Pfadenhauer convincingly shows how Peter Berger contributed to the reformation of the sociology of knowledge into a paradigmatic theoretical approach often referred to as 'social constructivism.' Her clearly written depiction of Berger's prominent analyses of the societal role of personal identity, culture, and religion is supplemented in a congenial way by several essays by Peter Berger, demonstrating powerfully the relevance of the sociology of knowledge approach, not only to the specialized sociological discussions, but to a deeper understanding of our pluralist, globalized knowledge society."
--Hubert Knoblauch, professor, Institute for Sociology, Technical University of Berlin, Germany
"The book demonstrates what the 'grand theory' of the classic sociologist Peter L. Berger is all about. [It explores] the life and work of Berger . . . in an informative and insightful way. Short original texts by Berger are placed between the interpretative chapters as supporting evidence. After having read the book, one either has a superb understanding of Berger's contributions to sociology--or one will never grasp his ideas."
--Manfred Prisching, professor, Institute for Sociology, University of Graz, Austria
"This enriched English-language version of the German original is an exquisite book. [T]he reader is provided chapter by chapter with a careful and comprehensible analysis of his sociological reasoning and research on religion, modernity and pluralism, economic culture and change, and knowledge and reality in modern societies. Pfadenhauer's reconstruction will be invaluable for everyone who seeks to understand the history and development of transatlantic bonds in the sociology of knowledge. Together with Berger's recent autobiographical Adventures of an Accidental Sociologist, Pfadenhauer's New Sociology of Knowledge reveals the history and the actors behind the ongoing task of erecting bridges between European and North American approaches to sociology. This book is . . . simply a 'must' for all students of sociology."
--Bernt Schnettler, professor of sociology, University of Bayreuth, Germany
"In this volume Berger is revealed not only as a competent social theorist and a valiant sociologist of knowledge and religion, but also as a singer of the praises of doubt, a true Christian, an analyst of change, and a critic of postmodernism who has always claimed dual citizenship: as a sociologist and a politically engaged believer. ... The reader will be surprised and highly satisfied to find so much sociological knowledge embedded in this illustrative presentation of Peter L. Berger's life and work."
--Hermann Strasser, professor emeritus of sociology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
"In this volume Berger is revealed not only as the competent social theorist and the valiant sociologist of knowledge and religion, but also as the singer of the praises of doubt, the true Christian, the analyst of change, and the critic of postmodernism who has always claimed dual citizenship: as a sociologist and a politically engaged believer. ... The reader will be surprised and highly satisfied to find so much sociological knowledge, embedded in the illustrative presentation of Peter L. Berger's life and work."
--Dr. Hermann Strasser, professor emeritus of sociology, University of Duisburg-Essen
"This enriched English version of its German original is an exquisite book. Upgraded with intersected extracts from Berger's original writings, the reader is provided chapter by chapter with a careful and comprehensible synopsis of his sociological reasoning and research on religion, modernity and pluralism, economic culture and change, and knowledge and reality in modern societies. Pfadenhauer's reconstruction will be invaluable for everyone who seeks to understand the history and development of transatlantic bonds in the sociology of knowledge. Together with Berger's recent autobiographical Adventures of an Accidental Sociologist, Pfadenhauer's New Sociology of Knowledge discloses the history and the actors behind the ongoing task of erecting bridges between European and North-American approaches to sociology. This book is not an Invitation--it is simply a 'must' for all students of sociology."
--Bernt Schnettler, professor of sociology, University of Bayreuth
"Michaela Pfadenhauer convincingly shows in her book how Peter Berger contributed to the reformation of the sociology of knowledge into a paradigmatic theoretical approach often referred to as "social constructivism." Her clearly written depiction of Berger's prominent analyses of the societal role of personal identity, culture, and religion are supplemented in a congenial way by papers of Peter Berg
"In this volume Berger is revealed not only as the competent social theorist and the valiant sociologist of knowledge and religion, but also as the singer of the praises of doubt, the true Christian, the analyst of change, and the critic of postmodernism who has always claimed dual citizenship: as a sociologist and a politically engaged believer. ... The reader will be surprised and highly satisfied to find so much sociological knowledge, embedded in the illustrative presentation of Peter L. Berger's life and work."
--Dr. Hermann Strasser, professor emeritus of sociology, University of Duisburg-Essen
"This enriched English version of its German original is an exquisite book. Upgraded with intersected extracts from Berger's original writings, the reader is provided chapter by chapter with a careful and comprehensible synopsis of his sociological reasoning and research on religion, modernity and pluralism, economic culture and change, and knowledge and reality in modern societies. Pfadenhauer's reconstruction will be invaluable for everyone who seeks to understand the history and development of transatlantic bonds in the sociology of knowledge. Together with Berger's recent autobiographical Adventures of an Accidental Sociologist, Pfadenhauer's New Sociology of Knowledge discloses the history and the actors behind the ongoing task of erecting bridges between European and North-American approaches to sociology. This book is not an Invitation--it is simply a 'must' for all students of sociology."
--Bernt Schnettler, professor of sociology, University of Bayreuth
