Loci of Islamic text production: Print and publishing in Republican Turkey

This dissertation examines Islamic print and publishing from the early Turkish republican period up until the 2010s. It examines Islamic books produced throughout the Republican period in terms of the number, subjects and genres of books published, as well the spectrum of publishers. It undertakes a qualitative and quantitative examination, puts forward statistical data about the number and type of religious books published in different periods of the Republic, and discusses closely the meanings and implications of print Islam. It offers a broad view of Islamic publishing in different phases of the socio-political history of Turkey, from the late Ottoman Empire into twenty-first century. In doing so, it contextualizes Islamic publishing within the broader socioeconomic, intellectual, and political features of the state and society, using Islamic books as a lens to analyze the latter. That is, it examines the role of Islamic publishing in changing, shaping, and transforming religious discourses and practices in Turkey. By closely examining the main features of the Islamic book publishing sector as well as various agents, and publishing actors, it provides insights into the dynamics of religion, individual and communal religious organizations, and state institutions. By showing the pluralization of subjects and genres, - the interrelatedness of the loci where religious learning, reflection, and activity take place- this study also contributes to ongoing discussions of Islamic revival and political Islam in Turkey.