An Academical Psychologist of Religion in Turkish Psychology of Religion: A Biographic Research on Abdülkadir Etöz

Abstract

A field actor, who conducts scientific research and produces academic texts based in the grounds of psychology of religion, is called a 'psychologist of religion'. In this article, an academic psychologist of religion, who made important contributions to scientific studies in the psychology of religion in Turkey, Abdulkadir Etöz’s (a) academic life, (b) special interests, (c) academic studies, (d) undergraduate and postgraduate courses (e) supervised graduate theses and (f) personal thoughts on Turkish psychology of religion studies are included. In conclusion of the article, it has been determined that; (i)-Etöz completed his primary education at the age of 12; graduated from Kayseri Develi High School at the age of 18 and completed his secondary education; after graduating from Ankara University Faculty of Theology at the age of 25, completed his higher education and taught in Aydın for 5 years; at the age of 30, started his academic career in Kayseri Higher Islamic Institute as an academic member in the fields of the history of religions and sociology of religion; at the age of 44, received "PhD" degree in psychology of religion from Selçuk University, and "assistant professor" at the age of 48; finally, while working as a faculty member at Necmettin Erbakan University in Faculty of Theology, he had to retire from/because of age restriction at the age of 67. Therefore, he has been an academic member at the universities of Erciyes, Harran and Necmettin Erbakan for 37 years in total; (ii)-he has special interests such as (a) the development of faith and worship in children and young people, (b) relationship between worship and value, (c) relationship between personality and guidance, (d) psychology of sufism, (e) religious parapsychology and (f) religious metaphysic (n=6); (iii)-it can be evaluated in the second term