Is Europe secular or religious? The case of Turkey

Is Europe secular or religious? The case of Turkey PDF Author: Otto Möller
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3668904995
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 12

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Book Description
Essay from the year 2014 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: 2,0, University of Kent (Department of International Relations), language: English, abstract: This essay intends to answer the question whether Europe is secular or religious. In both the European treaties and the accession criteria to the European Union there are no references to a historical and cultural community to describe the European polity. Article 6 of the Treaty on European states: ‘The Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which are common to the Member States’. No references to the Christian roots of Europe in the draft treaty establishing a constitution for Europe (European Constitution, only a general reference to its religious heritage). The background provided in the introduction states the importance to deal with the subject and finally raises the question. Europe claims to be secular, but its moral values are too closely bind towards its Judeo-Christian heritage to act without showing religious bias. Therefore, my thesis statement will be: Even though the states of the EU have secular constitutions, the shared Christian roots of the member states of the European Union and the notion of believing without belonging which is shared by the majority of the European population leads to religiously motivated policy of the member states.

Is Europe secular or religious? The case of Turkey

Is Europe secular or religious? The case of Turkey PDF Author: Otto Möller
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3668904995
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 12

Get Book

Book Description
Essay from the year 2014 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: 2,0, University of Kent (Department of International Relations), language: English, abstract: This essay intends to answer the question whether Europe is secular or religious. In both the European treaties and the accession criteria to the European Union there are no references to a historical and cultural community to describe the European polity. Article 6 of the Treaty on European states: ‘The Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which are common to the Member States’. No references to the Christian roots of Europe in the draft treaty establishing a constitution for Europe (European Constitution, only a general reference to its religious heritage). The background provided in the introduction states the importance to deal with the subject and finally raises the question. Europe claims to be secular, but its moral values are too closely bind towards its Judeo-Christian heritage to act without showing religious bias. Therefore, my thesis statement will be: Even though the states of the EU have secular constitutions, the shared Christian roots of the member states of the European Union and the notion of believing without belonging which is shared by the majority of the European population leads to religiously motivated policy of the member states.

Democracy, Islam, and Secularism in Turkey

Democracy, Islam, and Secularism in Turkey PDF Author: Ahmet T. Kuru
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231530250
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 323

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Book Description
While Turkey has grown as a world power, promoting the image of a progressive and stable nation, several choices in policy have strained its relationship with the East and the West. Providing historical, social, and religious context for this behavior, the essays in Democracy, Islam, and Secularism in Turkey examine issues relevant to Turkish debates and global concerns, from the state's position on religion to its involvement with the European Union. Written by experts in a range of disciplines, the chapters explore the toleration of diversity during the Ottoman Empire's classical period; the erosion of ethno-religious heterogeneity in modern, pre-democratic times; Kemalism and its role in modernization and nation building; the changing political strategies of the military; and the effect of possible EU membership on domestic reforms. The essays also offer a cross-Continental comparison of "multiple secularisms," as well as political parties, considering especially Turkey's Justice and Development Party in relation to Europe's Christian Democratic parties. Contributors tackle critical research questions, such as the legacy of the Ottoman Empire's ethno-religious plurality and the way in which Turkey's assertive secularism can be softened to allow greater space for religious actors. They address the military's "guardian" role in Turkey's secularism, the implications of recent constitutional amendments for democratization, and the consequences and benefits of Islamic activism's presence within a democratic system. No other collection confronts Turkey's contemporary evolution so vividly and thoroughly or offers such expert analysis of its crucial social and political systems. Contributors: Karen Barkey (Columbia University) Ümit Cizre (Istanbul Sehir University) M. Sükrü Hanioglu (Princeton University) Stathis N. Kalyvas (Yale University) Ahmet T. Kuru (San Diego State University) Joost Lagendijk (Sabanc University) Ergun Özbudun (Bilkent University) Alfred Stepan (Columbia University)

The Development of Secularism in Turkey

The Development of Secularism in Turkey PDF Author: Niyazi Berkes
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773594507
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 535

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Book Description


Religious America, Secular Europe?

Religious America, Secular Europe? PDF Author: Peter Berger
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351904728
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 105

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Book Description
Europe is a relatively secular part of the world in global terms. Why is this so? And why is the situation in Europe so different from that in the United States? The first chapter of this book - the theme - articulates this contrast. The remaining chapters - the variations - look in turn at the historical, philosophical, institutional and sociological dimensions of these differences. Key ideas are examined in detail, among them: constitutional issues; the Enlightenment; systems of law, education and welfare; questions of class, ethnicity, gender and generation. In each chapter both the similarities and differences between the European and the American cases are carefully scrutinized. The final chapter explores the ways in which these features translate into policy on both sides of the Atlantic. This book is highly topical and relates very directly to current misunderstandings between Europe and America.

Revisiting Secularism in Theory and Practice

Revisiting Secularism in Theory and Practice PDF Author: Seda Ünsar
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030374564
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
This book offers a philosophical and macro-historical analysis of secularism, supported by an investigation of various contemporary cases. Starting with an in-depth theoretical discussion of the meaning of secularism, it subsequently presents a historical study on the secularization of norms and identities in Europe. The respective case studies cover topics such as the epistemologies of secularism, liberalization and embedded secularism, the relationship between modernity and secularism, the socio-anthropology of secularism, Turkish modernization as a cultural revolution, the political economy of secularism in Turkey, and the secular rationale of the EU neighborhood policy.

Islam, Secularism and Nationalism in Modern Turkey

Islam, Secularism and Nationalism in Modern Turkey PDF Author: Soner Cagaptay
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134174489
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
It is commonly believed that during the interwar period, Kemalist secularism successfully eliminated religion from the public sphere in Turkey, leaving Turkish national identity devoid of religious content. However, through its examination of the impact of the Ottoman millet system on Turkish and Balkan nationalisms, this book presents a different view point. Cagaptay demonstrates that the legacy of the Ottomon millet system which divided the Ottoman population into religious compartments called millets, shaped Turkey’s understanding of nationalism in the interwar period. Providing a compelling examination of why and how religion shapes national identity in Turkey and the Balkans the book covers topics including: * Turkish nationalism * the Ottoman legacy * Kemalist citizenship policies and immigration * Kurds, Muslims and Jews and the ethno-religious limits of Turkishness. Incorporating documents from untapped Turkish archives, this book is essential reading for scholars and students with research interests in Turkey, Turkish nationalism and Middle East history.

Islam and Secularism in Turkey

Islam and Secularism in Turkey PDF Author: Umut Azak
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780755610730
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
"Security perceptions in Europe have changed drastically in the last decade due to the effects of globalisation. As a result, the EU's relations with Turkey and the security policies of the EU and Turkey have become increasingly important. In light of recent developments - not least the controversial issue of Turkey's EU candidacy - this book attempts to answer two main questions: 'Is there a gap between EU and Turkish security cultures?' and 'To what extent is Turkey an advantage for Europe?'. Cigdem Ustun here examines Turkey's crucial role with NATO and details its relations and priorities in the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Black Sea regions, comparing these with EU relations and priorities. This comparison illustrates the advantages and disadvantages of including Turkey in European security policies and will be essential reading for all those involved in security studies and policy."--Bloomsbury publishing.

Religion in the New Europe

Religion in the New Europe PDF Author: Krzysztof Michalski
Publisher: Central European University Press
ISBN: 6155053901
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 150

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Book Description
The articles in this volume deal with the role of Christianity in the definition of European identity. Europeans often identify advanced civilizations with secularity. But religion is very much alive in other fast developing countries of the world. In Europe, nevertheless, the organized churches very much wanted to stress the Christian character of European identity, and this engendered a lively protest focusing on the perceived threat to the secular European tradition. Also, Europe is facing its greatest cultural challenge in the demand of Turkey to be admitted as a member, and in the demand of many Muslims in Europe, often citizens of the countries in which they live, to be recognized in their difference and at the same time integrated in the European national and supranational institutions.

Religious Politics in Turkey

Religious Politics in Turkey PDF Author: Ceren Lord
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108472001
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 387

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Book Description
Presents an account of the rise of Erdogan's AKP, showing how the politicisation of religion has roots in the period of early nation-building in Turkey.

New Multicultural Identities in Europe

New Multicultural Identities in Europe PDF Author: Erkan Toğuşlu
Publisher: Leuven University Press
ISBN: 9058679810
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
Multiculturalism in present-day Europe How to understand Europe’s post-migrant Islam on the one hand and indigenous, anti-Islamic movements on the other? What impact will religion have on the European secular world and its regulation? How do social and economic transitions on a transnational scale challenge ethnic and religious identifications? These questions are at the very heart of the debate on multiculturalism in present-day Europe and are addressed by the authors in this book. Through the lens of post-migrant societies, manifestations of identity appear in pluralized, fragmented, and deterritorialized forms. This new European multiculturalism calls into question the nature of boundaries between various ethnic-religious groups, as well as the demarcation lines within ethnic-religious communities. Although the contributions in this volume focus on Islam, ample attention is also paid to Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism. The authors present empirical data from cases in Turkey, Germany, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Norway, Sweden, and Belgium, and sharpen the perspectives on the religious-ethnic manifestations of identity in the transnational context of 21st-century Europe.