The Gülen Hizmet Movement: Circumspect Activism in Faith-Based Reform

This volume covers the origins, historical development, and ideas of one of the largest and most influential Islamic movements in the world, the Gulen Hizmet Movement. Founded during the Cold War under the inspiration of M. Fethullah Gulen, the GHM expanded to over 130 countries by the first decade of the twenty first century. The movement's circumspect activism sheltered it from illiberal secular practices in Turkey and has guided it through the anxious post-Cold War process of globalization. This edited volume covers various characteristics of the movement from Gulen's unconventional oratory to his educational philosophy. Also, the book covers Gulen's ideas on Islam and democracy and the GHM's indirect political engagement compared to the direct engagement of the Muslim Brotherhood. Other chapters in the book cover the role of women in the movement, the GHM's creation of an alternative public sphere for pious Muslims, and the tension this creation instills in light of Secularism Theory, which is analyzed comparatively with American religious pluralism. The last two chapters question the effectiveness of interfaith dialogue activities promoted by the movement's adherents. A concluding section seeks to synthesize this interdisciplinary scholarship in order to assess the GHM's overall gestalt as a social movement. This volume covers the origins, historical development, and ideas of one of the largest and most influential Islamic movements in the world, the Gülen Hizmet Movement (GHM). Founded during the Cold War under the inspiration of M. Fethullah Gülen, the GHM expanded to over 130 countries by the first decade of the twenty first century. The movement's circumspect activism sheltered it from illiberal secular practices in Turkey and has guided it through the anxious post-Cold War process of globalization. This edited volume covers various characteristics of the movement from Gülen's unconventional oratory to his educational philosophy. In addition, the book covers Gülen's ideas on Islam and democracy and the GHM's indirect political engagement compared to the direct engagement of the Muslim Brotherhood. Other chapters in the book cover the role of women in the movement, the GHM's creation of an alternative public sphere for pious Muslims, and the tension this creation instills in light of Secularism Theory, which is analyzed comparatively with American religious pluralism. The last two chapters question the effectiveness of interfaith dialogue activities promoted by the movement's adherents. A concluding section seeks to synthesize this interdisciplinary scholarship in order to assess the GHM's overall gestalt as a social movement. Tamer Balcı and Christopher L. Miller: Introduction: The Gülen Hizmet Movement: A Cautionary Tale 1 Adem Akıncı: The Oratory of M. Fethullah Gülen 2 Süphan Bozkurt and Yetkin Yıldırım: Fethullah Gülen’s Vision for Peace through Education and Dialogue 3 Tamer Balcı: Islam and Democracy in the Thought of Nursi and Gülen 4 Sonia L. Alianak: Islamic Mediators and Creators of Grassroots Demands: The GHM Compared to the MB Egypt and MB Jordan 5 Maria Curtis: Among the Heavenly Branches: Leadership and Authority among Women in the Gülen Hizmet Movement 6 Mark Webb: The Genius and Vulnerability of the Gülen Hizmet Movement 7 Christopher L. Miller: The Gülen Hizmet Movement and Secularization Theory: Explaining the Improbable 8 Semiha Topal: Pursuit of Piety in the Public Sphere: A Weberian Analysis of the Gülen Hizmet Movement 9 Thomas D. Pearson: Is Genuine Interfaith Dialogue Impossible? Alasdair MacIntyre and Fethullah Gülen in Conversation 10 Mustafa Ruzgar: An Analysis of the Gülen Hizmet Movement’s Interfaith Dialogue Activities Christopher L. Miller and Tamer Balcı: Conclusion: Interdisciplinary Inquiry and the Gülen Gestalt This volume covers the origins, historical development, and ideas of one of the largest and most influential Islamic movements in the world, the Gulen Hizmet Movement (GHM). Founded during the Cold War under the inspiration of M. Fethullah Gulen, the GHM expanded to over 130 countries by the first decade of the twenty first century. Edited By Tamer Balcı And Christopher L. Miller. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [251]-283) And Index.