Liberal Theology and the Rise of Qur’an as An Academic Text in Modern Türkiye
Öz
This paper deals with the definition of theology as science and the study of the Qur'an as an academic text by liberal theologians in modern Turkish universities. The aim is to discuss the main characteristics of the institutional and intellectual context that produced the concept of the academic Qur'an. The importance of this subject stems from the fact that this concept expresses a substantial example of institutional change (from madrasah to university) in the interpretation of the Qur'an. Also it contains important traces about the change of the group (from mullah to professor) who have the authority to speak on the Qur'an. Throughout the research, the subject has been limited to evaluations of symbol changes such as institutional structure and intellectual group, and some comparisons corresponding to a similar process in Western Christian theology. Therefore, the concept of the Academic Bible, which was previously used by M. C. Legaspi to describe a similar process in Western Christian theology, was adapted into Turkish.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Liberal Theology and the Rise of the Qur’an as An Academic Text in Modern Türkiye
Abstract
The Faculties of Theology in Türkiye have brought together notably different and diverse theological attitudes since they were founded. Despite the diversity, it is possible to say that theology as a science and suitable for the establishment aims of these faculties carries on as an essential tendentious in modern universities. The substantial representatives of such a tendency are mostly liberal theologians in university chairs and intellectuals who have adopted the same scientific-methodological frameworks as them. Despite the occasional rise and fall, the ideal of producing a rational and sometimes liberal-positivist theology suitable to universities' scientific and methodological tendencies has always been a subject of increasing interest between these two groups. A manner of liberal theology in Türkiye is essential to Western Protestant liberal theology. Because it was used the Western Protestant theology faculties as a model in the foundation of the faculties of theology in Türkiye, liberal theologians have in some ways, attempted to adapt the historical-critical method and literary criticism programs in the Christian world to the Qur'an and hadith studies. In this way, they have assumed that they could overcome the stagnation of Turkish society in the religious field and establish a rational interpretation of Islam in harmony with modern cultural structures and values. Therefore, this new form of theology, which has been organized mainly for the scientific-intellectual movement in universities and sometimes opposed to traditional dogmatic discourses, represents a tendency that we can describe as liberal and critical in the studies of the Qur'an.
In this article, I discuss the relationship between liberal theology and Qur'anic studies and the status of theology as a science in universities in Türkiye. In this context, I aim to show the different aspects of the Qur'an as an academic text under scientific-intellectual ideals. The concept of the academic Qur'an means that it is seen the Qur'an as a text from late antiquity in the research programs of universities. Thus, liberal theologians have supposed a principle that it could be applied the historical-critical methodologies used to other ancient or sacred texts to the Qur'anic passages, too. In this way, they have been to think that they can establish a connection between modern cultural values and the Qur'an and develop a rational interpretation of the religion of Islam. I have to state here that I have adapted the concept of the academic Qur'an to Qur'anic studies, starting from M. C. Legaspi's notion of the Academic Bible. The reason for adapting such a concept from Christian theology to Qur'anic studies is that I think the liberal theology in Türkiye closely follows Protestant liberalism as a process. I discuss these similarities throughout the article in detail.
I designed the article under three headings for his purpose. In the first chapter, I examine the development of Protestant liberalism in the Christian world and its relationship with the Bible. I try to show how these processes have affected liberal theology in Türkiye. In the second chapter, I refer to the establishment of faculties of theology within the framework of Turkish reformed universities. In this context, I draw attention to the shifts in the institutional structure that contributed to the production of religious knowledge. I discuss this process through two symbols that represent traditional and modern thought. Thus, I claim that the Church-university opposition to Christian theology in some ways coincides with the madrasah-university opposition in Türkiye. I discuss this opposition through the symbols of the mullah-professor. I also argue that this situation spread liberal theology programs in universities, served to produce a theology under the control of the state, and allowed the Qur'an to be researched as an academic text in a scientific-intellectual activity. All these developments are the basis for studying the Qur'an as an academic text. In the third chapter, I treat the methodological and hermeneutic interests that liberal theologians have brought to the fore in their studies of the Qur'an. In this context, I compare the methods of Biblical criticism in Christian theology with modern Qur'anic studies. I also argue that historical-critical studies influence other theological programs' main methodological orientations. I mainly discuss the primary and decisive influences of historical research on Qur'anic studies and discussions on the historicity of the Qur’an through some examples. Thus, I draw attention to the connection of current debates on the history, source, and authenticity of the Qur'an in the faculties of theology with these processes. Finally, I discuss the relationships between the rise of liberal theology and the study of the Qur'an as an academic text through some examples.
Keywords
Türkiye’de Liberal İlahiyat ve Kur’an’ın Akademik Bir Metin Olarak Yükselişi
Öz
Bu makale, ilahiyatın bilim olarak tanımlanmasıyla Kur’an’ın bilhassa üniversite kürsülerinde akademik bir metin olarak ele alınışını konu edinmektedir. Yazının amacı, akademik Kur’an şeklinde tanımlayabileceğimiz bir kavramın üretilmesine olanak sağlayan kurumsal ve entelektüel bağlamın temel hususiyetlerini tartışmak ve bunların yeni Kur’an araştırmalarına tesirlerini göstermektir. Konunun önemi, bu kavramın, Türkiye’de Kur’an’ın yorumu konusunda kurumsal değişimin (medreseden üniversiteye) somut bir örneğini ifade etmesinden kaynaklanmaktadır. Aynı zamanda o, Kur’an üzerine söz söyleme salahiyetini elinde bulunduran zümrenin değişimine (molladan profesöre) dair önemli ipuçlarını barındırır. Bu yüzden, böyle bir sorunun çerçevesinin çizilmesi, zuhur eden sosyolojinin portresinin çıkarılması ve sürecin tartışılması, bugüne kadar birikerek gelen literatüre katkı namına değerlendirilebilir. Araştırma boyunca konu, ilahiyat ve kimi zaman dinler tarihi sahasında kalarak kurumsal yapı (medrese-üniversite) ile sınıfsal zümre (molla/hoca-profesör) gibi semboller açısından yapılacak değerlendirmelerle ve Batı ilahiyatında benzer sürece tekabül eden bazı kıyaslamalarla sınırlandırılmıştır. Esasen, akademik Kur’an kavramı da araştırmanın bu sınırlılığını büyük oranda karşılaması dolayısıyla tercih edilmiştir.
Anahtar Kelimeler
