Islamic Theology in the Turkish Republic - (Edinburgh Studies on Modern Turkey) by Philip Dorroll (Paperback)

About the Book

Explores how modern Turkish theologians have grappled with issues such as nationalism and democracy; conceptions of God and humanity; the definition of religion itself and theological arguments for secularism; and theologies of human rights, gender and sexuality.

Book Synopsis

Philip Dorroll argues that Turkish Islamic theology is in fact a distinct tradition of Islamic theological thought, shaped by the unique social conditions of the Turkish Republic. Tracking the emergence and development of this tradition over time, Dorroll examines the key themes of theology in the Turkish Republic; themes such as nationalism and democracy; conceptions of God and humanity; the definition of religion itself and theological arguments for secularism; and theologies of human rights, gender and sexuality. In doing so, he provides an important historical and conceptual map to the vast territory of modern Turkish theology.

From the Back Cover

A thematic exploration of modern Turkish theology Philip Dorroll argues that Turkish Islamic theology is in fact a distinct tradition of Islamic theological thought, shaped by the unique social conditions of the Turkish Republic. Tracking the emergence and development of this tradition over time, he examines the key themes of theology in the Turkish Republic, ranging from issues such as nationalism, conceptions of God and humanity, the definition of religion itself, and theologies of human rights, gender and sexuality. In doing so, this book provides an important historical and conceptual map to the vast territory of modern Turkish theology. Key Features - Includes extended analyses of numerous late Ottoman and modern Turkish Muslim theologians, such as İsmail Hakkı İzmirli, Bekir Topaloğlu, Hüseyin Atay, Hayrettin Karaman, Sönmez Kutlu, Hidayet Şefkatli Tuksal, Hülya Alper and Emine Öğük - Explores how modern Turkish theologians have grappled with questions of critical and humanistic analyses of religion, questions of human rights, gender and sexuality (such as Muslim LGBTQ identity), and theological arguments for secularism and democracy - Based on a range of Turkish language theological sources not available in English and never before analysed in English

Review Quotes

Islamic Theology in the Turkish Republic is a rich, engaging, and much needed text in the field of Turkish Islamic studies. It will be especially useful for those teaching comparative religion and theology courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels.--Micah A. Hughes, Indiana University "JAAR"

Dorroll's study of modern, Turkish-language Islamic theology offers an excellent survey of the tradition's development and characteristics. This work successfully demonstrates the ways in which theologians have developed a range of viewpoints and arguments within the contours of their institutions while navigating the role of the state in religious affairs.-- "Susan Gunasti, Ohio Wesleyan University"

About the Author

Philip Dorroll is an Associate Professor of Religion at Wofford College and Co-Chair of the Eastern Orthodox Studies Unit of the American Academy of Religion. He teaches courses on Islamic Studies and Eastern Christian Studies, such as Introduction to Islam, Premodern Islam, Contemporary Islam, Eastern Christianity, and Christian and Islamic Theology in Comparative Perspective. His published research has focused on the history of Islamic theology in classical Arabic and modern Turkish, the history of Eastern Christian theology in classical Arabic, and the historical relationship between Muslims and Eastern Orthodox Christians. His current work focuses on issues of human rights and comparative theology in the study of Islam and Orthodox Christianity, especially with a view toward understanding what these traditions' interactions with one another can teach us about the possibilities of pluralism and the advancement of human rights in contemporary societies. His other published work includes Islamic Theology in the Turkish Republic from Edinburgh University Press and the edited volume Māturīdī Theology: A Bilingual Reader from Mohr Siebeck (with Lejla Demiri and Dale Correa). He is currently co-chair of the Eastern Orthodox Studies Unit of the American Academy of Religion and a member of the editorial board for the journal SALT: An Orthodox Journal of Cross-Cultural Theology, Dialogue, and Mission. He received his B.A. from Purdue University, his M.A. from Indiana University and his Ph.D. from Emory University.