"I think what I and most other sociologists of religion wrote in the 1960s about secularization was a mistake. Our underlying argument was that secularization and modernity go hand in hand. With more modernization comes more secularization"
- Peter L. Berger
About this Quote
This quote by Peter L. Berger recommends that the idea that secularization and modernity are linked is inaccurate. Berger, a sociologist of religious beliefs, and other sociologists of religious beliefs in the 1960s believed that as modernization increased, so too would secularization. However, Berger now believes that this was an error and that the two are not always linked. This recommends that modernization does not always result in a reduction in religions and practices, which secularization is not an inescapable effect of modernization. This quote highlights the importance of re-evaluating our assumptions and beliefs in order to make sure that we are not making mistakes in our understanding of the world.
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