Islamic Theory of International Relations in Indonesia: the Formation of a National School

Indonesian national school of Islamic theory of international relations (TIR) began to form in the second decade of the 21st century. Its main characteristics are the combination of the Divine revelation with rational analytics and empirical knowledge, as well as Indonesian national features that combine classical Islamic theology, jurisprudence and local traditions. Indonesian scholars focus mainly on the most debated issues in the Islamic TIR, i.e. on war and peace, the relationship be-tween Islamic and non-Islamic states, the division of the world into Islamic territory and the territo-ry of war, the interpretation of jihad, and the project of the global caliphate. Remaining within the framework of the Islamic paradigm, Indonesian theorists reject medieval traditions and approaches and single out the postulates of sacred texts that do not contradict rational thinking and make it pos-sible to adequately respond to the challenges of contemporary international relations. They do not contrast Islamic TIR with the postulates established in world academic science, but seek to supple-ment them with their interpretations of global problems according to their national religious and cultural traditions.