“Said Nursi and Fethullah Gulen: The Rise and Fall of Post-Nurcu Messianism in Turkey” with Mucahit Bilici

Fethullah Gulen and his vast network of followers and institutions have played a key role in Turkish politics over the last decade. With the July 15 coup attempt last summer, he has become a subject of even greater curiosity and scrutiny. In this talk, Mucahit Bilici will discuss Gulen’s relationship to Said Nursi, one of his intellectual sources, and the continuities and discontinuities between the two, with specific attention to the Messianic elements in the thought of both figures. The discussion aims to situate Gulenism in relation to both Nurculuk and Islamism.

Mucahit Bilici is Associate Professor of Sociology at John Jay College and CUNY Graduate Center.