The place and importance of Bekir Topaloğlu in theology of the last period

The science of kalām, which began to exist in the middle of the first century of Hijri, completed its formation in time, and has maintained its dynamism until today, has not refrained from dealing with and defending the principles of faith of Islam in every era, and has considered this as a duty. This mission of the science of kalām has continued its progress by developing in every era and generation, even though it has been stagnant from time to time. During the Republican period, when religious sciences were stagnant and some prohibitions were imposed, the science of kalām experienced a period of conquest and for a while there was no significant development in the science of kalām. Many scholars were unanimous about the reconstruction of the basic Islamic sciences and sought to find a solution to this stagnation. Among these scholars, it is necessary to mention Bekir Topaloğlu, who laid the groundwork for the science of kalām in Turkey in the Republican period and who embraced this science both scientifically and systematically, and who pioneered a generation with his studies, researches and the students he trained. Topaloğlu, who adopted the vision of the field of Islamic sciences as a field of service, not as a profession, and signed many works and activities in line with this understanding, did not neglect to serve as a bridge between tradition and modernity. In this study, we will discuss the scholarship and intellectuality of Bekir Topaloğlu in terms of the science of kalām and try to reveal his position in the science of kalām and his influence on the next generation.