INFORMATION FOR

Chaplain Antepli

Durham, NC—Abdullah Antepli, Duke’s new Muslim Chaplain, sees the “fingerprint of God” in diversity.

“God says in the Holy Qur’an, ‘If I would have willed, I would have created you all one, but that is not what I wanted,’ ” he paraphrases. Rather than using our differences to separate us, Chaplain Antepli says it is our job to come together and discover the divine wisdom in religious, ethnic, and all diversity.

Exploring diversity is Chaplain Antepli’s passion. “If you put me in an entirely homogenous place, same religion, same race, same everything, I will die in three weeks,” he laughs. “I need diversity. That’s where I breathe. That’s my natural habitat,” he says, adding that Duke’s diversity of students, faculty and staff is a primary reason he accepted the chaplaincy on campus.

Chaplain Antepli is one of only a few Muslim Chaplains appointed at North American universities. A trained imam, doctoral candidate at Connecticut’s Harford Seminary, internationally seasoned social ministry veteran, husband, and father of two, he sees his appointment as a forward-thinking step by Duke’s leadership to address a clear need for more Muslim leaders on campuses.

“Islam and Muslims are at the center of attention in our time. People need to learn about Islam and Muslims from Muslims, not from popular media or others who are not qualified to speak on behalf of Muslims,” he says. “The Duke leadership admirably recognized this. They had the vision to create this position. It will be my role and responsibility to shoulder that vision.”

Chaplain Antepli’s work at Duke will focus on three primary areas: religious leadership for Duke’s Muslim community, pastoral care and counseling for persons of any faith or no ascribed faith, and intra- and interfaith work. He will teach two introductory courses on Islam, and engage students, faculty and staff across campus through seminars, panels, and other avenues to provide an Islamic voice to discussions of faith, spirituality, social justice, and life in general.

“Abdullah Antepli brings to this position both the international dimension, through his Turkish identity and his extensive work in the Indo-China, but also a thorough grounding in American universities, where he has served very successfully in both pastoral and academic roles,” said Dean of Duke Chapel Sam Wells. “We are honored to have found such an outstanding candidate for this position, and one with such energy and vision for the intercultural and interfaith opportunities it offers.”

Chaplain Antepli sees the hand of God at work everywhere, even in his arrival at Duke. “I was born in a small southeastern city of Turkey. My mother does not know how to read or write. My father has only a fifth-grade education,” he says with a smile. “And here I am at Duke.”

“I believe there is an ultimate planner that takes you to different journeys,” he says, “and the only thing that God expects you to do is to find your plan, to discover where God’s fingerprints are.”

Chaplain Antepli will arrive on campus on July 1.