The Sacred Canopy: Elements Of Sociological Theories

The study of religion is not matters of theology. It cares nothing about the existence of gods or discovering divine revelation and is not a definition of faith traditions. When understanding the study of religion, the explanations are considerably NOTS. Sociologist, Peter Berger, challenged with defining religion, stated “a definition is not more or less true, only more or less useful.” His theory over religions sacred canopy is universal, applying to any religion. Berger has drawn his theory from other major sociologists such as Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Peter Berger tries to make sense of the defining religions and explains the necessity of it historically and functionally. The book “The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory

Externalization is a representation and manifestation of something abstract. Human society needs to explain the unexplainable. Religion is an outlet to everything that disrupts the normal flow of social existence, like a flood, tornado, war and death. The Hindu tradition is described in a multitude of sacred texts in a variety of languages published throughout history. The words and systems the Hindu traditions set in place bring order and reason for the world’s unexplainable phenomena. The everyday horrors of the world are explained by the wisest members of the religion. Tradition and knowledge in the text creates a culture for the Hindu peoples. The socially constructed reality is constructed through the need for answers. Religion is not merely constructed. Objectivation reduces abstract principles into tangible objects and rituals. To be able to understand large minded concepts one must first translate the ideals into comprehendible notions. Objectivation turns abstract ideas into objects to simplify the concept. Religions are abstract along with languages and contain beliefs and are transformed, or manifested, in gods and rituals. They place something abstract, something you can’t hold, into something real. Hinduism uses over 350,000 gods in practice that manifest ideals of the religion. The ideas create the