Globalization, Ethics and Islam The Case of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi

Said Nursi (1877-1960) was an advocate of a form of Islam strongly committed to non-violence and constructive engagement with the West and Christianity. He has six million followers - the Nursi community - primarily in Turkey. Yet many in the USA and Europe are not familiar with his important work; this book seeks to rectify that gap. In Globalization, Ethics and Islam, Jewish, Christian and Islamic scholars reflect upon the achievement of Said Nursi and apply his thought to the complex issues of non-violence, dialogue and globalization.

Contents: Introduction. Part I Non-Violence and Peace: Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and the Risale-i Nur, Sükran Vahide; The ethics of pardon and peace: a dialogue of ideas between the thought of Pope John II and the Risale-i Nur, Thomas Michel, S.J.; Renewal and reformation in the mid-20th century: Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and religion in the 1950s, John Obert Voll. Part II Ethics and Dialogue: Secular or religious foundations for ethics: a case study of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Ian S. Markham; 'Patience is beautiful:' Qur'anic ethics and Said Nursi's Risale-i Nur, Asma Afsaruddin; The ethics of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi's dialogue with the west in light of his concept of 'Europe', Patrice C. Brodeur; Ethics in the Confucian text: comparative study with Risale-i Nur, Jemil Hee-Soo Lee; An outline of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi's views of Christianity and the west, Sükran Vahide. Part III Globalization: Is globalization a threat to Islam? Said Nursi's response, Oliver Leaman; Bediuzzaman Said Nursi's historical self-consciousness, Mahan H. Mirza; Globalization in the light of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi's Risale-i Nur: an exposition, Amer Al-Roubaie and Shaifiq Alvi; Globalization: its meaning, scope and impact in the light of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi's Damascus sermon, Fred A. Reed; Virtue vs. decadence: the struggle of civilizations within the global village, Necati Aydin; Islam and modernity, Durmus Hocaoglu; The gesture of Said Nursi as a challenge to modernity, Wolf D. Ahmed Aries; Rethinking globalization: Hardt and Negri in conversation with Said Nursi, Ian S. Markham. Bibliography; Index.

Ian Markham is a leading specialist in interreligious dialogue and theology. His publications include Plurality and Christian Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 1996) and A World Religions Reader (Blackwells, 2000), and he is co-editor with Ibrahim Abu-Rabi’ of September 11: Religious Perspectives on the Causes and Consequences (Oneworld, 2002). Ibrahim Ozdemir is a leading member of the Nursi community from Turkey. His books include Postmodern Thoughts: Essays on Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Postmodernity (Istanbul, 2001) and he has written widely on environmental ethics in Islam. He has taught and lectured throughout the USA.