Spiritual Counseling and Guidance as a Model for Religious Renewal

Abstract

The issue of tajdid or reform in religion is one of the problems that has left its mark on the last few centuries in the Islamic world and has a rich literature on it. There are various manifestations of this debate that are reflected in practice in the context of history and geography, but the theological and intellectual problem continues. The Turkish cultural basin, which borders the Western world, is one of the places where these debates are most lively. In this short article, it is suggested that the Spiritual Counseling and Guidance program, which has been put into practice by the Presidency of Religious Affairs in our country as of 2015 within the scope of Religious Services, should be considered as a "model for tajdid" and it is argued that this approach will add a new dimension to the discussions on religious renewal.