The Sacred and Profane

in Religion

Externalization

Creating Symbols

Peter Berger, The Sacred Canopy

ObjectificationInternalization

Structure - resistant to change

Structure and Process in Religion

Process - action and movement

Roberts, Religion in Sociological Perspective

We have profound impact on each other

Symbolic Interaction Theory

Act on basis of meaningMeanings derived through interactionSymbols have meaning beyond themselves

Roberts, Religion in Sociological Perspective

Ambiguous situations

Social Construction of Reality

Roberts, Religion in Sociological Perspective

Look to each other for definitions

We ‘construct’ reality

Emile Durkheim1858 - 1917

Sacred - religion

Sacred and Profane

Profane - everything else

Sacred Realm

Profane

SymbolsRituals

Sacred Realm

Rudolf Otto1869 - 1937

mysterium tremendum et fascinans

the mysterious, tremendous, and fascinating

The Holy

provokes awe and fear

unapproachable

power, energy, urgency

wholly ‘otherness’

fascination and attraction

The Holy

experience of the Holy

Andrew Greeley

1928 -

What we value we raise

to the level of the sacred

meaningful interpretation of events

need for relatedness with others

The Sacred Experience

intensity

frequency

Non-rational religious experiences vary:

context

content

Those who value them, have them

“The totality of human products.”

Culture

Peter Berger, The Sacred Canopy

“Religion is the attempt to see the universe as humanly significant.”

Religion

References

Berger, Peter (1967). The Sacred Canopy. NY: Random House.

Roberts, Keith (2000). Religion in Sociological Perspective. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

Entelechy Productions (2013)