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How can we address the seemingly endless conflicts in the world, particularly those arising from misunderstandings of Islam by both Muslims and non-Muslims? Preventing Violence and Achieving World Peace: The Contributions of the Gülen Movement presents the essays of eight scholars who consider the diverse ways in which the Gülen Movement or hizmet («service to others») - inspired by contemporary Turkish social philosopher Fetullah Gülen - has worked to answer this question. Drawing from various intellectual and theological sources, particularly Sufism, these essays indicate multiple instances of positive interfaith and/or multicultural dialogue. In addition, they consider how the writings of Gülen and the works of the Gülen Movement, through an extensive program of education and communication, have contributed significantly to efforts that oppose violence and shape universal peace.
List of contents
Contents: Akbar Ahmed: Foreword: Preventing Violence and Achieving World Peace: The Contributions of the Gülen Movement - Ori Z. Soltes/Margaret A. Johnson: Introduction: Education, Preventing Violence, World Peace, and the Gülen Movement - Ori Z. Soltes: Socrates, Violence, Education, the Gülen Movement and Peace - Heon Kim: Dialogic Humanism: Gülen's Alternative to Dialectical Thinking - Wilhelmus G.B.M. Valkenberg: Fethullah Gülen and Peace as Horizon of Tolerance and Dialogue - Imad-Ad-Dean Ahmad: The Role of Education in Achieving World Peace - Thomas Block: Fethullah Gülen and the Education of Peace: How Shared Jewish and Muslim «Teaching Tales» Echo the Contemporary Movement - Terry Mathis: Divine Collusion - Ori Z. Soltes: Universalism in the Thought of Rumi, Kabir, Abulafia, Luria, and Merton; and the Implications for the Gülen Movement, Violence and Peace - Eileen Eppig: Fethullah Gülen's Care for All Creation as a Means to Nonviolence.
About the author
Ori Z. Soltes teaches theology and art history at Georgetown University. He received his BA from Haverford College, his MA from Princeton University, and his PhD from Union University. He is the author of over 215 books, articles, and essays including Mysticism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam: Searching for Oneness and Embracing the World: The Relationship between Fetullah Gülen, Jelaladdin Rumi and Others.
Margaret A. Johnson, a sociologist and business owner, is Senior Research Associate for the Institute for Islamic and Turkish Studies in Fairfax, Virginia. She received her PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. Her current research is on peace building and Islam in the United States. She is President and CEO of Transfirex Translation Services. Recently ranked 5th in the D.C. Metro Area by the Washington Business Journal, Transfirex, Inc. is in its eleventh year of providing scientific, technical, and educational translations in over 40 languages.
Summary
How can we address seemingly endless conflicts in the world, particularly those arising from misunderstandings of Islam by Muslims and non-Muslims? This book presents the essays of eight scholars who consider the ways in which Guelen Movement or hizmet - inspired by Turkish social philosopher Fetullah Guelen - has worked to answer this question.
Report
«At a time of utter urgency in Muslim/non-Muslim relations, this book on the Gülen Movement appears as a beacon of hope, offering multifaceted insight into Gülen's thought and practice - touching upon themes of philosophy, education, interfaith mysticism, universalism, and the cosmos. It offers significant support to the Charter for Compassion movement, another grassroots effort, also grounded in the need for self-improvement, humility, education toward tolerance and away from violence, and, above all, in the compatible notion of hizmet - outward action of kindness and service toward the other. Taking these insights to heart may help to awaken humanity to embrace 'our diversity as a species. and - insha'Allah - to achieve 'fullness of peace' in our time.» (Helen McConnell, CAN (Compassionate Action Network) International Fellow; Co-Founder of the Compassionate Washington, D.C. Campaign)
