DOC Toward an Islamic Enlightenment: The Gülen Movement by M. Hakan Yavuz in History

Review

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. charter school networks like the Concept schools related to Gulen and the international ...By Bennett BrownI purchased this book hoping to understand how the U.S. charter school networks like the Concept schools related to Gulen and the international movement. I knew the Concept schools to be effective in science; technology; engineering; and math (STEM) education and wanted to understand the connections of this charter school network to a global network of Gulen schools that focus on STEM. The book helped me understand the relationship to Islam; Turkish politics; and Gulen finances.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Informative and well-written explication of Gulen theologyBy DaihoBefore stumbling upon Yavuz’s work; my reading on Hizmet had been limited to news items; a few foreign policy analyses; and Ebaugh’s sociological investigation; The Gülen Movement: A Sociological Analysis of a Civic Movement Rooted in Moderate Islam. The latter was quite helpful in understanding how the Hizmet is organized and financed. Yavuz substantially agrees with Ebaugh’s presentation of the group as a loose affiliation of like-minded believers financed by sympathetic Turkish business interests. Neither researcher presents any evidence suggesting a secret cabal seeking to overthrow secular governments or establish Islamic states.What was most helpful in Yavuz’s account was his description of Gulen theology. The founder is known for his oratorical skills and an ability to move and inspire audiences; and not at all for intellectual treatises. What program Gulen presents is implied and must be teased out of sermons; speeches; and inspirational writings. On the surface; at least; it seems the Hizmet is exceptionally progressive. The movement has a network of world-class schools that regularly graduate exceptional candidates in math and science; it eschews explicit religious education and proselytization; believing actions speak louder than words; it is solidly middle class and financially self-supporting; it is organized largely from the bottom up and therefore responsive to local needs and conditions; and it is actively engaged in and promotes interreligious dialog. The irony is that while Hizmet seemingly confutes a religious requirement for moral behavior; Yavuz describes Gulen as someone incapable of understanding “that modern societies have competing worldviews and diverse ethical principles.” This blinds him to “the possibility of a God-free morality or political system.” They are; in other words; stuck in a world of believers and unbelievers in which non-Muslims are morally suspect. Also noteworthy is their lack of intrareligious dialog; suggesting they find at least some religious groups contemptible.Despite being an academic text; Yavuz writes clearly and directly to produce a manuscript easily accessible to non-specialists. Recommended.9 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Gulen MovementBy NihilanDo Islamic discourses and practices sustain liberal and democratic structure? When do Islamic discourses become authoritarian and hegemonic? When and under what conditions religion become a democratizing force in the public sphere? These are some of the main questions Yavuz is trying to answer. This is the first comprehensive and theoretical work on the Gulen movement. Its goal is not to participate in the debate over the Gulen movement in Turkey but rather provide an analytical debate over the role of the movement. Yavuz is not shy to critique the movement as well. He argues that the movement is communitarian (and authoritarian; as in many cases); does not encourage critical thinking; does not support women's participation in the public life; and it is becoming a political force and a source of fear for many liberal Turks. Yet; Yavuz argues that the movement is a democratizing and modernizing force in Turkey by thickening civil society; creating alternative spaces of communication; and improving education system. Through the Gulen movement; Yavuz provides a detailed analysis how piety turns into action and how these actions; in turn; shape the debate between modernity and Islam; science and religion; and democracy and religious activism. The book is based on many interviews and focus-group discussions. Having the goal of understanding the origins and evolution of a faith-inspired sociopolitical movement; the book grounds the Gülen Movement within broader social-science literature. In this regard; the book is not only about the workings of Islam in Turkey but also turning piety into social activism. I think this book is not going to please either the followers of Gulen or the zealous critics of the movement.