Jewish Studies and Sociology of Knowledge: Discourse, Lifeworld and the Transformation of Traditions

Judaism's long religious and cultural tradition has been subject to many and manifold transformations. Understanding the reasons behind and the dynamics of these transformations requires a theoretical approach to the nature and function of traditions in general and a methodological approach suitable to analyze specific shifts in the continuous development of traditions. The international conference on “Jewish Studies and Sociology of Knowledge: Discourse, Lifeworld and the Transformation of Traditions” at the Hochschule für Jüdische Studien in Heidelberg aims at exploring the analytical possibilities to be gained in Jewish Studies through the integration of sociological approaches among its methodological instruments, primarily sociological theories of discourse and knowledge.​