Abstract:

When evaluated from a sociological point of view, it is seen that the people who are considered to have the religious authority are emphasized by their functions such as giving information, finding solutions to problems, and solving mental and physical problems of people. Nurettin Topçu, who stated that religious education is to train the heart in the first place, believed that being a member of the Muslim clergy cannot be regarded as a profession. He said that creating a new social class called "Muslim clergy" causes people to consider religion as a craft. Topçu mentioned his ideas on this matter in most of his works. Topçu’s stories which tell about Anatolia in the 1950s were compiled in the book “Taşralı”, and through these literary texts he presented some striking examples of using religion as a means of authority. In this study, how religion can be used as a means of authority will be evaluated by analysing the protagonists and supporting characters which portray the Muslim clergy in Topçu’s stories compiled in “Taşralı”, in line with the author’s views which he stated in his other works.

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