ISLAM, CHRISTIANITY, AND INDIGENOUS BELIEFS IN DIALOGUE: The Dynamics of Religious Coexistence in Indonesia’s Peripheries

Kadenun Kadenun, Moh Asvin Abdurrohman

Abstract


This article explores the dynamics of interreligious relations in three peripheral communities of Indonesia—Jayapura (Papua), Sidenreng Rappang (South Sulawesi), and Dusun Sonyo (Yogyakarta)—based on an analytical reading of Hasse Jubba’s ethnographic work (2017). Using a qualitative approach rooted in ethnographic content analysis, the study examines how Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, and local religious communities (Towani Tolotang) sustain coexistence through social mechanisms, cultural values, and shared rituals. The findings reveal that interreligious relations at the grassroots level are not primarily shaped by formal state regulations or theological dialogue, but rather by everyday encounters, economic collaboration, and communal solidarity. The theoretical frameworks employed include structural functionalism, practical multiculturalism, interfaith dialogue models (Knitter), and ritual-symbolic theory (Turner). The three cases demonstrate that peripheral communities possess strong cultural capacities to manage religious diversity through pragmatic interfaith engagements and contextual collective spirituality. This study contributes to rethinking pluralism as a locally grounded, socially enacted, and spiritually embedded practice beyond formal frameworks.

Keywords


Interreligious relations; local communities; practical multiculturalism; interfaith dialogue; collective ritual; peripheral Indonesia.

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ali, M. (2013). Agama dan Konflik Sosial. Marja.

Beatty, A. (2001). Varieties of Javanese Religion: An Anthropological Account. American Ethnologist, 28(4).

Cornille, C. (2013). Conditions for Inter-Religious Dialogue. In The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Inter-Religious Dialogue. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118529911.ch2

Esposito, J. L. (2000). Political Islam and the West. JFQ.

Fajarini, U. (2014). POTRET KONFLIK KEAGAMAAN MASYARAKAT TANGERANG BANTEN DAN RESOLUSI KONFLIK BERBASIS MULTIKULTURALISME DALAM ISLAM. Al-Tahrir: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.21154/al-tahrir.v14i2.76

Geertz, C. (1988). Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays by Clifford Geertz. Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 158(3).

Goffman, E. (1959). Regions and Region Behaviour. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.

Hanafi, I. (2011). EKSKLUSIVISME, INKLUSIVISME, DAN PLURALISME: Membaca Pola Keberagamaan Umat Beriman. Al-Fikra: Jurnal Ilmiah Keislaman, 10(2).

Hanafi, I., Hasbullah, H., & Ahmad, Y. (2017). BASIS TEOLOGIS UNTUK PLURALISME BERAGAMA; Menimbang Pandangan Kaum Sufi dalam Memahami Tuhan. TOLERANSI: Media Ilmiah Komunikasi Umat Beragama, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.24014/trs.v8i1.2469

Hanafi, I., & Hassan, A. (2022). FENOMENA KEBEBASAN BERAGAMA DAN BERKEYAKINAN (KBB) DI UNIVERSITAS ISLAM NEGERI SULTAN SYARIF KASIM RIAU. In Bunga Rampai Konferensi Nasional Pendidikan HAM: Vol. III (p. 90). DATUM Indonesia.

Heaton, J. (2012). Reworking Qualitative Data. In Reworking Qualitative Data. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781849209878

Hefner, R. W. (2001). Public islam and the problem of democratization. Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review, 62(4). https://doi.org/10.2307/3712438

Hendra, Y. (2019). Spiral Of Silence Theory Versus Perkembangan Masyarakat Suatu Penjelasan dan Kritik Teori. JURNAL SIMBOLIKA: Research and Learning in Communication Study, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.31289/simbollika.v5i2.2859

Jubba, H. (2018). KONTESTASI IDENTITAS AGAMA "LOKALITAS SPIRITUAL DI INDONESIA. In Analytical Biochemistry (Vol. 11, Issue 1).

Jubba, H., Pabbajah, M., Prasodjo, Z. H., & Qodir, Z. (2019). The future relations between the majority and minority religious groups, viewed from Indonesian contemporary perspective: A case study of the coexistence of Muslims and the Towani Tolotang in Amparita, South Sulawesi. In International Journal of Islamic Thought (Vol. 16). https://doi.org/10.24035/ijit.16.2019.002

Kayam, U. (1981). Seni, Tradisi, Masyarakat,. Sinar Harapan.

Knitter, P. F. (2004). Book Review: Theology and the Dialogue of Religions. Missiology: An International Review, 32(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/009182960403200113

Knitter, P. F. (2011). Doing Theology Interreligiously Union and the Legacy of Paul Tillich. CrossCurrents, 61(1). https://doi.org/10.1353/cro.2011.a783216

Knitter, P. F. (2013). Inter-Religious Dialogue and Social Action. In The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Inter-Religious Dialogue. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118529911.ch9

Knott, K. (2005). Spatial theory and method for the study of religion. Temenos, 41(2). https://doi.org/10.33356/temenos.4778

Knott, K. (2008). Inside, outside and the space in-between: territories and boundaries in the study of religion. Temenos, 44(1). https://doi.org/10.33356/temenos.4597

Madjid, N. (1999). Mencari Akar-akar Islam bagi Pluralisme Modern; Pengalaman Indonesia. In M. R. Woordward (Ed.), Jalan Baru Islam; Memetakan Paradigma Mutakhir Islam di Indonesia. Mizan.

Maksum, A. (2011). Pluralisme dan Multikulturalisme. Aditya Media Publishing.

Mujiburrahman. (2006). Feeling Threatened : Muslim-Christian Relations in Indonesia’s New Order. In Feeling Threatened : Muslim-Christian Relations in Indonesia’s New Order. https://doi.org/10.5117/9789053569382

Parsons, T. (1990). Prolegomena to a Theory of Social Institutions. American Sociological Review, 55(3). https://doi.org/10.2307/2095758

Phillips, J. R., Hick, J., & Knitter, P. (1992). The Myth of Christian Uniqueness: Toward a Pluralistic Theology of Religions. Buddhist-Christian Studies, 12. https://doi.org/10.2307/1389992

Pribadi, Y. (2019). Fragmentasi Umat dan Penciptaan Otoritas Keagamaan: Tanggapan terhadap ‘Islam Lokal’ dan ‘Islam Asing’ di Indonesia. Jurnal Masyarakat Dan Budaya, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.14203/jmb.v21i1.828

Qodir, Z., & Rosidi, I. (2019). Popular Islam: A Contemporary Phenomenon in Indonesia. Asia Pacific Journal on Religion and Society, Vol. 3(2).

Raharjo, M. (2019). Analisis Isi (Content Analysis) dalam Penelitian Kualitatif. Mudjiarahardjo.Uin-Malang.Ac.Id.

Rahayu, N. T. (2010). Teori Interaksi Simbolik dalam Kajian Komunikasi. Widyatama, Vol. 19 No(1).

Sachedina, A. (2007). The Clash of Universalisms: Religious and Secular in Human Rights. Hedgehog Review, 9(3).

Sardar, Z. (2005). Islam Tanpa Syariat; Menggali Universalitas Tradisi. Grafindo Khazanah Ilmu.

Supriyono, & Wartono. (2020). The currentliterature, religions and humanity challenges of contemporary Islam. Journal of Advanced Research in Dynamical and Control Systems, 12(6). https://doi.org/10.5373/JARDCS/V12I6/S20201039

Turner, V. (2017). The ritual process: Structure and anti-structure. In The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315134666

Turner, V., & Abrahams, R. D. (2017). The Ritual Process. In The Ritual Process. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315134666

Vertovec, S. (2010). Towards post-multiculturalism? Changing communities, conditions and contexts of diversity. International Social Science Journal, 61(199). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2451.2010.01749.x

Yusuf, S. (2012). Pengantar Metodologi Penelitian,. Mitra Wacana Media.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24014/apjrs.v8i2.37709

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Asia-Pacific Journal on Religion and Society



 

   Asia-Pacific Journal on Religion and Society (APJRS) Indexed By:

   

Mailing Address:

Nusantara Journal for Southeast Asian Islamic Studies is published by Institute for Southeast Asian Islamic Studies (ISAIS) Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau.

Gedung Islamic Center Lt. I Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau, Jl. H.R. Soebrantas Km. 15 No. 155 Kelurahan Simpang Baru Kecamatan Tampan Pekanbaru - Riau 28293, PO. BOX 1004.

Published by:

Institute for Southeast Asean Islamic Studies (ISAIS)
Universitas Islam Negeri  Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau
Jalan H. R. Soebrantas KM. 15.5, Simpangbaru, Tampan
Pekanbaru - 28293
email: isais.uinsuska@gmail.com

Indexed by:

 

 

web stats

View My Stats

 Creative Commons License APJRS is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.