You may be acquainted with what, in my opinion, is one of the most interesting phenomena occurring today in the world of education. I am referring to those institutions usually referred to loosely as the “Gulen schools” or “schools of the Gulen movement.” These schools should not be thought of as a type of centralized school system, but rather as a loose collection of independent schools created and operated according to the pedagogical vision of the Turkish intellectual, Fethullah Gulen, and frequently sharing human and material resources.

A modern Muslim who has appropriated Rumi’s perspective and integrated it into his own understanding of Islamic faith the Turkish scholar and religious leader, Muhammad Fethullah Gulen. The correspondence of Mevlana to Gülen is that of kindred spirits who, across the centuries, share an understanding of the Qur’anic message as well as a commitment to communicate that message effectively to people of their times. In his sermons and written works, Fethullah Gulen frequently cites Rumi’s behavior and attitudes to illustrate his message; in the book Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance, Gülen cites Rumi over 15 times to exemplify his themes of civilizational dialogue. In his work on the Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, Gülen cites Mevlana more often than any other saint or spiritual writer as he seeks to initiate the seeker into the mysteries of God’s love.

One of the modern Muslims who have appropriated Rumi’s attitudes and integrated them into their own understanding of Islamic faith and practice is the Turkish scholar and religious leader, Muhammad Fethullah Gülen. The correspondence of Mevlana to Fethullah Gulen is that of kindred spirits who, across the centuries, share an interpretation of the Qur’anic message as well as a commitment to communicate that message effectively to people of their respective ages. In his sermons and written works, Gülen frequently cites Rumi’s behavior and attitudes to illustrate his message; in the book Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance, Gülen cites Rumi over 15 times to exemplify his themes of civilizational dialogue.In his work on the Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, Gülen cites Mevlana more often than any other saint or spiritual writer as he seeks to initiate the seeker into the mysteries of God's love.

The topic that I chose for this paper is that of Fethullah Gülen as an educator. I must confess at the outset that I have arrived at the topic of my talk backwards. Rather than having studied the writings of Fethullah Gulen on education and pedagogy and then tried to see, in what might be called a deductive approach, how he has put these principles into practice, I have instead come to know first the educational institutions conducted by participants of the Fethullah Gulen Movement led by Mr. Gülen. This has led me in turn to study his writings to discover the rationale that lies behind the tremendous educational venture that has ensued from the educational vision of Fethullah Gülen and his colleagues.

The emergence in Europe and North America of interest in the thought of Turkish scholar Fethullah Gülen is a phenomenon that demands explanation. Several American universities, such as Rice and Georgetown, have held academic seminars to study the various aspects of his thought. In Europe, in the Netherlands, for example, at least four universities (Nijmegen, Tilburg, Erasmus in Rotterdam, and Amsterdam) have hosted seminars on “Forerunners for Peace,” which prominently feature the views of Gulen and his movement.

Of those religious thinkers of modern times who have attempted to study the concept of peace to explore what is involved in establishing and maintaining peace, I want to compare the thought of two persons who have made a remarkable contribution to the topic. One is a Christian, Pope John Paul II, leader of the Catholic Church, and the other a Muslim, Mr. Fethullah Gülen, affectionately called Hoca Efendi by those inspired by his teaching.

Many of you already know much about the life and thought of Fethullah Gülen, but for those here who do not, allow me to state a few words of introduction. I ask the indulgence of those who in many cases know the Fethullah Gulen Movement much better than I. Mr. Fethullah Gulen, affectionately known as Hoca Efendi or “Esteemed Teacher” by several million Muslims who have been inspired and formed by his teaching, was born in 1938 in Eastern Turkey. After a traditional Islamic education, Gülen began teaching religion and preaching in mosques, first in Eastern Turkey and later in the Mediterranean city of Izmir. It was in that modern, cosmopolitan environment that the Gülen movement had its origins.

I can cite my own case as an example. I am a Catholic priest, an American living in Rome. I have known the members of the movement associated with Fethullah Gülen for more than a decade, and I can state that they are sincerely and impressively living the teachings of their spiritual guide. They respectfully call Mr. Fethullah Gulen “Hoca Efendi,” which simply means “Teacher.” The lessons in this book, derived from the Qur’an and Islamic tradition, form and shape the attitudes by which these Muslims practice their Islamic commitment. In bringing together his writings which had appeared in a wide variety of journals and interviews, many of which have never previously appeared in English, Mr. Fethullah Gulen has done a good service for those who wish to know the ideals that characterize this movement.