| Title | : | Interfaith Dialogue in Indonesian Public Diplomacy: The Role of The Department of Foreign Affairs in Interfaith Dialogue |
| Author | : | Novita Rakhmawati (CRCS, 2009) |
| Keywords | : | religion, international relations, foreign policy, public diplomacy, interfaith dialogue, Indonesia, Department of Foreign Affairs |
| Abstract | ||
| In an era of globalization, especially in the wake of the Cold War and the September 11, 2001 tragedy, there is an increasing concern about the role of religion and religious actors in international relations (Haynes, 2007; Thomas, 2005; Petito and Hatzopoulos, 2003; Dark, 2000). Religion has become one of the new types of what is called “intermestic” (international and domestic) policy issue in international relations (Duncan, 2006, Kegley and Wittkopf, 2001). In the Indonesian context, scholars have tended to focus on the role of Islam in Indonesian foreign policy (Perwita, 2007; Sukma, 2003). However, the study of interfaith dialogue in Indonesian diplomacy, particularly in public diplomacy is a new development. This current paper examines interfaith dialogue activities in Indonesian public diplomacy. The aim of the study is to describe interfaith dialogue programs and activities in recent Indonesian diplomacy and to examine why the Indonesian government, particularly through the Department of Foreign Affairs, has engaged with interfaith dialogue. This paper argues that the adoption of interfaith dialogue in Indonesian public diplomacy has been influenced by certain “intermestic” (international and domestic) circumstances. In the context of international challenges, these include globalization and the global resurgence of religion, the rise of issues of Islamic terrorism, U.S unilateralism and the rise of multitrack diplomacy. Regarding domestic circumstances there are constraints from the legal infrastructure and the lack of institutional capacity to counterterrorism, the crises of perception of “the West versus Islam”, the requirement for balancing the need to security and democratization and human’s rights protection, and the need to promote an image of Indonesia as the world’s largest Muslim population country, which is peaceful and tolerant. The findings indicate that interfaith dialogue activities in Indonesian public diplomacy are a new and positive development in Indonesian diplomacy because it recognizes the role of religious communities in the foreign policy making process and have potential as Indonesian soft power. This fact led to a question whether there is shifting paradigm in Indonesian foreign policy i.e, religious consideration. However, Pancasila as the ideology of the state and the 1945 Constitution remain as the foundation of Indonesian foreign policy. The conclusion recommends that interfaith dialogue in Indonesian public diplomacy need to be more practical, engaging the grass root level and becoming more responsive to recent domestic and international circumstances. |
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Arsip:
Thesis Review
| Title | : | CONFLICT AND COMPROMISE BETWEEN TRADITION AND RELIGION (The Case Of Tolaki’s Marriage In Southeast Sulawesi) |
| Author | : | Asliah Zainal (CRCS, 2005) |
| Keywords | : | Conflict, Compromise, Tradition, Religion, Marriage, Tolaki. |
| Abstract | ||
| The purpose of this research is to identify and describe conflict and compromise between adat (tradition) and agama (religion) in the case of Tolaki’s marriage in Southeast Sulawesi. Both conflict and compromose is done by analyzing the types, the factors, and the implications. This research is a qualitative research. The focus of this research is the marriage case of Tolaki people in Southeast Sulawesi. The method of collecting data is attained by using observation about marriage’s ceremonies and rituals; taking by in deep interview to the leaders of adat about the important position in the marriage, and using documentations of some events in the marriage and also the traditional poetries (pantun) within. Later on, the data is conducted by using a sociological approach and will be presented in an analytical qualitative descriptive. It could be sum up that both conflict and compromise persisted the same time in the events of society. Both are seem to be very important and could not be ignored. Therefore, conflict and compromise in marriage case within tradition in one hand and religion in another is a certainty, so one’s existence would not negate the others. However, traditional elite domination, the runaway marriage, and the prerequisite of marriage one three realities of Tolaki’s people which moves between conflict and compromise that might be happens. The compromise situation happens in a marriage, also has a potential conflict. Probably, it seems to be pseudo-compromise, if the effort to preserve stabilization and integration of society doesn’t solve the core of the conflict, instead reduce or obstruct it. Conversely, conflict, which happens in society, doesn’t automatically refers to dysfunction and disharmony situation, because, it could reinforces the establishment of the Tolaki society and the possibility of the new social system. |
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| Title | : | Method Religious Studies of Ibn Hazm (The Study of Al-Fashl fi al-Milal wa al-Ahwal wa an-Nihal) |
| Author | : | Bakhruddin Fannani (CRCS, 2005) |
| Keywords | : | Method, Religious study, Ibn Hazm and Zhahiriyah (textualism). |
| Abstract | ||
| This paper is a detailed examination of the views of Ibn Hazm which pour out in his written works, al-Fashl fî al-Milal wa al-Ahwâ’ wa an Nihal, with the aim of setting a course for the development of reasoned dialogue between religions based on the personal thinking of someone prominent in the history of Islam in Andalusia. The paper also seeks to understand Ibn Hazm’s ideas about religions in order to seek alternative ideas about ideas regarding the methodology of studying religion as well as adding hypotheses that will enrich the theory of dialogue between religions. The methodology used in this study is a qualitative methodology at towards library research and analysis of written works along with documentation associated with them. The most important works written by Ibn Hazm are titled al-Fashl fî al-Milal wa al-Ahwâ’ wa an Nihal, and as such have been selected by the author as primary source data. These works have also been selected because they contain Ibn Hazm’s views about the world’s greatest religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Other books of Ibn Hazm’s essays along with books written by other intellectuals about his life and views have been selected as secondary source material for this research paper. The analysis of data, in accordance with the form and characteristic of the matter being researched, is a historical and content analysis that has its origins in the results gleaned from library research. A historical analysis is the author’s chosen methodology to carry out an analysis aimed at finding out as much as possible, using reports and other recorded data, about what was happening at the time Ibn Hazm wrote his works. This involves research of texts relevant to the point in time as well as the subject being researched by the author. Furthermore the historical analysis involves a critical analysis applied when historical facts were uncovered, in particular historical facts related to confirmation, comparison and interpretation. The contents analysis in this study is used to uncover the characteristics of the subject, for example how the shape of Ibn Hazm’s writings was influenced by the environment, education and doctrines prevalent at that time and subsequently. The study forms a conclusion based on the primary research data selected by the author with support from the secondary data sources. It was discovered in the study that the views hypothesised by Ibn Hazm were influenced and not separate from the socio-political conditions prevalent at the time. As an adherent of persevering textualism Ibn Hazm placed textual epistemology as the prime methodology in carrying out religious study aimed at testing the truth of religion, that is, he used the direct study of the sacred books of Islam, Christianity and Judaism. He taught, critically analysed and compared these sacred books extrinsically and drew the conclusion based on the extrinsic form of the books that they were indeed the primary source that laid down the highest authority with regard to religion. |
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| Title | : | Tutup Layang (The Togetherness Manifestation in the Society of Brondong, Lamongan, East Java) |
| Author | : | Budi Ashari (CRCS, 2006) |
| Keywords | : | Plurality, Brondong, Tutup Layang, religious organization, togetherness, social harmony, and hidden ideology. |
| Abstract | ||
| This research aims at showing that plurality in a society does not always raise conflict or tension. Plurality can also foster understanding which is shown in the ritual Tutup Layang in the village of Brondong. Multiculturality and plurality can spread tolerance and togetherness within Brondong society. The question of this research is why Brondong society, which has many different religious organizations, can create harmony, tolerance, cooperation, and does not bother about diversity of ideology? The theoretical framework of the research uses Andrew Beatty’s theory on slametan in Bayu. Slametan is an arena of multivocality. Slametan fosters the social harmony. Slametan can hide the ideological understandings of its members. The methodology of this research is qualitative research. To collect and gather the data, the researcher conducted deep interview and direct active participation in the field of the research. To analyze the data, this research has four steps. First, it reduces and ignores unintended data. Second, it explores all data. Third, it verifies the data. Forth, it analyzes and forms conclusions about the data. This research shows that the diversity of religious understanding can promote an attitude of togetherness via cooperation among them. Cooperation is very visible in the Tutup Layang ritual. The Tutup Layang is a worship ritual for Kiai Anjir which is regarded by Brondong society as a supernatural power. The ritual has two main ideas: spiritual idea and social idea. Its spiritual idea is worshipping to Kiai Anjir. Its social idea is empowering social tie among people in society. Its social idea has made it a cohesive power. Such power of the Tutup Layang is manifested in certain accommodations which are applied in the many following rituals. All of the following rituals are the kind of accommodations that represent all of religious organizations in Brondong. Each religious organization has the responsibility to successfully organize certain activities which represent its aspirations. This compartmentalization shows that the Tutup Layang is a ritual that belongs to all elements in Brondong society. Every participant of the Tutup Layang has interests. Religious organizations, political parties, skippers (owners of fishing boats) and fishers, and other residents all have interests. Their interests are diverse: and include both ideological and public interests. Then, the Tutup Layang has become an arena of contestation for influence or sympathy by such interests. However, such interests are as much as eliminated. Indeed, Brondong society has potentials for conflicts. Such potentials appear among fishers, religious organizations, and competition among skippers. In this aspect, society is unstable. Therefore, the society very much needs certain rituals to eliminate potential sources of conflicts and to empower the social ties among society. The Tutup Layang ritual is a cultural mechanism which gives a sphere for all social elements to participate in it and to empower the social ties among them. This participation brings in the term of social harmony (rukun) within society. The harmony has an implication that emerging ideological understanding in the ritual is not relatively significant. Rather than giving each ideology full expression in the ritual, most ideological differences are instead hidden. |
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| Title | : | Kebatinan and Religiousity in Paguyuban Tri Tunggal Yogyakarta |
| Author | : | Burhan Ali (CRCS, 2006) |
| Abstract | ||
| This research aims to seek the meaning of religiosity in Paguyuban Tri Tunggal, one of kebatinan groups in Yogyakarta, and tries to answer two main questions, those are: (1) What are the foundational values of paguyuban Tri Tunggal; and (2), Based on those values, how the followers of Paguyuban Tri Tunggal interpret their religiosity. This research is an ethnographic survey of the behavior and teachings of Paguyuban Tri Tunggal which uses a theoretical assumption that perceives culture as a system of knowledge acquired by man through the process of learning that they use to interpret and at the same time to build strategies facing their environment. The subject of the research includes teachers, disciples, followers, and people who live in the environment. Data collection is conducted through indepth interviews, participatory observation and literary research which strengthen the field research results. The research finding shows that there is a close relation between kebatinan and religiosity in Paguyuban Tri Tunggal. The relation is emphasized by the formulation of Teologi Kerakyatan, rooted in Javanese kebatinan, in the paguyuban to surpass the limitation of religion, ethnic, race, or group. These kebatinan values in turn influence how religion and/or religiosity are interpreted within the paguyuban. Religion is seen by the followers within two categories: as an outfit (ageming aji) which is sometimes in opposition to the second category, the essence, or religiosity which transcends the boundaries of institutional religions, races, ethnics, and/or groups. This religiosity of the paguyuban is manifested by the followers of paguyuban in the praxis of healing which employs a holistic approach derived from different religious and cultural traditions. The healing reflects an unshakeable belief in God and the implementation of the noble value of healing people. |
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| Title | : | OIKONOMIA AS A MODEL FOR THE CHURCH IN DEALING WITH ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN INDONESIA |
| Author | : | Eliasar Timotius Chandra (CRCS, 2005) |
| Keywords | : | oikonomia, churches services, and environmental (ecological) problems. |
| Abtract | ||
| The objective of this study is to explain ecological crises and how the churches in general and the churches in Indonesia in particular have responded to environmental problems and Oikonomia as one of the church service models to environmental problems. It is a qualitative and quantitative study because it not only analyzed documents on ecological problems from the existing literary resources related to subject being studied but also collected data from fields about the practices of churches and Christianity dealing with environmental problems. The results showed environmental problems or ecological crises are serious problems faced by human beings today and are the responsibilities of all parties. Human beings as subjects of development often exploit natural resources excessively that resulted in ecological crises such as: air pollution, forest denudation, environmental pollution, etc. Church as one of religious institutions has responsibility to keep environment conserve together with government and other institutions such as other religious institutions, NGOs, and so on. The churches in Indonesia, especially the members of The Fellowship of Churches in Indonesian (PGI) have given attentions as their responses to environmental (ecological) problems in Indonesia through various forms of service and oikonomia. Oikonomia as a model of the church services was deemed appropriate to respond to ecological/environmental problems. Oikonomia is hoped to give positive contribution in dealing with environmental problems today. |
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