Customer Reviews

A Dialogue of Civilizations

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The author finds resonances among the views of a prominent Turkish Muslim scholar and those of Confucius, Plato, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, and Jean Paul Sartre on crucial themes such as inherent human value, moral dignity, freedom, education and responsibility. It is amazing to see those resonances among these significant figures who are seperated by oceans or continents in space and centuries in time. The author must especially be commended for her bringing into dialogue of a 20th century atheist French philosopher (Sartre) and a contemporary, very devout Muslim thinker on the issue of responsibility. A must read for those who do not buy into the thesis (prescription?) of the clash of civilizations. The foreword by Prof. Akbar Ahmed is a gem by itself.

Dr. Jill Carroll's subject is Fethullah Gulen, the Sufi leader who has supplied the spiritual architecture for a civil movement rapidly changing the landscape of many countries. She situates Gulen within the broader humanistic discourse on key questions of liberty, tolerance, education and "the good." Dr. Carroll has a unique way of taking complicated questions and putting them on the bottom shelf so anyone can reach them. I know of no one more competent, more compassionate to guide us through these crucial questions.

In a time when "religion" is perceived as the origin of intercultural and inter-religious conflicts, Dr JILL Carol articulates in a concise and a coherent way how a devout Turkish Muslim scholar, Fethullah Gulen, can carry and convey the message of basic universal human values , such as, moral dignity, freedom, inherent human value, education and responsibility. She underlines remarkable similarities between the views of Gulen, and those of Confucius, Plato, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, and Jean Paul Sartre.
A smooth and enjoyable read. Not one of those scholarly written, tedious books which bore you after a couple of pages.

Jill Carroll promptly ties western humanistic scholarship to core Islamic values which are forgotten for over a century now. Featuring a contemporary scholar, Fethullah Gulen, in particular, this book establishes the missing connection between East and West of which the Muslim youth and intellectuals have been longing for. Especially the dialogue between him (devout Muslim scholar) and Sartre (atheist philosopher) on responsibility is very stimulative and intriguing since it brings a unique approach to the modern world of humanism.

Dr. Carroll's masterpiece has a broad perspective and praises Gulen and past philosophers for their emphasis on human value, democracy, and peace.

The book truly deserves to be a valuable resource for upcoming literature regarding Gulen's movement.

Ozgur Ozer
Houston

This is a great reference book for those willing to learn more about Fethullah Gulen and "The Movement" associated with his name. Especially, if you are looking for a book written by an outsider to the movement, this is a great choice.

Jill Carroll does a perfect job in describing the similar elements and principles that constitute the foundation of the world civilizations. We are different, yet we should be able to recognize, respect and cherish the beauty of each other.

Jill Carroll provides an informed and enlightening view of Gulen's thoughts on humanity, education, and the importance of dialogue. Particularly powerful is the chapter on the Human Ideal. Gulen provides powerful imagery of those "so superficial in their views that they imitate all they see and hear, and thus slaughter their souls over and over again." Carroll points out that Gulen is following a path that other great figures throughout history have also walked upon, comparing his thoughts with the likes of Confucius and Plato. Carroll provides a "must read" for every person interested in dialgoue and the betterment of themselves and humanity.

I am glad I waited until tonight to write the review: Dr Carroll spoke at Stanford, and I had the opportunity to listen to her answers to various questions regarding the book, as well as some general background about how, when and why the book was written.

In a nutshell, the book compares the ideas of Gulen, a Turkish Muslim intellectual and scholar, with ideas of famous philosophers on various subjects, such as education, ideal human being, and responsibility. It is a thin book, about 100 pages, and Dr. Carroll tried to make it accessible to the public by cutting out in-depth academic hair-splitting. She also does not assume familiarity with the works of any philosophers mentioned therein. But do not be fooled, this is not a book you can read in a single session. I often had to stop and contemplate, and digest all the information I read, especially since I was not a social science major. So, it took me a while to finish. Overall, an interesting read.

In her own words, she chose to write on Gulen because she thinks the schools and other activities/projects of the people in Gulen movement can play a crucial role in promoting peaceful coexistence of people from different backgrounds. The book is not an antithesis of the famous "clash of civilizations": she personally thinks the clash is possible, even probable, but not inevitable. The only way to avoid it, she asserts, is to value each other simply because we are human. That is why she demonstrates in her book how ideas of philosophers of vastly different backgrounds resonate with each other. We are all human, and we can certainly find a lot of things we agree on. This is not to overlook our differences, but rather acknowledging and welcoming the differences as a reality of life. We need to learn with each other.

One of the most intriguing chapters is the chapter on responsibility, where Dr. Carroll compares the ideas of Gulen on responsibility with Sartre, famous French existentialist philosopher, who is also an atheist. Despite doubts of the publishers, she insisted the chapter stays, to illustrate even a deeply devoted Muslim like Gulen and an athesist like Sartre can find certain things to agree on.

I applaud Dr. Carroll for her efforts to promote "dialogue among civilizations" in a world that appears to get crazier every day.

This book is pure inspiration to say the least. Discovering commonalities between figures of our time and past revealing that a clear understanding and need for dialog has always been there. Keep up the good work Jill.