Islamic Theology in the Turkish Republic

Philip Dorroll is an Associate Professor of Religion at Wofford College and Co-Chair of the Eastern Orthodox Studies Unit of the American Academy of Religion. He teaches courses on Islamic Studies and Eastern Christian Studies, such as Introduction to Islam, Premodern Islam, Contemporary Islam, Eastern Christianity, and Christian and Islamic Theology in Comparative Perspective. His published research has focused on the history of Islamic theology in classical Arabic and modern Turkish, the history of Eastern Christian theology in classical Arabic, and the historical relationship between Muslims and Eastern Orthodox Christians. His current work focuses on issues of human rights and comparative theology in the study of Islam and Orthodox Christianity, especially with a view toward understanding what these traditions’ interactions with one another can teach us about the possibilities of pluralism and the advancement of human rights in contemporary societies. His other published work includes Islamic Theology in the Turkish Republic from Edinburgh University Press and the edited volume Māturīdī Theology: A Bilingual Reader from Mohr Siebeck (with Lejla Demiri and Dale Correa). He is currently co-chair of the Eastern Orthodox Studies Unit of the American Academy of Religion and a member of the editorial board for the journal SALT: An Orthodox Journal of Cross-Cultural Theology, Dialogue, and Mission.He received his B.A. from Purdue University, his M.A. from Indiana University and his Ph.D. from Emory University.

• Introduction; 1. Origins; 2. Nation; 3. God; 4. Humanity; 5. Futures; Conclusion; Bibliography.

Dorroll’s study of modern, Turkish-language Islamic theology offers an excellent survey of the tradition’s development and characteristics. This work successfully demonstrates the ways in which theologians have developed a range of viewpoints and arguments within the contours of their institutions while navigating the role of the state in religious affairs.