Divinity Faculty Students’ Look at the Faith Groups in Turkey

Students of the faculties of Divinity in Turkey take intensive theoretical course loads regarding religion and religious sciences; however, their experiences with different religions in real life are very limited. This situation becomes more visible when it comes to the issues concerning religious minorities and Alevi communities. This article offers an empirical study on the perception of religious minorities and Alevi communities among students at the Faculty of Divinity of Ankara University. For this study, approximately 350 students visited either an Alevi institution or a Christian church and conducted participant observations and reported them. Based on these reports, the perceptions of students and reasons thereof are evaluated in this article. It is understood that the lack of theoretical knowledge and of real life experience concerning faith groups are the most prominent factors influencing the perceptions of the students.