Biblical perspectives on the clash of civilizations

Abstract

Since the disaster of 11th September 2002, it has virtually become a commonplace to talk about the clash of civilizations, by which are meant the Oriental (mainly Islamic) and the Western (mainly North American and European) cultures. World terrorism is often linked to such a clash, which is portrayed as inevitable. It is obvious that one way of avoiding such a situation is dialogue, whereby nations from various cultural backgrounds try to understand, nay even to respect and love one another. One's assumptions in cultural studies and sociology will determine whether one concludes that such a clash is inevitable or not. What is the Biblical perspective on such matters?