A new meaning for tradition
Theological knowledge was transformed in 20th century Jewish literature and thought. Religious traditions were reinterpreted in new contexts of poetics as well as political thought. Rather than just examining the ways traditions shape modern Judaism, it is also necessary to look at how modernist interpretations form new experiences of tradition. That is precisely the approach the EU-funded TRADITION (The dialectic of tradition and the transformation of theological knowledge in modern Jewish writing) project took on the subject. Case studies involved German-Jewish and Hebrew cultures in the 20th century. Multidisciplinary methods were put to use and involved literary theory and criticism, intellectual and cultural history, rabbinical studies and Jewish philosophy. Three main research topics included the un-sacred language (on the theological implications of the New Hebrew), the Akeda and the quest for literature, and angels and demons (theological figures in modernist spaces). These topics are representative of a means to redefine the ideas and methods of transforming tradition. Results have been published in various articles in academic journals and anthologies. Advanced seminars, discussions and presentations have also been conducted. A better, more dialectic understanding of tradition can be gained and applied to further study in the future.
Keywords
20th century Jewish literature, religious traditions, poetics, political thought, Judaism, literary theory and criticism, intellectual and cultural history, rabbinical studies, Jewish philosophy
