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Journals / Ankara Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 67 Sayı: 1

A Conceptual Exploration of Self-Compassion among Turkish Muslim Theology Students

Türk Müslüman İlahiyat Öğrencileri Örnekleminde Öz-Merhametin Kavramsal İncelenmesi

Nuran E. Korkmaz(VCU-Visiting Researcher)0000-0002-5012-447X
Pages
55–66
Publication Date
2026-05-31
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Overall, the findings suggest that self-compassion is a fluid and relational construct that remains conceptually developing in participants’ minds.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Self-compassion is a relatively recent concept that has been associated with psychological well-being.
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Key Findings & Data:In this study, a mixed-methods design was used, combining quantitative (n = 182) and qualitative (n = 30) data.
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Conclusion & Impact:Overall, the findings suggest that self-compassion is a fluid and relational construct that remains conceptually developing in participants’ minds.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Öz-Merhamet · Affetme · Türk İlahiyat Öğrencisi

Abstract

Self-compassion is a relatively recent concept that has been associated with psychological well-being. Within religious contexts, particularly in Islamic culture, the concept appears to have received limited attention not only in empirical investigations but also at the conceptual level. In Islamic literature, compassion is generally understood as a moral and relational virtue grounded in divine mercy rather than as a self-oriented attitude. This study examines how self-compassion is perceived by theology students within a religion-oriented Turkish cultural context. Specifically, it investigates whether self-compassion is conceptualized in its traditional sense as compassion toward others and God’s mercy toward all beings, or as a self-directed construct. In this study, a mixed-methods design was used, combining quantitative (n = 182) and qualitative (n = 30) data. Data were collected via surveys and open-ended questions and analyzed using statistical and thematic analyses. Correlation analyses indicated that self-compassion was significantly but weakly associated only with self-forgiveness (r = 0.20, p < .01). In contrast, compassion toward others demonstrated a strong positive association with God’s forgiveness (r = 0.66, p < .01). Thematic analysis of participants’ narratives regarding their definitions of self-compassion revealed three main themes: (1) self-oriented, (2) value-oriented, and (3) God-oriented. While participants’ descriptions of their relationship with themselves were predominantly characterized by negative emotions such as anger, regret, and guilt, their relationships with others were expressed in terms of love, trust, closeness and their relationship with God through prayer, love, and gratitude. Overall, the findings suggest that self-compassion is a fluid and relational construct that remains conceptually developing in participants’ minds. Although it primarily functions as a self-focused construct, it derives meaning within a broader framework connected to compassion toward others and divine mercy. In this context, the present study highlights the importance of examining newly developed constructs across diverse cultural and religious contexts.

Özet

Öz-merhamet, psikolojik iyilik halini destekleyen görece yeni bir kavramsallaştırmadır. Dinî bağlamda, özellikle İslam kültürü özelinde, bu kavramın yalnızca ampirik incelemelerde değil, kavramsal düzeyde de sınırlı ilgi gördüğü söylenebilir. İslam literatüründe merhamet, öz-yönelimli bir tutumdan ziyade, çoğunlukla ilahî merhamete dayanan ahlaki ve ilişkisel bir erdem olarak ele alınmaktadır. Bu çalışma, öz-merhametin din odaklı Türk kültüründe ilahiyat öğrencileri tarafından nasıl algılandığını incelemektedir. Bu doğrultuda, öz-merhametin geleneksel kullanımda başkalarına yönelik merhamet ve Tanrı’nın tüm varlıklara merhameti bağlamında mı, yoksa öz-yönelimli bir yapı olarak mı kavramsallaştırıldığı araştırılmıştır. Bu çalışmada, nicel (n = 182) ve nitel (n = 30) verileri birleştiren karma yöntem (mixed methods) deseni kullanılmıştır. Veriler anketler ve açık uçlu sorular aracılığıyla toplanmış ve istatistiksel ve tematik analizler kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Korelasyon analiz sonuçlarına göre, öz-merhametin yalnızca öz-bağışlama ile düşük ancak anlamlı bir ilişki gösterdiği (r = 0.20, p < .01); buna karşılık başkalarına yönelik merhamet ile Tanrı’nın bağışlaması arasında güçlü bir pozitif ilişki bulunduğu görülmüştür (r = 0.66, p < .01). Katılımcıların öz-merhamet tanımlarına ilişkin anlatılarının tematik analizi sonucunda üç ana tema belirlenmiştir: (1) kendi odaklı, (2) değer odaklı ve (3) Tanrı odaklı. Katılımcılar kendileriyle ilişkilerini çoğunlukla öfke, pişmanlık ve suçluluk gibi olumsuz duygularla tanımlarken; başkalarıyla ilişkilerini sevgi, güven ve yakınlık temelinde, Tanrı ile ilişkilerini ise dua, sevgi ve şükür bağlamında ifade etmişlerdir. Genel olarak bulgular, öz-merhamet kavramının akışkan ve ilişkisel bir nitelik taşıdığını, ancak katılımcıların zihninde hâlen gelişmekte olan bir yapı olduğunu göstermektedir. Öz-merhamet, öncelikle kişisel odaklı bir yapı olarak işlev görmekle birlikte, başkalarına yönelik merhamet ve Tanrı’nın merhametiyle bağlantılı bir çerçeve içinde anlam kazanmaktadır. Bu bağlamda bu çalışma, yeni geliştirilen kavramların farklı kültürel ve dinî bağlamlarda incelenmesinin önemini vurgulamaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Korkmaz, N. E. (2026). A Conceptual Exploration of Self-Compassion among Turkish Muslim Theology Students. Ankara Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, Cilt: 67 Sayı: 1, 55–66. https://doi.org/10.33227/auifd.1750480

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