Can Islam be Reformed?
- Herman Bavinck
Writing in the context of World War 1, after the Ottoman Empire had taken the side of the Central Powers and the Turkish Sultan had called for a jihad, Bavinck did not believe Islam could be reformed by the “modern” Muslims of his day or by Islam’s exposure to the West. Bavinck wrote,
“The danger of conflict [with the Muslim world] will remain as long as Islam remains Islam; no cultural influence will alter that.”
My source for this quote was the interesting article by John Bolt, “Herman Bavinck and Islam.”
It’s been almsot 100 years since Bavinck critiqued Islam, and Bolt’s article made me wonder how much, if anything, has really changed.
