Christian-Muslim Relations in Post-Reformation IndonesiaResistance, Identity and Belonging
£90.00
About this book
Explores Indonesian Christian responses to the blasphemy case of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok)
- Provides first-hand narratives of Christian responses to the rise of conservative voices in Indonesian Islam in the post-Reformation period
- Argues that Indonesian Christians develop different modes of active resistance to negotiate their identity and role and cultivate a sense of belonging in contemporary Indonesia’s shifting political and social context
- Discusses salient cases of Muslim-Christian encounters, such as the closures of churches, blasphemy law, a fatwa prohibiting the use of non-Muslim religious attire, and interreligious peacebuilding efforts in post-conflict regions
The post-Reformation era has witnessed a vastly changing landscape in Indonesian Islam, particularly with the emergence of conservative Muslim voices. This book explores several strategies of Christian resistance against the resurgence of conservative voices in Indonesian Islam to establish a coherent view of Christian responses and a greater understanding of Christian-Muslim relations after the Reformation in 1998. These different strategies demonstrate that, despite their status as a religious minority, Indonesian Christians are far from passive and submissive. Instead, they actively negotiate their identity and role in contemporary Indonesia’s shifting political and social context to cultivate a sense of belonging.
Reviews
In this carefully researched and engagingly written book, Hans A. Harmakaputra examines the dynamics of Christian Muslim relations in Indonesia since the country’s return to democracy in 1998-1999. He brings rich empirical research and subtle theoretical sophistication to the challenge of pluralist citizenship in this vast and beautiful Asian country. The result is one of the finest books in years on inter-religious relations in Indonesia. This book should be read by scholars and the general reader interested in the challenge of living together in a deeply plural world.
This remarkable book dismantles simplistic views of religious coexistence, revealing the complex negotiations of faith, power, and identity in Indonesia. Harmakaputra’s analysis is at once scholarly and empathetic, making it indispensable for anyone aspiring to engage in transformative interreligious dialogue rooted in justice, mutual respect, and shared human dignity. This is the kind of scholarship our plural world urgently needs.
This book is a timely and insightful contextualization of the often turbulent and complex developments in the post-Suharto era. Harmakaputra gives Christian leaders a voice, revealing the strategies they employed in navigating a shifting religious and political landscape.
Particularly valuable is the book’s treatment of key events such as the MUI fatwas targeting minorities, church closings, and blasphemy cases. Harmakaputra brings them into sharp focus and thoughtfully examines their implications for Indonesia’s Christian minorities.
With the intellect of a scholar and the heart of a theologian, Dr. Hans A. Harmakaputra traces some of the most difficult episodes of religio-political turbulence in Indonesia since the fall of Suharto’s authoritarian regime. From politicized accusations of blasphemy in the nation's capital to the difficult work of inter-religious reconciliation in the eastern hinterlands, this book examines how religion becomes politicized as well as how Indonesians of all faiths continue to do the difficult, everyday work of living in community.
This book offers a unique socio-political analysis of Muslim-Christian relations in Indonesia. The controversial fatwa issued by MUI, which bans the display of non-Muslim’ symbols, may illustrate the author’s profound disappointment as an Indonesian Christian; nevertheless, he continues in nurturing hope within the challenging task of coexisting with people of different faiths.
Hans Harmaputra takes stock of the effects of the political reformation process in the world’s most populous Muslim country. His book shows how the resulting unprecedented opening-up of Indonesia’s public space offers both opportunities and challenges for one of Asia’s largest democracies, especially where it concerns accommodating religious plurality and safeguarding minority rights.
Table of contents
Note on Transliteration and Translation
Preface and Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Between Pancasila and Islam: An Overview of Christian-Muslim Relations between 1945–98
2. The Emergence of (Post)Islamism: Tracing the Development of Indonesian Islam after 1998
3. The Politics of Blasphemy in Indonesia: Christian Responses to the Blasphemy Case of Ahok
4. The Phenomenon of Church Closings in Indonesia: A Study of the Yasmin Church Case
5. Contesting the Meaning of ‘Unbeliever’: A Christian Response to the MUI’s Fatwa on the Prohibition against Wearing ‘Non-Muslim’ Symbols
6. Becoming a Church in a Post-Conflict Society of Maluku: Interreligious Dialogue, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index