Catholic liberation theology and Islamic Jihadism : a comparative analysis.

Abstract

This thesis compares Catholic liberation theology which gained notoriety in the late 1960s and early 1970s as popularized by the works of Gustavo Gutierrez with modern Islamic Jihadism, which was ideologically driven by Sayyid Qutb in the 1950s and 1960s. Supporters of Catholic liberation theology and Islamic Jihadism believe they are a remnant group attempting to call a wayward people back to true religion and against rampant Western colonialism and capitalism. This will lead to the building of the Kingdom of God here on Earth. The thesis ends with a suggestion that the American response to Catholic liberation theology and Islamic Jihadism shares similar characteristics which makes any lasting compromise unlikely outside of a shared understanding that no one can know all of God's plans in the world.