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Augustinian Justice and Peace

Understanding Islam

Christians seeking peace in today's world will find a basic understanding of Islam to be an invaluable aid.

While the Augustinians of the Midwest are part of a world-wide Roman Catholic religious order, and as such, are committed Christians, we recognize that varying manifestations of Islam have become a strong force in the modern world.

Factual knowledge of this influential religion can help us to understand some of the factors that are shaping our diverse world today, to respond appropriately to terrorism and other events, and to create a climate of harmony in which peace will prevail.

Following the words of Jesus, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" (--Matthew 5: 9), we offer these resources for a better understanding of Islam:

       » Understanding Islam and Muslims (Opens new window)
             Questions and answers about Islamic beliefs and practices

       » Understanding Islam (Opens new window)
             Any attack on terrorism must include western efforts to cultivate an accurate understanding of Islam

       » Christians' Common Questions About Islam (Opens new window)
             What Christians want to know about Islam

       » Resources on Islamic-Catholic Relations (Opens new window)
             From the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

       » Fundamentalism: The Real Problem, in Any Religion (Opens new window)
             Five unhealthy characteristics of fundamentalism

Suggested Reading

In his article Understanding Islam in New Theology Review (Opens new window) (Vol 15, No. 2 [2002]), Scott Alexander suggests books that introduce a pastoral minister to a better comprehension of Islam. His suggestions include

• Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations by Michael Sell (Ashland, OR: White Cloud Press, 1999)

• The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order by Samuel Huntington (New York: Touchstone Books, 1998)

• A History of Muslim-Christian Relations by Hugh Goddard (Chicago: New Amsterdam Books, 2000)

• Islam: A Short History by Karen Armstrong (New York: The Modern Library, 2000)

• The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality? Second Edition, by John Esposito (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995)

• The Koran: A Very Short Introduction by Michael Cook (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000)