Whither Religious Moderation? The State and Management of Religious Affairs in Contemporary Indonesia

The extent of religious values and symbols in encompassing the direction of Indonesian nation-state from the beginning of modern Indonesian history was the most popular determinant contestation in Indonesian political activism along with the emergence of the new sentiments of nationalism and anti-colonialism.  Following the embracement Pancasila, Indonesia would be neither a secular state in which religion was absolutely separated from the state nor a religious one where the state was organized on one particular faith.  Bearing in mind that religion is very important in the state system, the state normatively defines its role in the religious affair, as clearly outlines in the Constitution, paving the way for the government to take religious affairs as part of its service. For many decades, the government is very active in promoting religious toleration among the communities given to the heterogeneities of religious groups in Indonesia. Following the Reformation era, Indonesia has witnessed new waves of religious revivalism, putting religious symbols into the center of the stage.  To some extends, this such revivalism tends to undermine differences within particular religious groups glorifying the supremacy of a particular religious outlook and practices and opposing a more tolerant and inclusive understanding of religion. In turn, it also leads to rejecting the notion of a peaceful co-existence between different faith-based communities.  At the same time, Indonesia also witnesses the emergence of religious liberalism undermining the meaning of religious symbolism, ignoring the basic norms that have been preserved in religious texts. It seems imperative, therefore, for the government to promote the middle way in understanding and practicing religious life in Indonesia. This is the essence of religious moderation in contemporary Indonesia.