When Religion and Culture collide: the Issue of Islam and Javanese Realm

History of Religions in Indonesia pt. 2. 1900 to the Present—
Prof. Bernard Adeney-Risakotta & Dr. Sri Margana
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Roma Ulinnuha-ICRS 2009
Reading:
1. Stephen C. Headley, Durga’s Mosque: Cosmology, Conversion, and Community in Central Javanese Islam (Singapore: ISEAS, 2004)
2. M.C. Riklefs,Polarizing Javanese Society: Islamic and Other Visions (c: 1830- 1930) (Singapore: NUS Press, 2007)

Week #5: Indigenous Religions in Indonesia

When Religion and Culture collide: the Issue of Islam and Javanese Realm


Much has been elaborated on the existence of religion in the one side and the development of culture on the other. In the fertile land of religion in Java, I do emphasize that religion always mingles within it the fabrics of cultural elements. I argue that the religion itself serves as a virtue console in which it brings peaceful teachings as well as a relative flexibility. In so doing, the notion or religion comes to its fullest essence.
Headley (2004) argue that the popular oral wayang repertory continued to function as kind of shared knowledge drawing on many sources (p.417). For most Javanese communities, one of the most favorite sources of the teaching comes undeniably from the stylistic figures of wayang. The fact explains the pivotal aspect when one tries to investigate the religion in Javanese habitus.
In particular, between being Javanese and being Muslim, there are complexities need further meticulous research. Ricklefs’ 2007 study helps us in studying deeper on the issue, but I argue the focus should not ignore the four frames in approaching Javanese and Muslim entities. The four frames cover, firstly, the acceptance of the Javanese to embrace Islam to a certain limit. This element confesses the Islamic dogma but they are not yet performing the teachings of Islam. The second is for those who accepting of both being Javanese and being a pious Muslim. The second category, I argue, has equilibrium of ‘faith’ between the rituals of Javanese and Islam. This particularity does often not present in the research on the religion in Java. The third is those who are strong in Islamic values but they still related to the Javanese cultures. This is different to the second category since the balance is absent. The tendency then can go deeper whether on Islamic or on Javanese values. The last representation is most Muslims who try to rid of the Javanese values from religion. Of course, notwithstanding its limitation, the scheme needs further research on the instances in a certain place and time however such concern should be proposed prior the study of religion in Java.
To sum up, I am of the opinion that in Javanese realm actually there have been no conflicts between Islam and a “Javanese’ rejection of Islam, but the issue has been ultimately the negotiation among the four schemes. The inquiry needs a keen observation to elaborate the religion and culture in Java.