Besides an introduction by the translator, this writing comprises the Introduction and Chapter 1 of Volume 2 of Kuyper’s Om de Oude Wereldzee (Around the Ancient Mediterranean Sea). The entire work is Kuyper’s reactions to and thoughts about the Mediterranean Muslim civilization that he traversed. Some of the same subjects that captivated his attention a century ago have returned to the limelight today: the role of Turkey, the position of women, Muslim education, and the unrelenting march of Islam, often at the expense of Christian communities. Above all, he seeks an answer to the mystery of the dynamics that seem to make Islam unstoppable.

Dr. Jan H. Boer
Translator