ANKARA, Turkey — Operating in a largely Islamic state has its own problems in the distribution of the Scriptures. Some people see the very presence of the Bible Society as a provocation and some question the validity of an organisation which makes available the Bible in Turkish and other associated languages. The Bible Society in Turkey (BST) plays a vital role, however, not only in serving the Christian community but also in supplying Scriptures to students, teachers and scholars of other faiths.

The BST makes its presence felt by attending up to seven annual bookfairs and through its four thriving Bible shops. The shop in Istanbul has an extended role as a Christian information centre, answering customers’ questions about the Bible and the Christian faith.

Good relations

The Society also enjoys good relations with a number of Islamic Theological Seminaries and answering questions about the Bible and Christianity is very much a part of the visits that staff pay there, when they are given the chance to talk to both faculty members and students. Questions focus mostly on subjects such as the reason for the different translations of the Bible, the nature of the Trinity, and the Crucifixion.

With the launch of the new Turkish common-language Bible, including the Deuterocanonical books, due next month, earlier this year the BST visited Islamic colleges in Kayseri, Konya, Mersin and Adana to promote the event.

“The staff of the Erciyes Islamic Theological School for Higher Education, in Kayseri, were very happy to see us,” Ameniel Bagdas, BST Executive Secretary, wrote in his report.

“One professor whom we had got to know in Istanbul while researching into the history of Christianity in Turkey told us: ‘We are grateful for the activities of the Bible Society here in Turkey and in the Turkic States. You have done marvellous translations. The first literature in some of these languages was the New Testament and this was a great contribution to their culture. They appreciate that a lot.’

“We were invited to talk to one class about the Bible and Christianity and unfortunately did not have time to answer all their questions. We invited the professor and others to attend the Bible launch in October and the school ordered 130 Bibles for the students.

Honoured

“At Konya – at the Selcuk Islamic Theological School for Higher Education – we received a similar welcome, and after our introduction the dean of the faculty said he would be honoured to attend the new Bible launch. He said they had distributed the Bibles we supplied for the students and that they appreciate the work we do. He said that teachers and students alike were asking for a Bible dictionary and for a concordance in Turkish. Such books are needed not only in Turkey but also in the Turkic states.

Answer questions

“One of the school’s teachers invited us to speak to his class, and afterwards we had to answer questions about the difference between the Roman Catholic and Protestant Bibles, and whether Christians also emphasise fasting and prayer. One student asked if Christians made any pilgrimage like the Muslims do to Mecca.

“In Konya, Mersin and Adana, the book dealers we met were all suffering from the poor state of the Turkish economy. Although inflation has been brought lower than it was, business in Turkey is still suffering, and with the high price of essentials like food and clothes, books have to take second place. Fortunately, thanks to the support of the Bible Societies, the BST is able to advance supplies to booksellers on a credit basis. This means that the Bible is still available in these places.”

In Mersin the Bible shop is inside the Catholic compound and the shop manager there introduced the BST team to a man who had recently become a Christian after reading a BST-supplied Scripture. He started to attend church with his wife and children after he had finished reading the New Testament.