The Gulen movement past and present

'The Gulen Movement in Turkey: The Politics of Islam and Modernity' by Caroline Tee (IB Tauris, $20, 227 pages)

The damage caused by the Gülen movement to institutions and trust in Turkey is enormous. It's easy to forget amid the fog of the government's merciless post-coup attempt crackdown, but the opposition should be just as angry with the Gülenists as it is with the government for the deteriorating situation in the country. 

A deep exploration of how the network of Pennsylvania-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen infiltrated, manipulated, and undermined state institutions over decades has yet to be published in English. Some useful articles scratching the surface have appeared, but most books on the subject (not including puff pieces) are written by sociologists and anthropologists, examining the Gülen movement from a religious or social angle.

"The Gülen Movement in Turkey" by University of Bristol academic Caroline Tee is another anthropological study. It is a scholarly and critical examination of how the Gülen movement expanded from its modest origins in the late 1960s to a multi-billion dollar international religious-business network. Tee particularly explores how the Gülenists have combined pious religious motivation with scientific endeavor. Published after Turkey's July 15 coup attempt, masterminded by a core of Gülen-aligned soldiers, the book's timing is apposite even if it does not focus on today's most pertinent aspects of the Gülenists' domestic operations.

Gülen first started attracting devotees as a charismatic preacher in the western city of İzmir in the late 1960s. His followers were attracted by his message apparently combining spiritual commitment with worldly success. Taking inspiration from Said...