Spirituality of Responsibility

Simon Robinson is Professor of Applied and Professional Ethics, and Director of Research Centre for Governance, Leadership and Global Responsibility, Leeds Beckett University, UK. He is also editor of Journal of Global Responsibility.

This book by Simon Robinson is a distinctive and important contribution to the growing academic literature relating to the Turkish origin Muslim scholar and activist, Fethullah Gülen, and to the Hizmet movement that is inspired by his teaching and practice. Following the latest (July 2016) attempted coup in Turkey and the accusations of responsibility for this that have been levelled at Fethullah Gülen by the current Turkish government and Presidency, many of the themes and contents of this book (although written before these most recent dramatic events and their aftermath) can help to enable the reader to evaluate the kind of approach taken to responsibility that is found in Fethullah Gülen's published work and in the praxis of the Hizmet movement that has inspired so many Muslims, and also engaged with people of other religions and none throughout the world. From that, in conjunction with other publicly information on the Hizmet movement and on contemporary developments in Turkey, readers will be able to arrive at their own evaluations of the value and contribution to Turkish and global society of this undoubtedly (however evaluated) significant religious and social movement phenomenon that has emerged from the crucible of Turkey's ongoing engagement with its Ottoman history; the domestic development of its Kemalist modernity, secularism and military; its Eurasian geopolitical and cultural position; and its rich Islamic heritage.

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction1. Responsibility in practice: testing the blockade2. Responsibility3. Responsibility, agency and the virtues 4. Social and environmental responsibility 5. Responsibility and peacebuilding6. Responsibility and dialogue7. ConclusionsBibliography Index