Understanding Radical Islam

Radical Islam in the modern world was the theme of a December lecture given by Msgr. Bernard McGarty, Viterbo’s visiting scholar in ecumenical studies.

McGarty has given lectures on a number of other religious traditions and he selected the topic of radical Islam for the lecture based on the prominence and timeliness of the subject matter.

“In today’s society, it is important to understand the political and religious implications of radical Islamic thought and how this thinking has created seismic changes in our modern world and the nature of its current conflicts,” said McGarty.

McGarty said confusion exists in the minds of many Westerners who do not differentiate the extreme elements from mainstream Islam. “It’s important to know that a very miniscule minority is carrying out much of the turmoil which we read about in the newspapers including the suicide bombings and other forms of violence.”