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.
