Conversations on Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet Movement: Dreaming for a Better World

Conversations on Fethullah Gülen and the Hizmet Movement: Dreaming for a Better World

Edited by Peter Barnes and Gregory Baum

Peter Barnes, formerly at St. Paul University`s Faculty of Human Sciences, and Gregory Baum, at the Centre for Justice and Faith, edited a book for Kindle titles Conversations on Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet Movement: Dreaming for a Better World. The book is intended to represent an open perspective on the influence of the Hizmet Movement, including Gulen in particular, on the theme of “dreaming for a better world,” based on a variety of Christian and Muslim world views. This theme is approached from three specific perspectives: education and an emphasis on interfaith and intercultural dialogue, a comparison of various spiritualties, and a consideration of the shared dreams of the two religions. The essays in this volume are adapted from talks presented by eleven authors from Canada and the United States at the Gulen Symposium at Carleton University in October 2009. The panel discussion that followed the individual presentations enhanced the overall theme of “dreaming for a better world.” The symposium as a whole represented the positive potential that there is for the organization of forums of sharing that focus on this theme and on the three sub themes.

Erkan Toguslu from the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) in Belgium stated that spirituality has gained a momentum in post-modern times and societies, and this book explains how an Islamic spirituality is renewed in different areas by examining Turkish Muslim scholar Gulen’s ideas on education and dialogue. Toguslu, who is also the Coordinator of the Fethullah Gülen Chair for Intercultural Studies at the Interculturalism, Migration and Minorities Research Centre, emphasized that in this book the role of faith-inspired movements in advocating the relevance of spirituality in modern debates and issues is demonstrated. The book also translates the fascinating comparative examples into larger modern problems facing communities across the globe. This is a comprehensive analysis of one of the most influential Muslim scholars and thinkers’ idea on spiritual action and thought.