Yaşar Nuri Öztürk's understanding of religion and his view on deism in the context of a reaction against the exploitation of religion

This study examines the religious understanding of Yaşar Nuri Öztürk, one of the most debated figures in the world of Islamic thought, his critique of religious exploitation, and the concept of deism he defended despite not being a deist as a result of this critique. The aim of this study is to determine why Öztürk defended deism as a consequence of his understanding of religion and to identify within which type of deism his notion of deism should be classified. For this purpose, Öztürk's works, interviews with him, and studies that criticize his ideas were utilized to synthesize his understanding of religion, his critiques of religious exploitation that led him to defend deism, and his views related to the concept of deism. Subsequently, Öztürk's relevant ideas were systematically and coherently brought together and presented. Within this framework, Öztürk's understanding of religion, his critique of religious exploitation, whether he encouraged deism, and what he intended to express by saying that "the Qur'an opens the door to deism" are clearly discussed. According to Öztürk's system of thought, deism is the only refuge for those who wish to avoid the harms done to religion yet cannot reject God. In his view, if such individuals come to know the Qur'an, they will see that Islam is the true religion and thus become Muslims. Keywords: Philosophy of Religion, Religious Understanding, Religious Exploitation, Deism, Yaşar Nuri Öztürk.