Dr Colin Turner

 

Reader in Islamic Thought in the School of Government and International Affairs

Member of the Centre for the History of Political Thought

Member of the Institute of Medieval and Renaissance Studies

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Biography

Reader in Islamic Thought
BA (Hons.,First Class) in Oriental Studies (Arabic, Persian, Islamic Studies and anthropology), Durham University,1982.
PhD in Islamic Studies, Durham University, 1989.

Dr Turner was born in Birmingham but has lived in Durham since 1979. He joined Durham University in 1995.

Research Groups

School of Government and International Affairs

• Political Theory and Culture

Research Interests

• Muslim theology and philosophy
• The history of Muslim political thought
• The works of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi
• Sufi spirituality
• Shi'ism
• The Qur'an and Qur'anic exegesis
• Anthropology of religion
• Persian literature

Publications

Books: authored

• Turner, Colin & Horkuc, Hasan (2009). Makers of Islamic Civilisation:Said Nursi. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Turner, Colin P. (2005). Islam: The Basics. Oxford: Routledge.
• Turner, Colin (2004). A Thematic Dictionary of Modern Persian. London: RoutledgeCurzon.
• Turner, Colin (2004). The Koran (Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies). London: RoutledgeCurzon.
• Turner C (2000). Islam Without Allah?: The Rise of Religious Externalism in Safavid Iran.
• Turner C (2000). The Muslim World.
• Turner C (1997). The Quran: A New Interpretation.

Edited works: contributions

• Turner, Colin, (2008). 'Aspects of devotional life in Twelver Shi'ism:the practice of du‘ā’'. In Shi'ism: Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies. Luft, Paul. & Turner, Colin, London: Routledge. 3: 375-408.
• Turner, Colin (2008). 'The Six-Sided Vision of Said Nursi: Toward a Spiritual Architecture of Risale-i-Nur'. In Spiritual Dimensions of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi's Risale-I-Nur. Abu-Rabi, Ibrahim New York: Suny Press. 23-52.
• Turner, Colin. (2008). 'The Six-Sided Vision of Said Nursi: Toward a Spiritual Architecture of the Risale-i-Nur'. In Spiritual Dimensions of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi's Risale-i-Nur. Rabi, Ibrahim Abu Suny.

Journal papers: academic

• Turner, Colin (2010). 'Bediuzzaman and the Concept of ʿAdl: Towards a Nursian Ontology of Divine Justice'. Asian Journal of Social Science 38(4): 554-582.
• Turner, Colin (2007). 'Reconsidering Jihad: the perspective of Bediuzzamen Said Nursi'. Nova Religio 11(2): 94-111.
• Turner, Colin P. (2006). 'The 'Tradition of Mufaddal' and the doctrine of The Raj'a: Evidence of GHULUWW in the eschatology of twelver Shi'ism?. Iran 44: 175-195.
• Turner, Colin (2006). 'Wealth as an immortality symbol in the Qur'an: a reconsideration of the mal amwal verses'. Journal of Qur'anic Studies 8(2): 58-83.
• Turner, Colin (2006). The “Tradition of Mufaddal” and the doctrine of the Raj'a: evidence of Ghuluww in the eschatology of Twelver Shi'ism?. Iran 44: 175-195.
• Turner C (1995). 'Still Waiting for the Imam? The Unresolved question of Intizar in Twelver Shi'ism'. Persica (Peeters) XV: 29-47.

Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

• Ethics, Religion & Beliefs: Muslim cultures, religion and political thought.
• Religion: Muslim cultures, religion and political thought.
• Theology: Muslim cultures, religion and political thought.
• History & Archaeology: Muslim cultures, religion and political thought.
• Middle Ages & Early Modern History: Muslim cultures, religion and political thought.
• Modern History: Rest of the World: Muslim cultures, religion and political thought.
• Politicial, cultural, social history: Muslim cultures, religion and political thought.
• Language, Literature & the Arts: Muslim cultures, religion and political thought.
• Linguistics & Language: Muslim cultures, religion and political thought.
• Politics & Society: Muslim cultures, religion and political thought.
• Middle eastern and Islamic studies: Muslim cultures, religion and political thought.