Peter L. Berger

Sociology Austrian-American 1929 – 2017 104 quotes

Known for his work on the social construction of reality and the sociology of religion, exploring how individuals create and maintain social order.

Quotes by Peter L. Berger

The world is full of magic, but we have forgotten how to see it.

The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion 1967

The human condition is one of both freedom and constraint.

Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective 1963

The sociologist is a spy in the house of love.

Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective 1963

The modern individual is confronted with a bewildering array of choices, both religious and secular.

The Heretical Imperative: Contemporary Possibilities of Religious Affirmation 1979

The sacred is that which is set apart, that which is extraordinary, that which is awe-inspiring.

The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion 1967

The profane is the everyday, the ordinary, the mundane.

The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion 1967

The sociologist is a professional voyeur.

Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective 1963

The world is not given to us, but is made by us.

The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge 1966

The human being is a creature of habit.

The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge 1966

The sociologist must be a generalist, not a specialist.

Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective 1963

The modern world is characterized by a crisis of faith.

The Heretical Imperative: Contemporary Possibilities of Religious Affirmation 1979

The sacred is a human construction, but it is no less real for that.

The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion 1967

The sociologist must be a detective, uncovering the hidden meanings of social life.

Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective 1963

The world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players.

Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective 1963

The human being is a meaning-making animal.

The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion 1967

The modern individual is a bricoleur, piecing together a worldview from disparate elements.

The Heretical Imperative: Contemporary Possibilities of Religious Affirmation 1979

The sociologist must be a storyteller, making sense of the human drama.

Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective 1963

The world is a text, and we are its interpreters.

The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge 1966

The human being is a social animal.

Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective 1963

The modern world is characterized by a proliferation of worldviews.

The Heretical Imperative: Contemporary Possibilities of Religious Affirmation 1979