Approaches to Interfaith Dialogue in Turkey: Analysis of the Religious Spectrum of Islam between Religious Universalism and Particularism
Abstract
Turkey is host to various interpretations of Islam and even though it is a predominantly Sunni society, there is a wide range of approaches to religious questions such as where to stand between religious universalism and articularism. This question has always been of crucial importance, much more so in the context of globalization, especially when Turkey's geopolitical position and its diverse population are taken into consideration.
This paper will aim to demonstrate the religious spectrum of approaches to interfaith dialogue in contemporary Turkey. It will look at the state's monopoly of religious discourse on the matter and different challenges to it, presenting the interpretations and beliefs of various religious groups such as the Gülen movement, the Alawite community, and others.
To make better sense of the current situation it will try to analyze how historical processes, starting from late Ottoman modernization, in terms of political, demographical, and social changes affected the religious spectrum with regards to interfaith communication and tolerance. Moreover, the relationship between the state and Islam in different periods of Turkish history will also be studied to determine the link between the state's position towards religion and the answers to the question of interreligious dialogue among the various interpretations of Islam.