Islam and Muslim Resistance to Modernity in Turkey, 1st ed. 2020

This book explores how traditional Sunni Muslim conceptions have informed or shaped Islamization strategies in contemporary Turkey. In particular, the author proposes to examine the teaching curriculum of the Ministry of Education, which oversees Turkish public religious education; the activities and teachings of Diyanet, the constitutional organ responsible for managing all religious affairs; and the ideas and activities of three Muslim religious groups currently operating in Turkey. The monograph explains how the interpretation and practice of Islam affects various situations in the Muslim world and analyzes the concept of nature in Islam, which has been an indivisible component of Islamic tradition since the beginning. 

Gokhan Bacik is Professor of Political Science in the Department of Politics and European Studies at Palacky University, Czech Republic.

Provides insights into the Turkish society’s complex encounter with religion and modernity Examines how the Islamic idea of nature affects the interplay of Muslims and religion in Turkey Analyzes specifically Diyanet and compulsory religious courses that students have during eight consecutive years