An Example of Polemic/Apologetic Literature in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire

Year 2017, Issue: 82, 153 - 173, 01.08.2017

Evgenia Kermeli

Abstract

The dawn of Islam altered rapidly the balance among monotheistic religions. Their antagonism generated new genres of literature focusing on theological exegesis and polemic argumentation. Following this long tradition, similar texts appeared in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire. Although the aim is to produce argumentation against the thesis of the other side, these texts seldom appear to be in dialogue. However, the Debate held in 1662 between the illustrious leader of the Kadızadeli Vani Mehmed Efendi and the Grand Dragoman Panagiotis Nikousios on Christianity and Islam, is a very rare instance of a face-to-face dialogue. Albeit the banality of their theological points, both sides are very well informed on theology, languages, astronomy and other sciences. The Debate readdresses stereotypes on the Kadızadeli leaders’ intellectual depth and depicts the common quests of ottoman Muslims and Christians. Finally, it reconstructs the ottoman intellectual milieu and the production and dissemination of knowledge.

Keywords

Polemic/ apologetic literature, Ottoman, Kadızadeli, Panagiotis Nikousios, Vani Mehmed Efendi

Yeniçağ Osmanlı İmparatorluğunda Bir Apolojist/Reddiye Örneği

Abstract

İslamiyet’in doğuşu, monoteist dinler arasındaki dengeyi hızla değiştirmişti. Dinler arasındaki antagonizm, teolojik yorum ve tartışma odaklı yeni edebi türler meydana getirdi. Bu geleneğin devamı olarak Erken Modern dönem Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda da benzer metinler ortaya çıktı. Amacı diğer tarafın tezlerine karşı çıkan savlar yaratmak olan bu metinler pek diyaloğa girmiş görünmemektedir. 1662 yılında meşhur Kadızadeli Vani Mehmed Efendi ile Baş Tercüman Panagiotis Nikousios arasında İslamiyet ve Hıristiyanlık konusunda yürütülen Münazara ise, bu konudaki yüz yüze diyalogların nadir bir örneğidir. Teolojik savlarının sıradanlığına rağmen, her iki tarafın da teoloji, lisan, astronomi ve diğer bilimlerdeki bilgisi oldukça derindir. Münazara, Kadızadeli önderin entelektüel derinliği hususundaki klişeleri gözden geçirir, Müslüman ve Hristiyanların ortak arayışlarını ortaya koyar. Nihayet, Osmanlı entelektüel ortamı ile bilgi üretimi ve yayılmasını yeniden inşa eder.

Keywords

Apoloji literatür, reddiye, Osmanlı, Kadızadeli, Panagiotis Nikousios, Vani Mehmet Efendi

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