Youth Expressions of Religiosity through Dialogue in Indonesia

This paper observes youth expressions of religiosity through inter-religious dialogue in Indonesia. It focuses on how Indonesian youth examine their interpretations of their own religions and their efforts at building interfaith and peace networks through various programs. It then explores these initiatives using the theory of the seven moments of dialogue proposed by the Indonesian theologian J.B. Banawiratma. By examining these initiatives, the paper offers some grounded observations on the positive contributions that Indonesian youth has made amidst the changing religious proclivities of their peers toward a more conservative turn

Islamophobia and the Challenges of Muslims in Contemporary Eropean Union Countries: Case Studies from Austria, Belgium, and Germany

In the last two decades, the Muslim population in Western Europe has grown in unprecedented ways. At the broader regional level, there are approximately 25 million Muslims living in European Union member states as of 2016, which is estimated to increase to 35 million by 2050. The arrival of Muslims from various countries in the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans has brought about significant changes and issues socially, economically, as well as politically. Undeniably, some phenomena of discrimination and Islamophobia arise in almost all EU countries in various aspects of public life such as hijâb clothing, building mosques, and housing. Using a qualitative approach and field research, this article explores not only the historical accounts of the presence of Islam in several EU countries, but also the relations between Islam and the state. This research presents several cases of discrimination and Islamophobia and the internal dynamics within the Muslim communities as to the challenges of living in completely different atmosphere. Three countries, namely Austria, Belgium, and Germany are chosen to represent European Union countries. This study contributes to the discourse on the integration of Muslims in European culture and to the way EU countries could involve Muslims in constructing European Islam

Ulama, State, and Politics in Myanmar

Issues related to Islam and Myanmar have become world’s attention, especially in relation to the Rohingya refugees who fled the country in the past few months. The 2010 government census stated that Muslim constitutes 3.9% of  the total 53 million population, who are mainly Theravada Buddhists; but some Muslim leaders interviewed in September 2014 argued that the followers of Prophet Muhammad constituted 17%. This paper finds that violent conflicts involving Muslims and Buddhists in Rakhine State were caused by complex issues including the historical background of  the coming and development of  Islam in Myanmar and the authoritarian military regime, which did not open paths for dialogue. It is surprising to witness how the concept of  “peace” that is at the heart of  the Buddhist teaching seems to be disappeared in the whole issue of  the conflicts. This paper, however, will not focus on the conflicts themselves but on the role of  ulama during the Myanmar conflict.[Isu terkait Islam dan Myanmar telah menyita perhatian dunia, khususnya setelah adanya para pengungsi Rohingya yang keluar dari negeri ini beberapa bulan yang lalu. Sensus tahun 2010 yang dilakukan pemerintah menunjukkan bahwa penhanut Islam berjumlah 3,9% dari total 53 juta penduduk yang mayoritas penganut Budha Theravada; namun menurut beberapa tokoh Islam yang diwawancarai pada  September 2014, penganut Islam mencapai 17%. Tulisan ini melihat bahwa konflik kekerasan antara Muslim dan Budha di Provinsi Rakhine dilatarbelakangi persoalan yang cukup komplek, termasuk latar sejarah masuk dan berkembangnya Islam di Myanmar serta rezim militer yang otoriter yang tidak pernah membuka ruang dialog. Satu hal yang cukup mengejutkan adalah konsep “damai” yang menjadi jantung ajaran Budha tampaknya hilang di telan pusaran konflik.Hanya saja, tulisan ini tidak berfokus pada isu konflik itu sendiri, namun lebih menelisik peran ulama dalam konflik Myanmar.

YOUNG INDONESIAN HADHRAMIS AND THE QUEST FOR RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY

This paper observes the activities of two young Hadhrami preachers in contemporary Indonesia. The first, Ustadzah Halimah Alaydrus (Jakarta), runs some regular meetings and majelis shalawat. The second, Ustadz Muhammad Anies Alhabsyi (Solo), leads a weekly study group (majelistaklim). The paper focuses on how the two preachers adapt their preachingstrategies, styles, and themes in light of the changing public demands. Concurrently, it explores how both actors use different social media platforms to attract wider, and younger, audience. By comparing the two cases, the paper offerssome grounded observations on how contemporary Hadhrami preachersreconfigure their religious authority in relation to the changing proclivities of their Indonesian Muslim audience. Keywords: Indonesian Hadhramis, changing religious authorit

Doing Communicative Theology of Social Justice from Christian and Islamic Perspectives

With a long tradition of mono-religious education in Indonesia, the understanding of social justice inscribed as the fifth principle of Pancasila is subject to a one-sided theological or otherwise secular outlook. While the former lacks in theology’s publicness, the latter does not conform with the foundational national consensus. Resembling Pancasila’s collaborative spirit, the research question of this article is how to understand social justice from an inter-religious outlook. This library research-based article employs a communicative theology developed by Matthias Scharer and Bernd Jochen Hilberath within the scope of Christian and Islamic perspectives. In such a theology, social justice is never speculative, ideological, or ahistorical. Instead, it emerges from factual movements that ignite public awareness required for further engagement for social transformation. A close reading of some sources of both traditions reveals social justice as a God-oriented, people-centered movement with a mustadafun perspectiv

Being Chinese Christian in the Totok Chinese Churches in Surabaya: Continuity and Change of Identities

This article explores the identities of Chinese Christians in the totok Chinese churches in Surabaya. The Chinese Christians refer to those who arrived in Surabaya from mainland China as Protestant Christians in the 1900s. They established the first Chinese church - the Tiong Hoa Kie Tok Kauw Hwee (THKTKH) in Surabaya. The THKTKH has become two independent synods, namely Gereja Kristus Tuhan (GKT, or the Church of Christ the Lord) and Gereja Kristen Abdiel (GKA, or the Abdiel Christian Church). The totok Chinese churches refer to churches that conduct the church services in the Chinese language or Mandarin (Guoyu). The article examines the culture, language, and origin of the Chinese Christians. After almost a century in Surabaya, there are some continuity and change of the Chinese Christian identities. They still regard themselves as totok, but the meaning of totok has changed. They embrace not only Chinese culture; but also mixed Chinese culture with Western culture and Indonesian culture, which results in the so-called hybrid culture. The Mandarin is used in the church services, whereas Indonesian language and English are also employed. The originality of the congregations is no longer mono-ethnic, which is Chinese. The Chinese churches have become multi-ethnic churches consist of various ethnicities in Indonesia

Accommodative-Hybrid Religious Encounters and Interfaith Dialogue: A Study of Lamaholot Muslims and Catholics in East Flores

This paper focused its attention on three main problems. First, the changes occurred when ancestral religious rituals in Lamaholot collided with Islam and Catholicism. Second, the social cohesion capital possessed by the Lamaholot community in building inter­religious and interfaith dialogue in East Flores. Third, the challenges faced, and negotiations carried out in the interreligious and interfaith interaction and dialogue. This paper is constructed upon structural functionalism theory. Data was collected using observations, interviews, and documents. Data analysis method and technique used in this paper were interpretive qualitative. This paper identified two domains as entry points for developing interreligious and interfaith dialogue. First, the concepts of divinity in local Lamaholot rituals and in the world’s religions (Islam and Catholicism) meet and strengthen each other and become the epistemological basis for dialogue. Second, Lamaholot rituals become a medium for transmitting the values of Lamaholot solidarity.

Being Chinese Christian in the Totok Chinese Churches in Surabaya: Continuity and Change of Identities

This article explores the identities of Chinese Christians in the totok Chinese churches in Surabaya. The Chinese Christians refer to those who arrived in Surabaya from mainland China as Protestant Christians in the 1900s. They established the first Chinese church - the Tiong Hoa Kie Tok Kauw Hwee (THKTKH) in Surabaya. The THKTKH has become two independent synods, namely Gereja Kristus Tuhan (GKT, or the Church of Christ the Lord) and Gereja Kristen Abdiel (GKA, or the Abdiel Christian Church). The totok Chinese churches refer to churches that conduct the church services in the Chinese language or Mandarin (Guoyu). The article examines the culture, language, and origin of the Chinese Christians. After almost a century in Surabaya, there is some continuity and change of the Chinese Christian identity. They still regard themselves as totok, but the meaning of totok has changed. They embrace not only Chinese culture; but also mixed Chinese culture with Western culture and Indonesian culture, which results in the so-called hybrid culture. Mandarin is used in church services, whereas Indonesian language and English are also employed. The originality of the congregations is no longer mono-ethnic, which is Chinese. The Chinese churches have become multi-ethnic churches consisting of various ethnicities in Indonesia

Toward a Theology of Engagement a Study of Komunitas Tritunggal Mahakudus as a Field of Action

In his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), for the Bishop, Clergy, Consecrated Persons, and the Lay Faithful on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Todays World, Pope Francis emphasized on the need to approach the young people, either to evangelize and educate them or the urgency to exercise greater leadership (Art. 106). Pope Francis encouraged the Catholic Church to regard these youth do not only as object but also the subject of evangelization. Komunitas Tritunggal Mahakudus, one kind of Catholic Charismatic Renewals in Indonesia, puts intensive programs to engage the youth in the evangelization work. With a well design programs, they achieve voluntary youth involvement. The present paper is an analysis of a negotiation process of Komunitas Tritunggal Mahakudus toward the present situation of the Catholic Church in Indonesia. From the perspective of Social Action Field theory, this analysis provides us with an insight of engaging youth in the evangelization efforts.DOI: doi.org/10.24071/jaot.2020.02010

IMAM SYAFI'I'S PERSPECTIVE ON DEBT SETTLEMENT WITH PARKING LAND MANAGEMENT RIGHTS ASSURANCE (Case Study of Medan Perjuangan, Medan City)

The Medan Perjuangan community has a practice of disputed debts, but they are unable to pay off these debts, so they provide guarantees in the form of parking space rights as collateral for their debts. The purpose of this research is to respond to the author's main problem formulation, which is the settlement of debt disputes with guaranteed rights to manage parking areas from the perspective of Imam Syafi'i. In this study, a qualitative method was used to analyze Imam Syafi'i's perspective and how Islamic law views debt settlement transactions with guaranteed rights to manage parking lots in Medan's battlefield. According to the findings of this study, in Medan Perjuangan, Medan City, debtors with good intentions to settle their credits can settle their disputes over problematic receivables amicably, and the method used to settle these debts is seen as better than other alternative settlements by providing guarantees in the form of parking space rights in battlefield because the debtor does not have the ability to pay off