This book provides novel empirical material on the phenomenon of Islamic higher education. Located at the intersection of the academic disciplines of Islamic studies, the study of religion, and migration studies, this book adds to research into Islamic higher education and Muslim self-making. Engaging with students’ and alumni’s motivations for studying theology in Turkey, the book contributes fresh insights into the complex practice of studying Islamic theology abroad. Arguing that Islamic educational engagement is more than a project of pious self-formation for German students, the book also highlights the meanings and value that the students ascribed to their studies. It is a must for scholars interested in the intersection of Islamic studies, migration studies, and Islamic education.

Maximilian Lasa is an associated researcher at the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at the University of Copenhagen. His work investigates the educational trajectories of young German Muslim students and alumni of the International Theology Programme (Uluslararası İlahiyat Programı) in Turkey.