Religion and Nationalism in Indonesia
Kristanto Budiprabowo (TATOK)

There are at least three considerations to see the complexity of the relation between religion and Indonesian nationalism during the struggle to build Indonesia. First, there were some efforts to institutionalize religious groups. As a new organization they struggle in different purposes and goals but basically found the form because of influence by colonialism and the movement of Islam in the world. Consequently on one side, organization or institutional ideas in modern though influence the formation of particular religious group and on the other, religious values and organizational system based on traditional though still exist in more deep exception. In the optimism of the effort to build the nation-state this institutionalization of religious groups found their various form. But in this situation there was a long story behind the existence of the religious institution building that not only cause by the euphoria to reach independency but also to establish religious teaching in facing Christianity and communism. So nationalism growth cause by complex reason and happened in a proper time when many countries struggle with the same situation.
Second, because Dutch was not build enough school for local people, initiated by young reformist the ideological teaching spreading among local religious groups through their own system that inherited from the religious origin and their culture. The need of education and ideological new ideas that based on religious teaching further met with the modern ideas about nationality and the form of nation-state. The result was the building of the school of thought in very various forms also. But it is over generalized if we correlated all of the effort to build that school of thought have a political motive. In order to give best serve to the adherent and society in common, religion always struggle with power. If the immediate power position is in the different side of the religious organization, the struggle can be the opposition attitude that trigger to the open clash between religious organization and the government.
Third, there was also the role of some person who has good relationship with various communities and social and political movement. Their new idea and their religiosity complement each other and build a unique person with specific noble characteristic. Some of them have international networking especially in the ideological group which at the time compete each other. In this case, Sukarno is perfect example. His religious and belief background combine by his organizational experience and intelligent not only produced excellent idea concerning Indonesia nationality but also challenging religious group to build organizational system more effectively in politic. There were also many brilliant persons who struggle deeply in their religiosity and their nationality in one consciousness. It was seems that someone who can make balance religious thought and political idea he/she can survive. The negotiating skill was the important skill.
The combination of these three aspects has an important contribution in early Indonesian struggle on nationality. As a big pluralistic community, Indonesian experience happened in the good time when international political situation also struggling to find the best nation-state formation. Combination or balancing tension between religious idea on a religious country and philosophical idea on secular country has big consequence as we see in today Indonesia.