Berkley Center

Research Abstract: Despite the pervasive contention in political liberal views that comprehensive doctrines and demands of pluralism in modern political and social life do not fair along, it seems that many Muslims manage to reconcile their comprehensive doctrines with the demands of pluralism in both their day-to-day practices and religious reasonings. This raises the crucial question of how this reconciliation takes place. The in-depth interviews conducted in 8 cities in Turkey indicate that some Muslims are undergoing a process within which they begin to question their religious stances and doctrines in light of the demands of modern life. Still, there are others who oppose any dilution of the doctrine (literary sense) and articulate their opposing positions in religious terms.

The micro level discourse analysis will inquire into whether and how religious actors come to bridge, or fail to bridge, the tension between the dictates of their comprehensive doctrines and the demands of (at times opposing) modern political and social life. There are several questions that will guide the analytical narrative of the current paper: How do Muslims formulate religious comprehensive doctrines? How do their religious reasonings proceed from these fundamental claims to concrete life choices, more specifically choices concerning gender and family?