Regulating religion in a time of COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia: context, dynamics, and implication

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to perform a systematic review of the dialectics and telematics strategy for regulating religion during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also analyzes some important issues related to religions, state, and society.Design/methodology/approachA critical literature review was performed to complete this study, using media, institutional, national, and international reports, as well as recent and previous studies during the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsReligion was one of the social entities that had a crucial effect on the COVID-19 pandemic. The new system in the form of social distancing affects its performance. Furthermore, the response of religion in Indonesia is unique when its status is considered as the largest Islamic country in the world. Therefore, this study attempts to analyze and demonstrate the dynamics of relationships between actors, religion, and state in the process and strategy of religious regulation.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was carried out using a single methodological approach.Practical implicationsThis study provides input to both religion and the state (government) in building a synergy of constructive responses to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.Social implicationsIt provides input to society in understanding the critical intersection between religion, state, and society.Originality/valueThis may be the first academic study that analyzes the problems of the process of regulating religion in the context of COVID-19.

Beradaptasi dengan Bencana: Strategi Beribadah Umat Islam dan Kristen di Tengah Pandemi Covid-19

“…Fungsi agama dalam kaitannya dengan pandemi Covid-19 pun mendua. Max Regus (2021) menegaskan bahwa agama memiliki dua sisi yang bertolak belakang dalam kaitannya dengan COVID-19. Pada satu sisi, agama memiliki aturan yang potensial untuk mengurangi atau bahkan menghentikan pandemi ini (Barmania & Reiss, 2020;Everett, Colombatto, Chituc, Brady, & Crockett, 2020;Fardin, 2020), tetapi di sisi lain agama juga dapat menjadi medium penyebaran Covid-19 Ebrahim, Ahmed, Gozzer, Schlagenhauf, & Memish, 2020).…”

“…Studi-studi mengenai pandemi Covid-19 sejauh ini telah banyak dilakukan oleh para ahli. Di antara mereka, terdapat berbagai kajian yang melihat covid-19 dari aspek kesehatan, khususnya mengenai pentingnya melakukan upaya pencengahan dengan mematuhi protokol kesehatan (Mardhia et al, 2020;Ridlo, 2020;Telaumbanua, 2020;Regus, 2021). Ahli lain mengkaji Covid-19 dengan menitikberatkannya pada dampak sosial, ekonomi, bahkan politik yang ditimbulkan oleh pandemi ini (Yusup et al, 2020;Hastangka et.al, 2020).…”

E-Church as a Virtual Service Communities During COVID-19 Pandemics

“…There is quite a lot of researches on COVID-19 in Indonesia, but the number of articles focusing on e-church or virtual worship is limited. Some papers discuss COVID-19 and worship in terms of the importance of building spirituality in the family (Arifianto, 2020) and responses to COVID-19 in Indonesia (Andayani, 2020;Djalante et al, 2020;Regus, 2021;Sukamto & Panca Parulian, 2021). The paper that discusses worship during the pandemic; focuses more on the theological side (Surna & Suseno, 2020;Yuono, 2020).…”

Using Free Online Form to Enhancing the Student Admission in Islamic Boarding School

“…This activity restriction regulation has been in place since the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic that spread in Indonesia in 2019. The implementation of 3M (Wearing masks, washing hands and maintaining Luluk Indarti distance) until now has increased to 5M (3M added avoiding crowds and reducing mobility) must be carried out by the community to break the chain of the spread of Covid-19 (Regus, 2021;Roziqin et al, 2021).…”