An intermediary institution in religious socialization: Preaching and preachers in the early modern Ottoman society

Preaching, being an important element of the Ottomans' relationship with Islam, has been a subject neglected by historians, often studied by researchers of theological origins, without much consideration of the preachers' impacts on politics and society. This study intends to contribute to overcoming the deficiencies regarding this matter. It aims to draw a general early modern Ottoman preaching portrait by revealing the influence of preachers, who played an intermediary role between the state, society, and religion on the Ottoman society, the basic features of the preaching profession and the several events in which preachers stand out as efficient figures. In this thesis, firstly, the terms related to preaching activities are discussed, and then the inferences about the changes these notions and how they passed to the Ottomans are evaluated in the historical journey of Islam. Because of the Ottoman preaching developed as part of the Islamic preaching tradition, the development of religious ministry starting from Muhammed to the Abbasids and pre-Ottoman Muslim-Turkish societies is also analyzed. In the third and fourth chapters of the thesis, the issues of the development and institutionalization of the preaching profession in the Ottomans are discussed. In the fifth chapter, the role and functions of the preaching in religious, social, and political events are addressed. In the conclusion part, what the thesis tries to put forward is summarized.