Analysis Of The Sacred Canopy By Peter Berger

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In The Sacred Canopy by Peter Berger, religion and the human world are shown as interconnected and how society fits into the picture. He focuses mainly on religion and the construction of the world. Berger makes the reader question certain concepts regarding society, culture, and religion. Berger implements how rituals and myths play a role as well. Berger’s ideas about legitimations, plausibility structure, and microcosm/macrocosm are clearly visible in the myths and rituals of the text. Legitimations come up as a rather big theme in the Sacred Canopy. Legitimations can be defined as socially objectified “knowledge” that serves to explain and justify the social order. The “knowledge” is created by society. So when society creates
Movement between different society requires adoption of new plausibility structure. Plausibility structure must remain strong. The nomos of society will seem plausible as long as it is supported by a strong plausibility structure. Society wants to maintain the nomos it already has (47). If the plausibility structure of the society begins to weaken, society does not like that. Society then begins to question the nomos that they already have. Change in the nomos can cause change in plausibility structure. This proves that there is a relation between nomos and plausibility structure: each affects the other. Every religious world is somewhat based on plausibility structure. With this principle conversion is always possible. This shows that plausibility structure applies to society and to the religion of the people. The last major big concept discussed in Berger is microcosm and macrocosm. Microcosm is the small world. Microcosm refers to the human world. Macrocosm is the larger world. Macrocosm refers to world of the Gods. An example would be in Genesis 1: “Humans are created in the image of God; rule over creation as God does. Berger: divine world constructed by analogy with the human world”. Religion plays a role in this concept as well. Religion says that humans need to reflect divine
It takes on motifs like the Tablet of Destinies, conflict between good and evil gods, and how it relates to the story of Anzu. Gods play a huge role in myths. Three gods are sent, and only the third triumphs in the stories. In the Epic of Creation, Marduk was born as unique and powerful. He comes into power when he replaces the big three of traditional Mesopotamian religion. The powerful three included Ea, Anu, and Enlil (IV 137). In the Epic of Creation, microcosm and macrocosm are clearly visible. When Marduk kills Tiamat, he cuts up her body and gives half to the heavens and half to the earth. That shows how microcosm is the human world and macrocosm is the god world in the Mesopotamian society. Tiamat 's corpse is the universe. Marduk was making the universe out of dead chaos. This shows that the world is inherently unstable and chaotic. To make the world less chaotic, order needs to be established from outside through force. The Atrahasis focuses on three main realms- the heavens, the earth, and the Apsu. The Epic of Creation challenges this by putting Marduk in charge. What happens on earth is now in the hands of Marduk. Marduk defeated Qingu and Tiamat with a straight battle. Marduk then creates and overcomes because of his inherent superiority. There is a human king who is supposed to reflect Marduk. This says that the human king is supposed to follow Marduk and stay in his place (IV

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