Is the Middle East 'The mother of all conflicts? This volume, consisting of essays published over a space of twenty-five years but extensively rewritten and updated, probes into the forever problematic relationship between the Middle East and Western Europe, between a revitalizing Islamic and post-Christian civilization.

It treats, firstly, the dynamics of the Middle Eastern civilization, building up a kaleidoscopic picture of the Middle Eastern perception of change and development; modern science in a non-Western context; the ambiguity of westernization in Middle Eastern revitalization: politico-religious resurgence; the matter of means and ends. The second part concentrates on the intercultural relations between the Middle East and Europe, and the third part considers implications for oriental and development studies: the new demands arising and the perceptual and methodological retooling needed to meet them.

In singling out the intercultural nature of events and clashes, this important volume advances an innovative, interactive style of scholarship.