A study of the application of sociological theories in the study of Shiite hadith by Orientalists

Religious studies in recent centuries, especially in Western academia, have tended to apply methods of humanities and experimental sciences. The sociological approach is one of the methods used in the study of religions. The initial understanding of this concept is their application in the study of anthropology and Islamic societies; But Westerners have used these methods beyond the societies in the study of religious texts. Shiite hadith has been the subject of Oriental studies after 1950. These scholars have studied the sources of Shiite hadith, its history and compellation. Among the studies related to sociological methods application anthropology theories, sociology of knowledge and phenomenology are recognizable. This article intends to examine the works that have studied the Shiite hadith in this way. The approach of the article in studying these works is descriptive-analytical.