Knowing God in the Secular Age

Mustafa Tuna is Associate Professor of Slavic and Eurasian Studies and History at Duke University. He is the author of Imperial Russia’s Muslims: Islam, Empire, and European Modernity, 1788–1917 and Glossary of Islamic Terms in the Light of the Risale-i Nur (with Erol Tahtakıran).

• Acknowledgments Notes on Transliteration, Dates, and Abbreviations Introduction Part One: As the Walls Collapse, 17I: The Heart and the Intellect in the Islamic Tradition II: Meanwhile in Europe: The Evolution of European Secularity III: Nursi: A Dedicated Life Part Two: Reality, 53IV: Existence V: Reflective Observation VI: From Analogy to Syllogism VII: Analogical Reasoning Chapter VIII: Implications of Analogical ReasoningPart Three: Striving for Excellence, 129IX: Sufism: Its Meaning and Rationale X: Sufism in the Secular Age Chapter XI: Positive Transformation Through Assisted Reflection Chapter XII: Service and Community Conclusion Notes Bibliography Glossary Index

"Methodologically rigorous, with a sophisticated theological and philosophical scope that bridges Islamic intellectual history with modern concerns around reason, imagination, and secularism, this book situates Nursi's work at the intersection of faith and modernity, addressing a central concern for both Islamic thought and contemporary global religious discourse. By highlighting how Nursi developed a rational and empirical theology grounded in personal faith, the book shows how his thought directly engages with the challenges of secularism, positivist science, and modern philosophy. This framing helps reposition Nursi not merely as a traditional theologian but as a creative interlocutor with modernity, thus broadening his relevance beyond Muslim audiences." — Zeyneb Sayilgan, Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies