Book cover for On Islam (Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology) by Abraham Kuyper

On Islam (Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology)

2018 Released
408 Pages
10-11 Hours
Audiobook Unavailable
Paperback Unavailable
Hardback Unavailable
Lexham PressISBN 9781683590279
Translated by Jan van Vliet

At the beginning of the twentieth century, famed theologian Abraham Kuyper toured the Mediterranean world and encountered Islam for the first time. Part travelogue, part cultural critique, On Islam presents a European imperialist seeing firsthand the damage that colonialism had caused and the value of a religion he had never truly understood. Here, Kuyper's doctrine of common grace shines as he displays a nuanced and respectful understanding of the Muslim world.

Though an ardent Calvinist, Kuyper still knew that God's grace is expressed to unbelievers. Kuyper saw Islam as a culture and religion with much to offer the West, but also as a threat to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here he expresses a balanced view of early twentieth-century Islam that demands attention from the majority world today as well. Essays by prominent scholars bookend the volume, showing the relevance of these teachings in our time.

Abraham Kuyper

Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) was one of the most extraordinary individuals of his time. A prolific intellectual and theologian, he founded the Free University in Amsterdam and was instrumental in the development of Neo-Calvinism. He was also an active politician, serving as a member of Parliament in the Netherlands beginning in 1874 and serving as Prime Minister from 1901 to 1905. At this intersection of church and state, he devoted much of his writing toward developing a public theology. His passion was to faithfully understand and engage culture through a Christian worldview. The most famous example is his articulation of the doctrine of common grace. His work has influenced countless others, including Francis Schaeffer, Cornelius Van Til, and Alvin Plantinga.

More by Abraham Kuyper

Jan van Vliet

Translated by

Jan van Vliet (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is professor emeritus of economics at Dordt University.

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