Berger's Sacred Canopy
Peter Berger's 'sacred canopy' metaphor describes religion as a meaning-making framework legitimizing social reality. Pluralism undermines the canopy's plausibility; without religious monopoly, certainty erodes, producing anomie and relativism.
Real World
In 1990s post-Soviet Russia, the collapse of the communist ideological 'canopy' led to a surge in religious revival and existential uncertainty — precisely the anomie Berger predicted when a dominant meaning-system loses its monopoly.
Exam Focus
Explain the 'sacred canopy' metaphor in your own words before applying it; examiners penalise answers that quote terminology without demonstrating understanding.
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