Religion, Politics and Society in Modern Turkey - (Edinburgh Studies on Modern Turkey) by Istar Gözaydin (Hardcover)

About the Book

Critically re-reads Turkey's history with a focus on the interactions between religion, politics and society

Book Synopsis

This book is a critical reading of Turkey's entanglement and struggle with modernity, Islam, diversity, democracy and human rights/liberties slightly less than the last two centuries. Its major argument is that the relationship between religion and state forms an important dimension not only of official state ideology, but also in interrelations between different groups in society and in those groups' relations with the state. The book provides an overarching view of modern Turkey's religion, politics and society over an extended period and examines the complex relations between society, religion, laicité, state identity and their reflections in state power and daily life. This book's originality and novelty and what makes this study different from others in the market is its provision of an overarching view of religion, politics, and society in modern Turkey over an extended period starting from Ottoman times era current times.

Review Quotes

İştar Gözaydın is one of Turkey's foremost scholars of religion and politics. Her encyclopaedic knowledge fills the pages of this monumental book. Covering more than 200 years of Turkey's development, the book is a one-stop-shop for anyone interested in Turkey and its religious and political development. I highly recommend.--Jeffrey Haynes, London Metropolitan University

This comprehensive book is about the ever presence of religion in shaping the contours of Turkey's social and political history. İştar Gözaydın meticulously surveys this history in six distinct periods, from the crowning of Sultan Mahmud II in 1808 until today. A must-read for students and scholars of contemporary Turkey and the politics of religion.--Ayşe Kadıoğlu, Sabanci University

About the Author

İştar Gözaydın is a Professor of Law and Politics at Istinye University, Istanbul. Gözaydın received her MCJ (Master of Comparative Jurisprudence) at New York University, School of Law (1987); and Ph.D. at Istanbul University (1992). She is the recipient of the 2017 Lisl and Leo Eitinger Human Rights Award by Oslo University; and 2018 Leibniz Professor of University of Leipzig. Gözaydın has numerous publications focusing on the Diyanet in Turkey, religion and politics, discrimination based on religion, minority rights, role of religion in international relations, religion and nationalism both in English and in Turkish. She is also a Non-Residence Scholar at ELIAMEP's Turkey Programme.