And Then We Work for God : Rural Sunni Islam in Western Turkey

Introduction : competing claims to religious authority -- Secular time and the individual -- Islamic time and the village -- Good deeds and the moral economy -- Constructing Islam : mosques, men, and the state -- Women's traditions and innovations -- Ritual purification and the pernicious danger of culture -- Secular and spiritual routes to knowledge -- An entrepreneurial 'neo-tarikat' and Islamic education -- Dealing with the secular world : a trip to the beach.;Studies chiefly the life of two villages in the Yuntdağ area of Turkey. The names and locations of the villages have been changed. The Yuntdağ region is chiefly in Izmir Province. The study follows the migrations of some of the villagers to nearby towns out of the Yuntdağ region and even as far away as Bamberg, Germany. Claims that villagers notions of Islam are compounded of three main strands: local Islamic traditions, the state approved version of Islam, and the version presented by various brotherhoods. Turkey's contemporary struggles with Islam are often interpreted as a conflict between religion and secularism played out most obviously in the split between rural and urban populations. The reality is, of course, more complicated than the assumptions. Exploring religious expression in two villages, this book considers rural spiritual practices and describes a living, evolving Sunni Islam, influenced and transformed by local and national sources of religious orthodoxy. Drawing on a decade of research, Kimberly Hart shows how religion is not an abstract set of principles, but a complex set of practices. Sunni Islam structures individual lives through rituals-birth, circumcision, marriage, military service, death-and the expression of these traditions varies between villages. Hart delves into the question of why some choose to keep alive the past, while others want to face a future unburdened by local cultural practices. Her answer speaks to global transformations in Islam, to the push and pull between those who maintain a link to the past, even when these practices challenge orthodoxy, and those who want a purified global religion. Anthropologist and filmmaker Kimberly Hart is Assistant Professor of Social-Cultural Anthropology at the State University of New York College at Buffalo. Her award-winning film A Wedding in the Yuntdag is based on footage collected during fieldwork (2000-01). Book jacket Turkey's contemporary struggles with Islam are often interpreted as a conflict between religion and secularism played out most obviously in the split between rural and urban populations. The reality, of course, is more complicated than the assumptions. Exploring religious expression in two villages, this book considers rural spiritual practices and describes a living, evolving Sunni Islam, influenced and transformed by local and national sources of religious orthodoxy. Drawing on a decade of research, Kimberly Hart shows how religion is not an abstract set of principles, but a complex set of practices. Sunni Islam structures individual lives through rituals—birth, circumcision, marriage, military service, death—and the expression of these traditions varies between villages. Hart delves into the question of why some choose to keep alive the past, while others want to face a future unburdened by local cultural practices. Her answer speaks to global transformations in Islam, to the push and pull between those who maintain a link to the past, even when these practices challenge orthodoxy, and those who want a purified global religion. Studies Chiefly The Life Of Two Villages In The Yuntdağ Area Of Turkey. The Names And Locations Of The Villages Have Been Changed. The Yuntdağ Region Is Chiefly In Izmir Province. The Study Follows The Migrations Of Some Of The Villagers To Nearby Towns Out Of The Yuntdağ Region And Even As Far Away As Bamberg, Germany. Claims That Villagers Notions Of Islam Are Compounded Of Three Main Strands: Local Islamic Traditions, The State Approved Version Of Islam, And The Version Presented By Various Brotherhoods. Introduction : Competing Claims To Religious Authority -- Secular Time And The Individual -- Islamic Time And The Village -- Good Deeds And The Moral Economy -- Constructing Islam : Mosques, Men, And The State -- Women's Traditions And Innovations -- Ritual Purification And The Pernicious Danger Of Culture -- Secular And Spiritual Routes To Knowledge -- An Entrepreneurial 'neo-tarikat' And Islamic Education -- Dealing With The Secular World : A Trip To The Beach. Kimberly Hart. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Through a comparative ethnographic study of memory, spiritual cultural heritage, and attitudes towards state power in two villages in western Turkey, this book describes living and evolving Sunni Islam.