'This is the age of women': Legitimizing Female Authority in Contemporary Turkish Sufism
Although Sufism has generally shown a greater openness to women than other forms of Islam, women in positions of power have been relatively rare in its history. It is often in the informal sphere, where authority is linked to sainthood and charisma, that female leadership has developed. Drawing on t...
| Published in: | Journal for the academic study of religion |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Equinox Publ.
[2016]
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| In: |
Journal for the academic study of religion
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Türkei
/ Σουφισμός (μοτίβο)
/ Θρησκευτική ηγέτιδα
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| IxTheo Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy BJ Islam KBL Near East and North Africa |
| Further subjects: | B
Ethnography
B LEGITIMATION (Sociology) B Spirituality B SOCIAL conditions of Muslim women B Turkey B contemporary Turkey B History B Sufism B Female spiritual leadership |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | Although Sufism has generally shown a greater openness to women than other forms of Islam, women in positions of power have been relatively rare in its history. It is often in the informal sphere, where authority is linked to sainthood and charisma, that female leadership has developed. Drawing on the example of Cemalnur Sargut, a female spiritual guide who is the head of a branch of the Rifaiyya in Istanbul, this article examines the possibilities for women to gain access to spiritual leadership with male and female disciples in contemporary Sufism. Sargut's originality lies in the fact that she claims a semi-formal authority for women. The study analyses how Sargut and her predecessor, also a woman, have engaged in interpretations of the history of Sufism and of their own group to legitimize their authority. |
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| ISSN: | 2047-7058 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for the academic study of religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1558/jasr.v29i2.30882 |