Strengthening Religious Moderation: Learning from the Harmony of Multireligious People in Indonesia

Abstract

Religious moderation is an urgent entity for Indonesian people because they are multireligious. Hence, this qualitative study aimed to explore the religious moderation factors of multireligious people residing in the Sekaran, Rama Agung, and Cigugur villages of Indonesia and to analyze the people’s most vital factors of religious moderation. Fifteen religious and communal leaders from the three villages were purposively involved as the participants. An interactive model was adopted to analyze the data from interviews and focus group discussions. This study found five factors of religious moderation exhibited by Sekaran people, namely the principle of togetherness, socio-religious traditions, social traditions related to the values of the Indonesian Republic, and family. Rama Agung people showcased three factors: accepting the reality of differences, putting aside exclusivity, and upholding the harmony of life. Cigugur people demonstrated ten factors extending to family, awareness of moderation, mutual respect, tolerance, internalization of multiculturalism, good communication, socio-religious traditions, cultural ties, social relations, and interactions with cultural traditions. Furthermore, three latent and generalizable factors of religious moderation were codified as the strongest. They entailed upholding the principle of togetherness, accepting the reality of differences, and having mutual respect.

Multiculturalism of Indonesia’s Multireligious Communities: The Portrayal of Multicultural Competence and its Contributing Factors

“…According to Presseau et al (2019), multicultural knowledge is crucial for internalizing attitudes that foster tolerance, appreciation of differences, and empathy towards diverse cultures and religions. Daheri et al (2023) found that higher internalization of multicultural attitudes is associated with superior multicultural knowledge and skills, while Kim and Rundgren (2021) noted a similar trend among elementary school teachers.…”

“…Asha et al (2022) suggested that mindful and cross-cultural interactions trigger an increase in tolerance. Daheri et al (2023) demonstrated that positive experiences with culturally diverse individuals significantly enhance an individual's tolerance. The present study's finding is consistent with Uyun and Warsah's (2022) study exhibiting that direct experiences and contact with diverse groups significantly improve tolerance and intergroup relationships.…”

“…Given the large population, this research focused on a sample of communities from three regions in Indonesia, namely North Bengkulu, Kuningan in West Java, and Kediri in East Java. Based on previous research conducted by Daheri et al (2023), the social demographics of communities in North Bengkulu, Kuningan, and Kediri were representative of ideal interfaith communities to be included in the study. The multireligious demographics of the communities in these three regions represented the adherents of six religions of Indonesia (e.g., Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism).…”

Religious Moderation in the Discourse of Nahdlatul Ulama’s Dakwah in the Era of Industry 4.0

“…These practices are well suited to the nation's heterogeneous society, where people from various religious backgrounds coexist. Practicing religion moderately not only promotes tolerance and understanding, but also helps foster peaceful relationships among individuals and communities (Subchi et al, 2022;Daheri et al, 2023).…”

Textbook assessment and religious education efforts: how to achieve religious moderation in schools?

“…The assessment of religious textbooks is the government's strategy to realise religious moderation in a multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious country like Indonesia (Campbell, 2017;Latif, 2019;Ropi, 2019). According to Franken, in a plural country, there is a challenge to the complex relationships between the state, communities, and schools (Daheri, 2023;Franken, 2017;Hanafi, 2022). In this context, religious education becomes a contentious issue because it is considered an important instrument to promote respect for diversity by emphasising tolerance and respecting differences with a culture of peace (Mutawali, 2023;Sihombing, 2020).…”