Cengiz Sisman

Cengiz Sisman is a Professor of History at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, affiliated with the College of Human Sciences and Humanities. He holds advanced degrees in psychology, Islamic and Jewish studies, and history from Bogazici, Temple, and Harvard Universities. Contact: sisman@uhcl.edu | Office: B2233.04.

Education:

• Ph.D. in History and Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University
• M.A. in History and Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University
• M.A. in Islamic and Jewish Studies, Temple University
• B.A. in Psychology, Bogazici University

Dr. Sisman specializes in the history of religions, with a focus on religious conversion, messianism, mysticism, crypto identities, and the intersection of religion and modernity. His research includes the Ottoman-Turkish Dönme community linked to Sabbatai Sevi and ongoing work on British and American missionary activities among Ottoman and Oriental Jews.

Scientific Awards:

• Best Podcast Award, Ottoman History Podcast, 2017

He has taught at universities in Turkey (Bogazici, Koc, Bilkent) and the United States (Brandeis, Furman) before joining the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 2015. His scholarship has been widely reviewed and translated, reflecting its interdisciplinary impact across religious, Ottoman, and Middle Eastern studies.