Turkey: From Religious Empires to Secular Republic

June 17-July 3, 2006


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Program Leaders: Eric Lund, professor of religion and director of International and Off-Campus Studies, and Cynthia Wales Lund, special collections librarian, Hong Kierkegaard Library

Modern-day Turkey was inhabited in ancient times by Hittites, Phrygians and Greeks. Successive empires were a tapestry of civilizations including the Romans, Byzantine Greek Christians, Western crusaders, Seljuk Turks, Mongols and Ottoman Turks. This Study Travel program examines the interwoven history and existing remnants of these civilizations. Our itinerary includes Istanbul, Ankara, the pleasant Mediterranean coastline and the interior region of Anatolia.

Turkey -- known at times as Asia Minor and Anatolia -- has been a deeply meaningful area to Christians and Muslims. Eric Lund introduces us to the religious underpinnings of these civilizations and the ways in which religious beliefs and practices found expression in art and culture.

We study the early presence of Christianity (through visits to sites mentioned in the New Testament), Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Islam -- especially its Turkish form. Now a secular republic, Turkey has attempted to westernize itself. We consider this modernization and its implications for religious expression.

We also enjoy current aspects of Turkish culture. Turks are noted for their hospitality, and their food is exceptional. Fine crafts -- especially carpets, textiles and ceramics -- are available everywhere.

Program Leaders
Eric Lund custom designed this program using his intimate knowledge of Turkey's culture and history. He has taught student courses in Turkey since 1986. In June 2004 he participated in an international seminar on "Economics, Politics and Religion in Contemporary Turkey."

Eric taught at St. Olaf for 25 years. His teaching, focused on the history of Christianity, included courses on Lutheran heritage and Reformation theology. Eric's interest in the historical interactions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam grew from leading student International Studies programs in the Middle East, Turkey, Greece, South Africa, Italy and Germany.

In November 2004, Eric was named director of International and Off-Campus Studies at St. Olaf. His responsibilities include promoting the integration of a global perspective into the St. Olaf curriculum, helping plan new programs and overseeing the international scholars program.

Cynthia Wales Lund majored in religious studies at Brown University. She did graduate work in Renaissance/Reformation history at the University of Vermont, earned a library science degree at Simmons College in Boston and served as acquisitions librarian at Yale Divinity School. Since moving to Northfield, she has worked at St. Olaf as a librarian at Rolvaag Library and as librarian/assistant curator of the Hong Kierkegaard Library and Research Center. She has accompanied Eric on programs in the Middle East and Europe and, in connection with the Hong Kierkegaard Library, she has also traveled to Denmark, Hungary and Spain.

Program Site
Turkey is a spicy maelstrom of history knocking up against a fast-paced present. The Turkish people have an unrivalled reputation for hospitality, the cuisine is to die for, the coastline is a dream and many Turkish cities are dotted with spectacular mosques and castles. And while costs are rising, Turkey remains the Mediterranean's bargain-basement destination. (from lonelyplanet.com)

Rarely should a visit to Turkey exclude the burgeoning, chaotic, confused, messy, muddled and glorious wonder that is Istanbul. The city is home to a layering of civilization on civilization, of empire built on empire. Straddling both Europe and Asia, it is as momentous as Rome, as captivating as Paris and as exotic as Bangkok. All of the contradictions of a complex society in transition converge in Istanbul - the city is a microcosm of the tug-of-war between East and West and the "haves and have-nots." Only one thing is certain: Istanbul is so exotic, wonderful, complex and utterly monumental, that once seen, it's impossible to break free from its spell (from frommers.com).

Program Fee
The program fee is $3,900 per person through Feb. 15, 2006. Based on double occupancy, it includes:

  • Seminars by Eric Lund and guest lecturers
  • Assistance by Cynthia Wales Lund and a full-time national guide
  • Roundtrip airfare from Minneapolis
  • Internal airfare
  • All accommodations
  • Breakfast daily and several other group meals
  • Entrance fees
  • Group tours
  • Ground transportation
  • Entry visa
  • Gratuities

For single occupancy add $300. To travel land only (making your own arrangements to and from Istanbul), subtract $1,200.

The program fee after Feb. 15, 2006 is $4,100 per person and could be subject to additional airfare because group seats cannot be guaranteed after this date. Payment schedule

Continuing Education Units
Approximately 54 hours of continuing education are available.

Register Today
Go "behind the seen" with St. Olaf Study Travel. Register online, call toll-free 866-255-6523 or fax 507-646-8232. A $350 per person deposit guarantees your space.