Theology of Pluralism in Historical Context: Cultural Encounters of Religions in Indonesia

Abstract

This study investigates religious diversity in Indonesia within a historical context, legal contradictions, and cultural acculturation which build the groundwork of living theology. Long-running contacts since the Hindu-Buddhist era, the arrival of Islam via trade and cultural infiltration, help to define Indonesian pluralism. It did not suddenly happen. preaching, Christian colonialism with contemporary education, and the dynamics of Reformasi and independence. Every stage provided particular types of engagement that together created a plurarity only found in the archipelago. The results of this study highlight contradictions at the current level: According to the Religious Harmony Index, interreligious peace is rather strong yet worldwide Studies confirm the high frequency of strict rules and social conflicts. This paradox implies that the state acts both as shield and restrictor, whereas society keeps social cohesiveness by cultural means. Maintaining pluralism has been shown to hinge mostly on cultural acculturation. Slametan, sekaten, yadnya, pela gandong, and grebeg Syawal show that pluralism is practiced daily rather than just founded on dogma or law. The hybridity hypothesis of Homi K. Bhabha helps to clarify that this cultural environment is a "third space" in which identities are negotiated and theological pluralism is formed. Therefore, this study provides a significant theoretical contribution: Indonesian pluralism is a living theology arising from historical negotiation, regulatory contradictions, and cultural conventions. Because this study relies on literature review, ethnographic field research is advised to further investigate the practice of pluralism at the community level. These results are intended to enrich the world dialogue by presenting a culturally grounded model of pluralism as an alternative amid the global crisis of bigotry.

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