M AX W EBER IN THE A MERICAN J OURNAL OF S OCIOLOGY : A CASE OF CIRCULATING KNOWLEDGE

By the middle of the 1970s, a M ax W eber revival commenced in A merican sociology. Almost 75 percent of the articles on W eber in the A merican J ournal of S ociology published in the past six decades appeared in the 1970s and 1980s. The W eber revival in A merican sociology is a phenomenon observed in leading literature. New translations and publications are frequently indicated reasons for the renewed interest in W eber. Without dismissing this factor, it is not an entirely satisfactory explanation. This article accounts for the W eber revival in a new way. Taking the A merican J ournal of S ociology as a case study, I argue that the W eber revival was a case of circulating knowledge. Certain historically set issues led to a reorientation of W eber, which meant that knowledge about W eber was moved, extended, and transformed.